Fabric Wall Art

Canadian winter has lashed its wrath outside so I am venting my creative fury onto you. With cold weather in the forecast and fire places working hard, our whole attention turns indoors. In my efforts to keep decorating wheels turning through these lousy winter days, I succeeded to uplift the room and my spirits by making these fabric wall art for our home that I have been wanting to share with you :). 

This DIY post is also perfectly befitting our first blog of the year as I represent the refreshed setting of our living room. With delicious doses of color, this newly done fabric gallery wall is adding pizzazz without depleting my new year’s décor mantra (learning new DIY & make the most of the things I already own). 

I was tired of staring at the same old wall. With a fresh frame of mind and some inexpensive frames I happened to transform these traditional blouse pieces and a beautiful kurti (dress) sleeves...yes you read it right...sleeves into art pieces. These pieces were not originally designed to hang up on a wall, but once I saw their potential, I’ll never want to take them down. 

Luckily I had a picture of wearing the same dress that I used here to make these art frames (trust me I felt so awful to cut up something so pretty). I also happened to click few phone pictures to show the process. Here is the collage of making of it.

I personally think, this is a great way to re purpose traditional clothes which are too old or damaged to be worn again, especially, if they have been handed down by older generations and have a personal meaning attached. An old saree, dupatta or any leftover small pieces will give a good kiss of color to your bare walls. Using embroidery hoops is also an interesting idea to show off a traditional piece of fabric. If not fabric, you can use curtains, shower curtains or even beautiful scrap book papers to make these frames...possibilities are endless.

I am fairly in the camp that believes that small punches of color makes a room come alive. With bold injection of juicy hues like these frames and cushion covers from Bristi, the decorative success is achieved more easily than expected in this living room.   

These frames can bring instant color, a custom look in your décor and can be a great update to any room with a pocket friendly budget. 

Go ahead, be inspired and start creating your own fabric wall art. Don't forget to share and tag me on my home decor feeds of Facebook or Instagram if you happen to make few :). Until we meet again, toodles!

P.S. Do take inspiration from another DIY gallery wall that is adorning our foyer. Here is the link. 

DIY Gallery Wall

The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted my DIY project on Instagram feed couple of days ago. It was one of those snowy weekends when I crack open most DIY decorating ideas. However, let me confess, I am really not much of a DIYer but my appetite for crafty projects has skyrocketed ever since this project yielded great results with little to no frustration. 

After going through many "foyer wall" dilemma that I had, this simple, cost effective with high impact idea suited my purpose.  Inspired by the framed 'prabhavalli' that I got it done from a local framing guy on my last year's India visit (see here), I took some creative freedom to do the same with old frames and extra brass accessories. Undertaking this project however did not need any special knowledge or expertise and moreover the result thrilled me. 

Here is the step wise process (luckily I snapped few on my phone) for those who are novice like me to help you understand better.

Few tips:  

• I used the left over frames (from Walmart) that I had in the home but the thrift stores are the best bet to score few frames for this project.

• You may use any kind of unused fabric (I used extra left over silk blouse pieces) However, intense color will elevate the whole look with brass. 

• I ironed the pieces before attaching to frames for an even and smooth look.

• I removed the glass from the frame and used Fevibond (Synthetic Rubber Adhesive) to attach fabric to the cardboard of the frame and the brass accent. 

• You may want to give extra support behind frames to hold up the brass weight.  

• If you don't have brass accents, plain colorful fabric in brocade, ikat, or just about any kind of fabric that speaks to your like or love will equally give you good results.

Now the wall shows my creativity through what I choose to display in my home. The brass bells (another great find of my husband from India) on far left has been with us since two decades but it never looked this attractive. The frames now add the much-needed color and style to this small nook. The pair of two carved elephants is a gift from our cousin from India that he scored from an antique dealer. 

The frames, behaving like a puzzle pieces, are now adorning this nook as if they were meant for it. With a reflective glamour, it now rivets attention to anyone passing by the foyer. And given an opportunity, I wonderfully smug about having it all done by myself :).

Hope this DIY post will bring your hidden creativity to the shore. Feel confident with your style and have courage to experiment. Mix and match - textures, patterns, color, shapes together to create a visual treat. I personally feel this is an excellent alternative to a costly painting or a print.

Until we meet again, enjoy your weekend and stay connected on my Facebook page or Instagram feed for your regular dose of décor, toodles!

