Decor

Design DIY: Create a Heavenly Statement with Cloud-themed Photos

Catch a cloud and pin it to the wall with this easy do-it-yourself project

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Credit: Courtesy design*sponge

Courtesy design*sponge

Bring the sky inside with this cloud-themed photo montage

If only those singing Austrian nuns in The Sound of Music could read this design DIY. I don’t know how to solve a problem like Maria, but I can catch a cloud and pin it down!

Okay. That is a very little, fluffy white lie. But thanks to inspiration from New York florist Nicolette Owen and design*sponge, you can create cloud art by capturing clouds with your camera and pinning them to your wall.

Step 1: Cloud-Spotting with Your Camera

Get outside! Step one of this artful conversation piece requires you to spend some time in the great outdoors.

Take your camera, look up, and start clicking away! Summer is the perfect time to capture the cottony cumulus clouds up in the sky. Keep some of those blue skies and white clouds in your home even when the grey blanket returns to our winter skies.

For a variety of shapes, colours and lights, take photos on different days and at different times. The sky is never the same from one minute to the next.

Step 2: Print Your Pictures

The next thing you need to do is print your photos. There are many opportunities for variation in this step by working with the size and colour of your pictures. My inspiration (pictured) uses 4- by 6-inch photos arranged uniformly, which emphasizes the varying colours.

But don’t let that stop your creative juices! You can experiment with black and white or even duotones to focus on cloud shapes or patterns instead. If clouds aren’t your cup of fluff, try a different theme.

Remember to keep it simple, or else it will be too busy and less pleasing to the eye.

Step 3: Arrange Your Photos

There are many ways you can arrange your photos: horizontally, vertically, in uniform grids, grids with varying sizes, or asymmetrical arrangements.

You can also get creative with how you hang your photos. Here are a few of my ideas:

  1. Ikea clips frames: Simple and affordable, these 4- by 6-inch rimless glass frames come in four-packs for $1.99.
  2. Lomography Fotoclips: Once you order these clips (they cost about $10), you’ll have the ease of hanging and making your feature wall grow.
  3. If you have a set size in mind, you can put your pictures in one large frame, such as the Ikea Strömby or Ribba frames. Use double-sided tape or a glue stick to place them into position.
  4. For a different kind of look (on a bigger budget) you can go to a hardware store and purchase a window frame with many glass panes. Place your photos in the panes and hang it up on the wall to create a window of clouds. For a rustic look you can get an antique frame or distress a new one.
  5. For a large, propped-against-the-wall statement piece, buy a piece of Plexiglass and attach your photos using double-sided foam mounting tape. This would look good with glossy photos.

Do you have a fabulous DIY idea? Leave a comment and share it with us!