DIY Kitchen art on a budget

I have a huge wall in my kitchen that for nearly two years was just screaming that it was naked. I tried to save the poor thing by picking up these Pottery Barn-inspired over-sized fork and spoon from Target, but even they were lost on the wall.   They were both on sale so I got the set for about $35.

Since they look ridiculous like this....I took it one step forward and in a two-for-one move added EAT on three large canvases  It's basically a direct message to my kids...EAT!   (I may soon sub it out for SHH...but I digress.)

I already had the canvases on hand.  But how to get the letters on there neatly would be the biggest challenge.  I experimented a little bit with getting the letters on the canvas until I finally figured out the perfect technique for getting straight lines.

Having first cut out cardboard letters and taping them to the canvas and spray painting, I realized the spray paint was getting under the cardboard letters except where the tape was.  FAIL!

However, that gave me the idea to simply use packing tape to form the letters.  Of course, it worked because E,A, and T only have straight lines, unlike an "S" or "D."  Not only would it keep the spray paint out and keep the area of the letter perfectly white, it would also guarantee a perfectly straight line.

I taped out the letters on the three canvases E - A - T making sure the edges and corners were firmly on the canvas.  Then I simply spray painted the canvases red.  After I took the tape off I realized some areas around the edges had let a small amount of paint spill into the white area.

Not to worry....I used Q-Tips dipped in nail polish remover to clean up the edges.  On areas that still weren't perfectly white after removing the red paint, I used some white out.  Finally, I edged each letter with a black sharpie to really make the letters pop and cover up any other imperfections.

 

They're not perfect by any means, but that's what makes my kitchen art DIY!  Plus, when my kids won't eat their dinner, I just tell them to turn around and read the sign - the kitchen made the rule, not me!

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