My loots of India

‘India’ and ‘shopping’ phrase seem so obvious. I still love the ritual of India shopping and it’s the oldest con I still fall for ;). How many of us haven’t surrendered to the lure of Indian shopping. There is nothing quite like walking along the old streets where nostalgia strikes you again and again. Taking in the window display at your local favorite stores, pausing at your favorite ice cream 'adda' or gobbling a sandwich at that local street vendor whom you still remember, surprisingly bumping into friends along the way and ultimately finding the perfect piece you were looking for. I feel euphoric...there is something so pulsating and hearty about India that makes us miss it deeply when you live overseas...shopping for me tops the list that I look forward on every trip.

 

Since I have many readers asking the sources of my shopping and brass, I thought it would be apt to let you in and see all of those loots I lugged away on my recent visit.

Along with our vivid memories, our beautiful Indian attires and jewelry many new things followed us from India to our home this visit also. The very first stealing the show is the new handsome lantern from a central mall of Baroda (my home town). The place was brimming with many glamorous pieces that I would have love to add in my collection but controlling my frisson of excitement, I did not give into the impulse buy and excitedly bring home those big pieces that I liked. However, there was no wavering about bringing this perfectly stylish tiny lantern shaped candle holder with symmetrical design and glossy texture. The impeccable intricate work was just perfect to mingle with my traditional brass. 

The most classic ‘Lassi Glass’ was a very hard find. Being it on the top of the list, I wouldn’t have left any stone unturned to bring it home. Though, in a state of ‘CHHAS’ lovers, finding a Lassi glass seemed like a herculean task :). Finally rummaging through old stuff at ‘Bartanwala’ (utensil seller) I lucked into bumping this unique and timeless piece which he handed me over for Rupees 300 only. I definitely had a smirk on my face while homing these tulips in it.

Road side vendors on the streets of the city are the best bet for you if you are eyeing to add any reasonable brass collection in your home. There is always something I have picked up from them. Interestingly edged and etched brass plate and bowl ended up being mine for styling my vignettes. The decorative approach of floating flowers with candles is a breeze to pull off when you have such elegant décor accessories.

The shape and mini size of these brass pots sold me at the same vendor. From the minute I have got them, they have been my  muse and taking several turns on my Instagram feeds as well. After all, it is not necessary to inherit an antique or brass to love it and make it your own...there are many pieces that will just instantly connect with you and your personality...be surefooted and confident when you include them in your collection.

Treasure trove of priceless pieces in your ma’s or grandma’s attic is your best bet on your next visit to India. Dusting off that old hand me downs and instilling them in your living space adds a sense of charm, warmth and soul. Each piece in my mother's khazana tells a family story and opens up to an imaginary world to us. Bring a bout of that old fashioned sense by packing away those heirlooms. When was the last time you stumbled upon a spittoon? Here is mine…proudly a heirloom piece with a reasonable twist and shine pleasantly adding a splash of modernity in my living room despite of its age.  

 

For me, these heirlooms jog a memory of someone special and it provides a sense of both cohesion and intrigue in my décor style. Here is one more of those heirloom that I stole away from my mom- a German silver glass, thoughtfully integrated housing my flowers. There is not any standard recipe to fit these heirlooms smoothly in your surrounding décor, but with some simplest approach they win to add that historic charm in any décor style you follow.

 

And if you have missed these two beautiful pieces on my instagram feed that I happen to pick up on our travel to kerala...here they are!

A prabhavali is a disk or circle of light (a halo) shown above or surrounding the head of the divine to represent their holiness and feel the peace emitting from the creator. It was checked off in my shopping list after stumbling online. The piece was sadly biting the dust in one of the Kerala store and upon the request (pretty please always works) the shopkeeper gave it away for 100Rs. (For him it was a broken piece and of no use). After showing some love by framing and affection by cleaning, it seems ready to be added on my next gallery wall :). 

Nothing is quite like revisiting travel memories. And our recent trip to Kerala has made us own a treasure box of memories. Beside abundant scenic beauty, Kerala is a place to get spoilt for the choices with exuberant art pieces. And if you are wondering how much damage this caused our wallets, not much really.... due to our weight restrictions we could only carry back a few quaint items and not nearly as many as I really wanted to! Here is the last piece of my loot. The smallest but the prettiest wood panel I could lug away in my suitcase.

Finally, I could layer these treasures and share with you all.  Specially for those readers who were keenly looking out for my India loot. Signing off the post hoping my shopping rant will eventually wend its way to some possibly useful tips for your next trip to India. You all have a great week ahead and stay connected on my Instagram and Facebook pages until we meet again here at the blog world, toodles!