DIY Network

Fashion Floral Wall Art for Your Home

Crafter Michele Beschen, creator of the B Original series, tells how to create a stunning display of color and texture with wallflowers.

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Designing a flower canvas on your wall will give new meaning to the word "wallflower."

Flowers, flowers on the wall

By Michele Beschen

Aug. 13, 2007 — Imagine a wall filled with colorful blooms, winding vines and handpainted vases. That's right, a WALL. Your walls give you the perfect canvas to create a stunning display of color and texture by doing up a flower arrangement, in a big way, on the vertical. It breathes new life into the word "wallflower" as well as any room or hallway.

It takes a courageous soul to tackle this one, which makes it all the more appealing. And, it's safe to say those fearless efforts will end up in the form of an absolutely amazing work of art that looks fabulous at the end of a hall, going up a stairway or as a backdrop to your sofa or bed. Actually, it looks great just about anywhere. So pick a wall, any wall, and get started!

The first step is to draft an arrangement on paper. Start by mapping out your vase placement and roughing in your vines and blooms. The fill-in can happen directly on the wall. When thinking of your fill-in, think in terms of all the different materials you can use. You can paint on flowers and vines; you can create them out of fabric; you can use artificial; you can also pot up live plants in some of your vases.

Materials:

wall pocket cases in various sizes and styles (You can find these at thrift stores, antique shops and flea markets. Just look for vases with flat backs. You can also create your own using wood or polymer clay.)
acrylic paints
artist brushes
brad nails
hot glue
Sticky-Tac
artificial stems and greenery
crocheted doilies
fabric scraps
3-D vine materials:
3/8 inch poly foam backer rod (found at the home improvement store in the window/door insulation area)
strips of fabric in various green patterns

Steps:

1. Cut your strips two inches wide and to the length of the vines you need. Cut foam to the same length, wrap with fabric; and using a zipper foot, top stitch closed.

2. Trim excess material to about a quarter inch; fray edges slightly for added texture. When figuring how long of a vine you'll need, remember to allow added length for curling and looping.

3. Hang your vases on the wall. Select one larger vase as the focal point and build around it. Install your vases at different heights for greater interest.

4. If you are using any fresh elements, place them in the proper vases first. Plant in a separate container inside your wall pocket vase so that you can easily remove to water or for protection against seeping water. A water stain doesn't add much charm to your arrangement.

5. Fill the rest of your vases with flower stems and greenery. Use floral foam as needed with larger vases to hold your stems in place.

6. Create your own flowers through various techniques using doilies and fabric and other embellishments. To secure items directly to the wall, use brad nails and/or hot glue.

7. Link all your vases together with your vines. Add painted blooms, vines and foliage where desired.

8. Keep it balanced and keep it interesting with a variety of colors and materials and textures. It's a beautiful project all the way around.

(Michele Beschen is creator of the B Original series for the DIY Network. Contact her at www.couragetocreate.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)

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