Wallpaper Sample tutorial 1 - Victoriana

           

After writing my post about reusable wrapping paper, I started to think about what else I had lying around that I could not just use for wrapping but for transforming into gifts and decor for my new home. Money is tight at the moment so anything I can do to save a few pennies and create something beautiful is a bonus for me. I had sort of organised my craft room last week so I knew what was in there, then I remembered a little gem I had in the garage.

              A few months ago I got my hands on some wallpaper sample books through a friend who called up a local decorating business. They were more than happy to give their old samples away and I was thrilled to get good quality, interesting paper for FREE! However, when I got there, there were a few more sample books then I had imagined, at least 20. Mr Approved was not impressed coming home to them strewn all over the house and over the last few months has begged me to get rid of them. But i just couldn't, I love them and I can't bear to waste stuff.

              And I am so glad I didn't. This morning I dragged just 4 books out of the garage and started to sort through them, cutting out pages and trying to organise them into some sort of order - animals, flowers, patterns, animal print - that's right! ANIMAL PRINT! Amazing! I found some amazing patterns and decided to make some bits. So I have decided to make a series of blog post on what I make with my wallpaper samples from decoration to gift wrap to art. If you want to try something like this it is well worth calling up your local decorating shops, searching through old books in charity shops and saving pretty used wrapping paper.

            I fished out some cheap old frames from the garage, that have been sitting a box for nearly 5 years. Together they evolved into a bit of a victorian etymology vibe, so here is what I made. Four beautiful and individual items that together make something like a victorians steam punk display which I love and will be going in my new living room.

1. Butterfly frame

When I was checking out Facebook marketplace the other day I cam across a framed butterfly collection which is something i have always wanted. But I had felt uneasy about displaying dead animal corpses, it just seems a bit wrong and something I didn't particularly want to explain to my daughter. So, when I came across this beautiful butterfly print wallpaper sample this morning I had an idea.

I used a craft knife to cut out the butterflies and then, using a plain box frame and foam tape to give the butterflies a more 3D effect, I arranged and stuck them on to plain white paper and ta dah..... A beautiful modern take on an old school butterfly collection. To make it a little more life like, you could add pins through the butterflies, name tags undernieth or maybe dab some tea onto the white background to give the impression of age.

I love my butterflies and I think they look so interesting and          individual.



















2. Oriental Gold

While going through he wallpaper I found this beautiful Japanese inspired wallpaper. It is so pretty and deserves to be framed. This oval frame was from a charity shop years ago and for a while displayed my daughters art work before its banishment to the garage.


           
           






After finding the best part of the wallpaper for the shape, I cut out a oval to fit the frame. Framed just like that it would be gorgeous but I have been itching to use  some artificial gold leaf that I have had knocking about for a while. So using a glue pen to put a thin coating of adhesive on the leaves just in in little bits to give the impression of it being worn away with age, I used a soft paint brush to place the leaf onto the glue.






Gently brushing away the excess gold, I added a little bit of gold onto all the leaves and I think the end result is really lovely.

3. Croco- fly = best word ever

I had some larger butterflies left over and a pile of animal print wallpaper. I absolutely love these animal prints but as always i over think them. On one hand I am glad that animal prints are available to hopefully replace the need for actual animal skin/fur. But on the other hand does the fashion for animal skin encourage those with the means to have real fur? I DON'T KNOW. But just for me in this situation, it is just paper and as we all know the victorians loved killing things and walking them in their houses. They couldn't get enough of it so I am including it in my display. it is so life like and feels real. 

Using foam tape, I prepared the back of the mount and the butterfly, creating a 3D effect, raising them away from the crocodile skin effect background. Sticking the crocodile paper to the backing of the frame, the mount on top of that then the butterfly in the centre, I think this creates a really unique piece.

4. 'Fake' embroidery

In the Victorian era, any 'accomplished' lady would be expected to know how to embroider, displaying their work at home to show off their talent and respectability. Now, this paper isn't exactly embroidered but it is so fine and beautiful it looks as if it is. I had some embroidery hoops hanging around, they are only a couple of pounds online and I chose an oval shape to mirror the japanese print frame.










I did nothing to this apart from cutting it out and putting it in the embroidery hoop because such beauty needs nothing more.

Getting it in the hoop was definitely a challenge though, so just persist. They are built for thin cotton not thick paper so it may take a little persuading but it will be worth it in the end as you can see. Simply trim the back to tidy it up and ta dah!


So there we have it, by adding a feather a shell and whatever else I had lying around, I created a sort of science themed victorian display perfect for any industrial or steam punk themed room. I love it, I spent no money and reused a material that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Tell me what you think, Subscribe to my blog for more wallpaper and craft ideas.