It’s no secret that I love giving various paint treatments a try – like stenciling a pillow, two toning a chair, painting patterns on baskets, or even tracing raindrops right onto the wall – and I’ve been excited to share this one. Some of you eagle-eyes even noticed it in the background of Friday’s post and asked for details.
Now that Clara’s thrift store cradle is in heavy rotation (Captain Barnacle is often found being rocked, fed, or changed in there) and Clara has clearly established her love of red, blue, and pink, I used it to test drive a deceptively simple free-handed pattern. It’s probably the most “intricate” pattern I’ve ever freehanded, but it’s just a series of simple steps that anyone can do (it only took me about an hour to do all four sides). And this pattern could be added to the top of a table, the fronts of a dresser, the back of a bookcase, or even just a piece of wood (or canvas) hung on the wall as art.
The first thing I did was use a red Sharpie paint pen and a ruler to make a bunch of vertical lines (use a yard stick if your item of furniture is larger). I just eyed these because I didn’t really want them to be perfect – I was going more for the imperfect-by-hand-looking effect.
Then I connected those lines with some free-handed diagonal lines (I didn’t use a ruler or anything for such short lines) that went up in one column, and then went back down in the next column. I started from the left and worked my way across each side of the cradle (from left to right).
When I had diagonal-lined all of my columns, I was left with a nice red and white pattern on all four sides. Then I went back in and added some blue paint to a few random parallelograms with a small craft brush (it’s the same test pot of paint that I’ve had for years called Embellished Blue by Behr, which I also used for this project, this project, and this project).
I also painted the top lip around the whole thing in solid blue, just to add a little “piping” to the look. Oh and I recovered the green pillow that used to be inside with some pink zebra fabric from my scrap bin (since pink, red, and blue is the color trifecta for Clara).
The last step was adding a strip of fleece fabric that I had in my scrap pile to the bottom of each rocker on the underside of the cradle. When it was just bare wood it could scratch things up a little if Clara pushed it across the floor, so “felting” those with strips of fleece fabric (which I just crazy glued in place) did the trick.
I brought it back out for Clara to see on Christmas Eve day, which is also when she also got a few “real” gifts from us (that was a tradition in both of our families growing up). So along with some books and toys, she also got her “re-mixed” cradle.
The new pattern didn’t go unnoticed and she even said “I love your paintings!” and wanted to know what each of those shapes were called, which led to her saying the word “parallelogram” about 100 times, and me beaming like a maniac every single time. What is it about kids and five-syllable words? They just sound so dang smart and adorable.
So there you have it: a design that doesn’t call for a printer or a paper cutter or any decals or stencils – just a paint pen and an old test pot of paint. Have you guys ever free-handed an imperfect pattern like this? Was it surprisingly therapeutic? I was totally in the zone.
PS: Wanna give another pattern a try? Check out this DIY herringbone pattern we created on a secondhand desk using paint!
It’s so Peterisk! Love it!!!
Yikes- spelled your name wrong! **Petersik!
Haha, no worries! We don’t even notice since that happens so much!
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A “Peterisk” sounds like what I’m doing when I attempt to replicate something John and Sherry have done. As in, “It might be a Pete-risk to grout these tiles on my own, but I’m going for it anyway!”
Haha! The funniest name pronunciation we get a lot is Peter-silk. Like we’re all soft and satiny. Haha!
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I am amazed at your patience. I wish I had the patience for projects like this but maybe seeing how good yours came out will inspire me to do my own this year. Perhaps a new goal for the year? So glad Clara loved it!
It really was easy! I did the red lines while on the sofa with the TV on, and just painted the blue stuff on in 20 mins the next day!
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It’s a vast improvement over the red pom pom trim that created so much drama last year. I love it.
LURVE this, Sherry ! Who said anything is safe from updates in your presence…? :)
FYI – we are back in the high 70’s here in South Florida today… Just wanted to share our lovely weather with you, maybe entice you guys to come out again… :) xo
Wahoo! It’s supposed to be 70 degrees tomorrow here! I can’t wait!
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I have weather envy! :) It is snowing right now in CT.
It’s freezing here too today! We’re getting some weird warm front. Clara’s jealous of your snow if that helps! Haha!
