I spent some time yesterday watching The Hills and making a little collage for bambino. It was a rainy, gucky day - perfect for crafting. This was SO easy to do even for a spaz like me and the end results will look pretty nice on baby's wall (once we get the nursery painted, that is).

I picked up some plain, paint-your-own frames from Michael's (on sale three for $2 - I chose three square frames and three rectangular ones), a bottle of white tempera paint, and a book of Martha Stewart baby-printed scrapbook paper. I got the pad made for baby boys just because the baby girl's was suuuuper pink and girly - the boy's paper at least had some neutral sheets that will work for a boy of a girl. I'll probably add a couple girlier prints to the collage just in case the little one turns out to be a she. The joys of decorating a gender-neutral nursery!

In addition to frames, paint, and printed paper, you need a pen or pencil and scissors. That's it!

First, paint your frames and let them dry while you marvel at how Heidi ever ended up with Spencer in the first place in spite of Lauren's wise warnings (it was season 2 of the Hills I was watching).



Get your paper ready!



Choose the pages you want to use and line them up within the frames.



Use the cardboard inserts from the frames to trace around the paper you want to use, then cut it out.



Pop it into the frame.



Repeat x6 (or however many you choose to do).



Voila! You now have a nice, coordinated collage to hang in baby's room.





We'll probably add to this with some real prints and photos. You can also use magazine ads, wallpaper, wrapping paper...any pattern you like. It would work in any room too and I've already got plans to collage a few other spots in our house. I think the matching frames help it look like a set, and buying a pack of scrapbook paper is an easy way for the colour-coordinationally-challenged (me) to make sure everything matches.

My favourite kind of craft. Cheap and easy. Just like your mom.