Test It Out Tuesday - Home Decor (Clearly Not Christmas)

So here's the deal up front - I didn't want to do this pin. (And if we're being technical, I'm not really doing this pin.)

Here's the deal: I was trolling the black hole known as Pinterest this weekend and somehow wandered into the realm of Christmas crafts. You read that right - Christmas. I am totally into Christmas decorating this year and couldn't help myself but to just. keep. clicking.  I'm not sure what it is but I'm really trying to reign in my crazy until (at least) after Thanksgiving. I saw a pin during my trolling that seemed super simple: a Christmas cut out, a small stretched canvas and some paint. Immediately, I ignored the pin and refused to let my crazy out yet. I don't even have the original pin to link to - that's how hard I refused.

So... this isn't that pin.

This is "practice" for that pin.

I went to Walmart and picked up the following:

See? Nothing Christmas. It's just practice home decor. We're talkin' 'bout practice! (shout out to whoever recognizes that reference) Don't mind that red paint there.

First thing I did was paint all three canvasses in black, using the same brushes I bought for my horrible leaf bowl disaster.

Next, I painted the wood cut-outs. Walmart didn't have a great selection, and I quickly realized that I should have gotten birds that faced different directions (so they could look at each other all romantic-like), but I didn't care that much. I probably could have taken off the wing and put it on the back side to "flip" it myself but... ain't nobody got time for that. I did, however, put three coats of paint on these things, so apparently somebody got time for that.

Next, I had to get the two stuck together in some way, shape or form. After a mad-dash through my art supplies, I quickly realized I didn't own any glue. What was a girl to do?! I turned to the rest of my disaster of a leaf bowl project.

Well look-y there! It says "glue"! Good thing I had purchased an unnecessarily large size of Mod Podge. Before I could change my mind and make my way back to Walmart for some legitimate, primary-purpose glue, I slathered the backs of the wood cut-outs and stuck them to my painted canvas.

After about a half hour, I was surprised to find that not only did the Mod Podge work as a glue for wood-to-canvas gluing, but it also dried clear on all the areas that I just didn't care enough to wipe away the excess. (Quiet your "how lazy is this girl?" thinking - with haste is how I do my best work!)

In the end, I think this came out really well. I do love the look, and with how simple and cheap they are...

You guessed it! As soon as I find me some Christmas cut-outs, there's going to be LOTS more. After Thanksgiving, of course. (Side note: Where are all my emoji's when you need one?)

Here's the breakdown (everything purchased at Walmart):
3-pack Canvas: $2.77
Owl Cut-Out: $0.77
Bird Cut-Out: $0.77 x2
Paint: $0.87 x3
Mod Podge: I already owned this, but I found a small 1oz bottle at Target Dollar spot, and it's really all you need for this, so I'm calling this as $1.00
Grand Total: $8.69 for three canvas decorations

Not too shabby for practice, heh?