Finally, I have artwork hanging in the house. I know, that doesn't sound like that big of a deal but you know, it doesn't feel like a home until that gets done.
I've been so busy with the bigger projects around here that I haven't taken time to do some of those things that most people do right after moving in, like hanging things on walls.
The biggest photo project, and I mean that literally, is the two photos hanging in the main room. If you’ve read this blog back through time, you know that my daughter and I went skydiving this past summer.
With the high walls in this place, 21 feet to the center peak, there’s room for big artwork. So, I had the photos from us skydiving enlarged at a local sign shop. They’re 48 inches wide, 34 inches high.
The biggest job has been mounting them and I still don’t think I’ve entirely resolved that issue.
I didn’t want to frame them because I wanted to give them a “floating” feeling, almost like we were jumping into the room. To keep them lightweight I mounted them to Styrofoam.
Before cutting the first sheet I removed the plastic that is attached to the outside. About halfway through removing it I thought that I probably should have left it on but it was too late at that point. Long story short, I should have left it on.
Oh, I should tell you, I purchased the foam in a 4 x 8 sheet from Lowe’s… it’s used for insulation. I cut it using a small kitchen knife. I do have the tools to cut foam with but the knife worked well. I did find that it works best to use a sawing motion with the knife, instead of pulling it across the foam several times to make the cut. Once you’re done cutting you can use sandpaper to smooth off the edges.
I tried both spray adhesive and double-sided tape. The adhesive was absorbed by the Styrofoam, even when I put it on the photo instead of the foam, and the tape just wouldn’t adhere strongly enough to it.
So, I started over again and this time left the plastic on. I used spray adhesive and so far it’s working. However, I don’t think it’s going to last, we’ll see. If it does start coming away at the edges, I’ve bought some liquid glue that is used in mounting photos and I’ll try tacking the edges back down, using that. I’m hopeful that will work.
And yes, if you’re looking at this photo and wondering if the top of the two photos on the wall is hanging out over the floor, it is indeed. Again, I wanted the feeling of me actually diving into the room.
Because the foam is so light weight, I hung the photos using fishing line with a simple paneling nail in the wall. The top photo is resting on a few pins for support so that the top can lean out.
I like it.
I've been so busy with the bigger projects around here that I haven't taken time to do some of those things that most people do right after moving in, like hanging things on walls.
The biggest photo project, and I mean that literally, is the two photos hanging in the main room. If you’ve read this blog back through time, you know that my daughter and I went skydiving this past summer.With the high walls in this place, 21 feet to the center peak, there’s room for big artwork. So, I had the photos from us skydiving enlarged at a local sign shop. They’re 48 inches wide, 34 inches high.
The biggest job has been mounting them and I still don’t think I’ve entirely resolved that issue.
I didn’t want to frame them because I wanted to give them a “floating” feeling, almost like we were jumping into the room. To keep them lightweight I mounted them to Styrofoam.
Before cutting the first sheet I removed the plastic that is attached to the outside. About halfway through removing it I thought that I probably should have left it on but it was too late at that point. Long story short, I should have left it on.
Oh, I should tell you, I purchased the foam in a 4 x 8 sheet from Lowe’s… it’s used for insulation. I cut it using a small kitchen knife. I do have the tools to cut foam with but the knife worked well. I did find that it works best to use a sawing motion with the knife, instead of pulling it across the foam several times to make the cut. Once you’re done cutting you can use sandpaper to smooth off the edges.
I tried both spray adhesive and double-sided tape. The adhesive was absorbed by the Styrofoam, even when I put it on the photo instead of the foam, and the tape just wouldn’t adhere strongly enough to it.
So, I started over again and this time left the plastic on. I used spray adhesive and so far it’s working. However, I don’t think it’s going to last, we’ll see. If it does start coming away at the edges, I’ve bought some liquid glue that is used in mounting photos and I’ll try tacking the edges back down, using that. I’m hopeful that will work.
And yes, if you’re looking at this photo and wondering if the top of the two photos on the wall is hanging out over the floor, it is indeed. Again, I wanted the feeling of me actually diving into the room.
Because the foam is so light weight, I hung the photos using fishing line with a simple paneling nail in the wall. The top photo is resting on a few pins for support so that the top can lean out.
I like it.
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1 comments:
Very cool idea Alan. Funny....just a couple days ago I ran across another use for styrofoam, so when i get a day that I can play, I'm going to give it a shot. Have you thought of styrofoam stairs???????
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