Altering.

I've been meaning to post this for a while, and the fabulous Wendy Smedley reminded me with her post today. (Wendy, could you please remind me to post pics of us too... LOL. Note to self: POST PICS FROM CHA!)

While in San Antonio one week, I decided to check Craigslist for any cool moving/yard/garage sales. I was JUST moving to Austin, and I really wanted to go crazy shabby chic in my house. So I went to CL, and I typed in "shabby chic," and this awesome moving sale came up! This woman had collected TONS of cool stuff, and I made out like a bandit! (Lots of stuff for my scrap space.)

Well, one neat thing I found was this awesome shabby chic white cupboard door ($2 maybe?). The second I saw it, I wanted it. And a few seconds after that, I knew what I wanted to do with it.

It did need a bit of a touch-up. An antique white spray paint did the trick here:


Here is a photo of the back. I didn't do anything to the back because... well, who sees that when it's hanging on the wall?!


Next I went to PhotoShop, and I created a new layer the size of the *inside* measurements of the cupboard door (where the photos would go). I changed them all to black and white and cropped if need be. Then I just placed them inside the layer and moved them all around until they "pretty much" fit. I added more photos if I needed them (of all my family). If they all fit in this space, I knew they'd fit on the cupboard door (even if I decided to change the arrangement later on).


Then I transfered all the photos to two new layers (8.5x11"), so I could print them out onto photo paper. Once they were printed, I cut them all up (I did end up moving some around). Some I needed to cut down, but I just arranged them until they worked. Then I ModPodged the heck out of it (on top and underneath the photos), added some awesome lace from Jo-Ann Fabrics, a silk flower from Michaels (drilled a hole into the cupboard and filled it with super glue), and VOILA!


Sits right next to my computer, right above my printer, so I can see it every day. It's one of my very favorite things in my scrap space, and I love that what I envisioned actually came out. :) SO easy too!

So go on, Kids! Go garage sale-ing and thrift store-ing for old cupboard doors! And you could totally add patterned paper and stuff too. I'll probably do another in the future. I think it would make a great housewarming gift. :)