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Haha yes it does! A kid’s perspective always brightens things!
Zoe is SUPER jealous of snow, too ! Her 4 yo self has decided to campaign for us to go make a snowman somewhere this weekend… I also need to mention there is some *sighing* going on when she talks too… Poor thing !
Love this “remix”! Our 2-year-old daughter has a baby doll as well, but she “sleeps” in a cardboard box. Just last night I was thinking that we should do something about that. Thanks for the inspiration!
That’s so cute. Kids do love boxes…
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So sweet!! This reminds me of the painted corkboard I made for my craft room last month. So obsessed with herringbone lately!
http://doubledoorranch.com/2013/12/04/minor-craft-room-painting/
Really cool! I love that!
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Happy Friday! You’re so much braver than I am when it comes to free-handing art projects! Nice work.
This turned out really great! I love the pattern you chose. I’m trying to think of what I can paint a pattern on now. Haha. I can totally see how it would be therapeutic. Some of my art has teeny tiny circles all over the page and I go into this meditative state when I do it. Completely in the zone.
Circles are fancy! Mine always look squashed and crazy.
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You’re one crafty lady, Sherry! Clara looks pretty thrilled with her updated crib! :) Good work! :)
Wow! I can’t believe you free handed that. It looks gorgeous! And those pictures of Clara are absolutely adorable. I can’t get over it!
Aw, thanks Megan!
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I love it! Thanks for the step by step – I’m glancing round my office looking for something to attack with a parallelogram!
That’s Craft-tastic! You are one creative Momma to a very lucky girl.
Thanks Theresa!
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So my dream was only partially prophetic … there was *kind of* a new crib for Captain Barnacle, but totally not one that transforms into a playhouse. :P
Very, very cool effect!!
Haha, it’s true!
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OOH I love those colors! I JUST used this same pattern to hand draw on a couple of mugs! So cute
I love this pattern I just painted a wall in my daughter’s room using this same pattern but on a bigger scale. I also love your floor from yesterday. Now I know how to five my grout. Cheers.
Sounds so cool for a wall!
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So cute! As part of our updates to our kids’ kitchen that we built (like yours), I used a Sharpie paint pen in White (on a black countertop) to draw four burners onto it. I used a ruler for the straight lines but freehanded any diagonal lines.
It was my first paint pen experience – do you have to depress yours to get the paint to come out? It kind of made it a bit more sloppy but in a imperfect-by-hand way I think.
Thankfully my paint pen was more like “depress it and shake it a ton to get it going on scrap paper” and then it didn’t need to be pressed really hard as I drew on the cradle. I think once it started coming out it had a nice flow.
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Very cute! That kind of reminds me of a tray that I painted with a similar design :)
http://mamastogether.blogspot.com/2013/10/painted-herringbone-tray.html
Really cute! I love how painterly it is!
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LOVE this! I have been collecting those test paint pots (they’re $0.50 in the oops section!) and this might be a perfect use for a few of them. Thanks for the idea!!
Of course! I’d love to see pics if you guys give it a go!
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Very cute! And I love the tradition of reusing/upcycling something you already have as a Christmas gift!
So cute …. & simple! LOVE it!
I love Burger in the first pic, it looks like he conquered climbing an enormous cradle! Way to go Burger!
I must locate some of these paint pens…. so many neat ideas.
I love that Burger photobomb too! The king of the mountain.
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…”she even said “I love your paintings!” and wanted to know what each of those shapes were called, which led to her saying the word “parallelogram” about 100 times”…
Oh, that little one of your’s is so smart…. and adorable.
:)
Clara looks like Sherri’s mom in the last photo— the smile!
So funny! I’ve heard that from other people lately too!
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This is AWESOME and it really does look easy. I love it! Pinning now!
Fabuliscious! We have a similar white wood thrifted baby cradle. I never thought about painting/markering it but I totally will now. There are random crayon, etc. markings on it so I may have to get creative with how I hide them (if they don’t wash off).
Inspiring, as always, Sherry!!
Ooh, magic eraser gets crayon marks off our painted white desk table for Clara (I learned that after many attempts at other cleaning methods, haha).
