I have a love affair with making everything old new again, making the no purpose to repurposed and making over that which was once drab to fab. Natalie from My Sister’s Suitcase is here to share how to make an eyesore of an art easel into a girly framed art easel perfect for her little girl’s room. No worries the frame is removable so that it can be repurposed for the baby brother down the road. Brilliant girly art easel Natalie. Take it away my friend…
Hi! I’m Natalie, the other half of My Sister’s Suitcase, here to share a fun makeover with you today!
Do you have any furniture in your home that you hate to look at everyday? This easel was my eyesore! My 3 year-old loves to use it, but it was looking pretty sad with marker all over the wood and a boring green chalkboard.
I knew I could perk it up a little with some spray paint and fun, bright fabric! I used a Magic Eraser to clean it up really well, and then got to work.
See that ugly green chalkboard? A few coats of Rustoleum Chalkboard Spray Paint fixed that right up! It already looks a TON better!
After the Chalkboard Paint was completely dry, I taped it and the whiteboard off with newspaper and painter’s tape, then used the Rustoleum Spray Paint to give it a nice facelift! One can was plenty to paint my easel.
My easel was already looking a lot better. But I still didn’t like how plain it was in my daughter’s room. I thought about framing out the boards with wood, but decided it would just get in the way of her “art.” I wanted a way to display her work that wasn’t permanent. So I came up with an idea for a fabric frame! It is lightweight, so it wouldn’t hurt anyone when it’s moved, and is super easy to remove. I wanted it to be reversible so that it could “frame” her artwork on either side of the easel.
Here are the steps to making the reversible fabric frame:
1. Time to make a pattern! I measured the boards on the easel and made a template on paper (okay more like 8 pieces of paper taped together.)
2. Measure, draw, erase. Do this until you figure out the size you need to cover the wood part of your easel. I could never be a contractor! Ha!
3. Find the midpoints if you want to draw your own fancy shape. I just drew and erased till I found something I liked!
4. You only have to do the pattern on one corner. Then fold your pattern in half (again using those midpoint lines) and in half again (the other way) so that you can just cut that one corner you drew. It will then make the pattern symmetrical! Yay!
5. Take your pattern and see how it looks on the board. I realized mine was a little too big.
6. You know how they say, “Measure twice, cut once”? Well, I’m a measure 10 times, cut 20 – kinda girl! I just trimmed it down and kept holding it up to my easel to check.
7. Cut out the middle of your pattern (and check against easel one more time before cutting your cute fabric. Pin it and cut. You will need two identical pieces (one of each fabric.)
8. Pin right sides together and sew. In order to turn mine out I ended up cutting the frame at the bottom to make one long piece. {See below}
9. I pinned in 2 pieces of 6” long grosgrain ribbon to use as hangers. Sew with the long end going down into the frame. 10. This is so that when you turn it out, it will be nicely sandwiched between the layers! When you sew the second side (the straight, inside edges of frame) make sure and tuck that ribbon in so it doesn’t get sewed again!
We’re getting close! Turn your little frame snake piece right-side out and iron. Isn’t it cute! If you have spray starch, that will help keep it stiff.
Here’s where I cheated. I hot glued the fabric frame back together! Shh, don’t tell!
Hangin’ in there? Last couple steps!
11. Tuck your two pieces of ribbon into the hinge on the top of the easel and hot glue one to each backside of the boards.
12. Now you can flip your frame over to either side!
13. See how the fabric is sagging?
14. Velcro will fix that. I hot glued some to each of the four corners on both sides.
Here is the other (white board) side! I love these darling prints!
And now for the before & after! I’m so excited to have something bright and fun in my little girl’s room! And I love that the frame isn’t permanent. Little brother probably won’t like those cupcakes in a few years.
Need some ideas and printables for the 4th? We’ve got you covered at My Sister’s Suitcase! Come see us!
Thanks for having us, Beckie! See you next month!
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Totally awesome idea!! I love it ! Just gave me another idea to cut out a frame with something else, so thanks!!
You don’t just make things cute… you make them completely ADORABLE!!!! WOW!!
The easel is awesome…I have one sitting in my basement that has seen better days…thanks for the inspiration
Julia
so cute, where did you find that fabric?