June 30, 2011

Make DIY wall art with office supplies

Even the artistically challenged can make modern, graphic artwork using office supplies. The red painting above is made with 3/4" round Avery labels and 1/4" tape from Office Max.

I used a 10-inch blank canvas from an art store, but you could paint this design on a piece of wood or spray paint it on metal, too.

If using a canvas, I'd suggest brushing a coat of Mod Podge or acrylic gel medium on first; it will smooth out the rough surface a bit so the paint will be less likely to bleed underneath the tape. When the surface is ready, arrange pieces of tape and stickers to form abstract plant shapes. Burnish each piece with your thumbnail to make certain it's stuck down really well. Paint the surface (I used acrylic) and remove the stickers.

37 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 30, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    so innovative...love it

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  2. MegJune 30, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    oh, this could be a fun project for my kids this summer!

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  3. Alice BecomesJune 30, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    I love it, so creative, so simple, so clever!

    Nic xo

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  4. hello.June 30, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    what a perfect project for my daughter to do for the wall in her room :)

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  5. AnonymousJune 30, 2011 at 9:04 PM

    i love this idea! so simple but a perfect idea.

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  6. Grandma GJune 30, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    Gee, even I could do this! :)

    Mum

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  7. MikaJune 30, 2011 at 9:22 PM

    Very clever! It even looks cute before you painted it! What a fun project to do too.

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  8. MarisaJune 30, 2011 at 9:50 PM

    Fun! Great for the kids, too.

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  9. ShortneyJune 30, 2011 at 9:52 PM

    THANK YOU! I see this and I'm like DUH, why didn't I think of that? But finally...something I can do and most likely have it turn out like expected. This is fool proof :) Now I can pull the colors of my room in a painting on my own.

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  10. Sylvie Créative - Créations Ma Déco MaisonJune 30, 2011 at 10:53 PM

    I love it!

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  11. EvelinJuly 1, 2011 at 12:08 AM

    Love this idea! It's awesome! :D

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  12. ChristaJuly 1, 2011 at 12:31 AM

    I love this idea, so simple, but there's so much you could do with it!

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  13. She's craftily...July 1, 2011 at 12:53 AM

    That's an awesome idea! So simple, yet so effective!

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  14. tinajoJuly 1, 2011 at 12:59 AM

    Very nice and stylish - love it! :-)

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  15. UnknownJuly 1, 2011 at 10:56 AM

    Very cute! I love your ideas, I'm always checking back to see new tutorials. We featured your idea on our blog :)

    http://mfta.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/diy-using-office-supplies/

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  16. RachelJuly 1, 2011 at 12:20 PM

    I love this. Must do!!!

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  17. JaneJuly 1, 2011 at 1:23 PM

    I actually have some small canvases left over from a previous project. What a creative way to use up supplies that are sitting around the house!! Thanks for sharing.

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  18. ElisaJuly 1, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    Thanks for reminding us how EASY it is to be creative - just take a look around! :)

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  19. Mandy Ford Art & IllustrationJuly 1, 2011 at 3:20 PM

    Love this!!

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  20. BeaJuly 1, 2011 at 3:23 PM

    Very nice. It's so simple.

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  21. KellyJuly 3, 2011 at 12:40 PM

    That's so creative! I always love your ideas!

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  22. iam4orangeJuly 5, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    hey how about that other canvas in the photo, the one with the bike, that doesn't look half as easy??

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  23. AnonymousJuly 5, 2011 at 2:53 PM

    I'd like to know about the bike print, too. Is it clip art?

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  24. cossexpressJuly 6, 2011 at 2:17 PM

    Good, I like this idea. It is so simple but interesting.

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  25. able mabelJuly 7, 2011 at 8:43 AM

    Cool!

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  26. AngieJuly 9, 2011 at 9:24 PM

    Thanks for the great idea for the diy art! Can you share where the bike photo is from? Also love that:)

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  27. zoom yummyJuly 10, 2011 at 3:14 AM

    That's such a cute idea! I love it! :) Petra

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  28. Jessica JonesJuly 14, 2011 at 4:22 PM

    To the folks asking about the bike... it was a stock image I got somewhere and then traced with a sharpie onto a 10x13 piece of paper—my printer won't print that large. I can't remember where I found the image, though, sorry!

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  29. AlishaJuly 17, 2011 at 6:03 PM

    Thank you so much. This is something I can do and have fun doing!

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  30. whyducksJuly 20, 2011 at 8:45 AM

    Brilliant idea thanks!

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  31. Lana's Cards and CraftsSeptember 21, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    Love it! Here's my attempt at this project http://lanascardsandcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/09/craft-project-3-painted-wall-art.html
    There was a little on the edges but apart from that I like how they turned out. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  32. wall artJanuary 20, 2012 at 5:39 AM

    I love it,Thanks for the share.With these I can also recycle some papers and cut outs letters and images to make some crafty works.

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  33. AnonymousAugust 14, 2012 at 1:56 AM

    Thank you for the inspiration! I made two pieces based on your pics and tutorial that I am just madly in love with. It's the first time I've ever made art that I actually enjoy enough to hang on the wall of my living room!

    http://threeblindwives.com/2012/08/14/tape-art/

    I love your site!

    ~Daniél

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  34. Jessica JonesAugust 14, 2012 at 8:32 AM

    Great work, Daniél!

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  35. RodNovember 20, 2012 at 12:37 AM

    I like it. Very creative and neat. Thanks for sharing.

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  36. SamNovember 20, 2012 at 12:39 AM

    I like your blog and the art work. Keep it up.

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  37. DottyNovember 20, 2012 at 12:41 AM

    Nice work Jessica. I love your blog and the photos. Thanks for sharing.

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