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I once came home to full wall crayon art by my son. basically he wrote 1-100 on the wall next to the dining table. I was able to clean it with the help on hair dryer (to melt the crayon) and just wipe it away. It was pretty easy and fast. Not sure if it will work on other surfaces, may be test a small part ?
Woah, that’s genius!
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So cute, and I love those colors together. Go Clara! Yes, I have done crazy, intricate, free-hand painting. I wanted to stencil the back wall of our guest bath with an intricate, 3(subtle)-color Moroccan pattern? Yeah, what little texture that the wall had totally made it look like poo. So I drew it all on the wall. Then I went back and painted it all in by hand with a craft brush. Longest. Project. Ever. But it turned out well and was completely therapeutic. Made me think I always needed to have some sort of project like that on the back-burner to turn to when work was stressful, the dog was sick, or the kids were screaming. :)
That sounds awesome!
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Sherry, love this update! You’re so creative! My question is about the houseplant in the back….I have no green thumb, but am eager to fill a space in our dining room with something natural. Do you have houseplant suggestions or plants that can take some neglect and imperfect conditions? Just curious. We too just moved into a new home (about the same time as you all) and it has been great following your updates which parallel a few of ours. (timely kitchen update! – thanks for the great info!)
Oh man, I wish I still had the tag for that guy. I got him in our last house and he survived the move and seems to like living in the window in the office, but I don’t know the name. Anyone recognize it? I’ve had luck with basic things like ivy, pathos, and even have some cacti that are doing awesome (I water everything once a week, but never water the cacti- literally never – and they seem to all stay alive somehow).
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I think it’s a type of sheffelera (totally did not spell that right). It’s also called an umbrella plant.
Thanks so much Tamisha! And it’s from Home Depot if that helps!
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Looks great! Can you include a link for the last time you posted about the cradle? I’d love to see the before and after!
Aw thanks Shams, we love a before and after too! Here’s what it looked like when we got it for $11 at a thrift store. At first I just painted it white and added some pom-pom fringe for fun (Clara didn’t really have as many favorite colors/preferences back then).
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I love how artsy people can make things like this seem so simple! I have trouble drawing a straight line (and am a bit anal about things like that), so this looks SUPER daunting. I might still try it on a small canvas, though – maybe I’ll surprise myself!
Wow, that is awesome! I am huge fan of your blog, and you are pretty talented with your free handing! I would need to use a ruler for even the small diagonal lines :P
Still, after seeing all your hand painted projects, it makes me want to try one also! Thanks for sharing.
PS: I love Clara’s color combo. :)
You can totally do this Jamie!
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Thanks! I’ll let you know if I do!
This is just too cute and Clara is absolutely precious! I love that spacing isn’t perfect and even more that you intended for it to be that way.
Now, back to putting in hickory floors! Here’s photos of our ugly before kitchen: http://jax-and-jewels.blogspot.com/2014/01/kitchen-renovation-before-photos.html
So exciting! Go get ’em Heidi!
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When I looked at your first picture – I thought – is there a baby in there?! Did she have the baby already?! Did a miss a major post somewhere?!
Then I saw the baby doll. Whew…. :) The cradle is super cute.
Haha! Captain Barnacle is our fill-in for now. Clara actually takes pretty good care of him. I think he gets diaper changes more than most real children!
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Haha, so cute! Maybe next time paint a parallellepipedum?!
Um… now I have to google that word. Haha!
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Amazing! I love this one! Clara is looking so grown-up to me these days.
I know what you mean. Where did my baby go?
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I just recently free handed an ikat design onto 3 canvases to hang in our bedroom. Turned out great! Love this design, excellent job!
Sounds really awesome Sarah!
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I really love that crib, it looks like you bought a new one. And the color combination is amazing. ;)
Do you have some posts about color/colof combinations? I am about to move into my very first own apartment and am going crazy over color choices (e.g. are there colours that are calming, yet bright, warm and happy at the same time? ;)
Greetings from Germany
Ines
And I just discovered all my mistakes (color, color…come on, you can say it: colooooor)…shame on me. ;)
I didn’t even notice them Ines ;)
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Thanks Ines! We wrote this one a while back full of color theory info.
https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/12/calm-cranky-might-be-your-walls/
I love that stuff!
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Ines, just pretend you’re using British spelling. “Colour” is how the U.K. and its old colonies spell it – those Americans are just being contrary. Down here Downunder, it’s “colour”, ” flavour”, “humour” – and those “ize” endings are mostly spelt “ise” – “prioritise”, “colonise” – who says we speak the same language?
ALL OF MY LIKE.
Pardon me while I go get my canvas. My room is teal so I’m doing red with yellow instead of the blue. POP POP. <3
Send pics!
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Wow! I would have never thought that would be to easy! I love it!
Abby
Thepreppycoxswain.blogspot.com
I would never think to attempt something like this — but it looks awesome! Very modern and fun. I’m a Sharpie fanatic and don’t mind the zen of coloring/painting in things, so I think I’d be all over something like this!
You should totally try it Meg! It’s so much easier than it looks!
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Sherry you did an awesome job and I love the pattern. Clara seems to enjoy it too!
Thanks Katie!
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The cradle turned out adorable. And how weird and fun and bonus-y that the pattern on the back turned into stacks of flattened round beads from the angle in the last picture!? I just scrolled thru comments quickly — is it just me? did any else notice that? I thought it was a great unintentional effect.
So funny! I thought it looked like the braided jute in the rug under it from that angle, but now I totally see beads!
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Nice to see Captain Barnacles has a worthy bed of his own! With all that he & Clara do, he must be very weary by now – I love that pattern & am currently in my creative space ogling a few items that will benefit from that pretty tutorial. THANKS!
OMG! So adorable! Any baby doll or Captain Barnacle is lucky to have such a fun place to sleep.
http://poshpurpose.blogspot.com
Also, I felt like you needed to know about this (if you didn’t already), Sherry:
http://www.dwell.com/post/article/lg-electronics-announces-partnership-designer-nate-berkus
(Nate Berkus is going to be working w/ LG to do kitchen appliances!)
Ooh, that’s exciting! Can’t wait to see what he does!
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So cute! I was just about to order some herringbone custom fabric and this is good inspiration. Love the colors, too.
It looks great, but I can promise you it would look TERRIBLE if I did it. This simple thing of freehanding lines would be very complicated if it was my hands doing the freehanding! :)
No way! I challenge you to try it on a napkin with a marker. I really think anyone can do it!
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Really deceptively simple, and so cute! Have to comment on yesterday’s post, my back hurt just imagining all that floor time. Do not know why, but if I spend any more than 5 mins. on the floor, I can barely move afterwards! Guess it’s the age thing! That’s why having babies is left to the young! Hope you aren’t overdoing!
Aw thanks Marianne! I promise I did a lot of stretching on the floor (and getting up to bend throughout). Mainly my poor little ankle knobs were what hurt from being dragged around the tile. I’d totally pad them or wear thick socks next time!
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You and Roo need to collab… or maybe she could send Clara one of her NGN journals! gettin’ all matchy-matchy up in my blog feed. Great (blogging) minds think alike!
http://neonfresh.com/ngn-merch/
Ahhh! I love it. Roo is one of my favorite people ever.
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Very, very cute!
However, I am concerned that you’re using a Sharpie for an hour while pregnant. Please tell me that you were in a well ventilated area.
Aw thanks Katy! I had the back door cracked while I worked on the couch, but thankfully it’s not stinky like a regular Sharpie marker. It’s a water-based paint pen they make (it’s certified non-toxic for kids). They also sell Sharpie oil-based paint pens, but those are the fumey ones, so I go for water based instead.
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Atsa my girl! :-)
You know it ;)
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That is so cute! She will cherish it forever. My grandfather built a cradle and highchair for my baby dolls when I was little(he was a cabinet builder so he had mad skills.) I still have them so I’m gong to paint them for my baby girl. I’m stuck on what I want to do though. Should I paint them each the same color? Solid or pattern? Decisions, decisions. Thanks for the inspiration!
So cool to have those built by your grandfather! I would look around in stores and online and stuff to see if any painted ones catch your eye (maybe a certain color like yellow will keep coming up – or polka dots – and it’ll help you pull the trigger).
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