Okay, admittedly I’ve gone through phases in my life where I’ve had a certain affection for The Cure (hence today’s title homage; I’m not referencing any sort of Babylon)…


No judgement, right?


Oh, good. Then I’ll take you back a few years to when I moved into my very first all-on-my-own apartment. No roommates (centipedes don’t count), no family, no man-go-round… it was just me and my one bedroom apartment in uptown. 


… my very own one bedroom, white walled, white carpeted, white tiled apartment. You get the point- it was dull and hideous, and in need of a pick me up!


First I purchased this little beauty (still with me, as I just took this crappy picture 30 seconds ago)

Jute rug from World Market

But the walls remained bare! and so did my wallet!


So what’s a crafty girl to do? Deal with the white walls? Nuh uh, 
Make a humongous handmade wall hanging only a mother could love everyone will love? You bet!

Painted paper flower collage!

Instructions:
1. Paint the large sheet of paper desired color
2. Cut out large and small “petal shapes” out of cardboard
3. Trace tons of petals onto newspaper- Large and smaller for overlap
4. Cut out newspaper petals
5. Play around with large petal shapes until you have several flowers. 
6. Paint large petals one color
7. Use smaller stencils to cut out insets of complementary color. 
8. Paint smaller newsprints another color
9. Glue haphazardly on large sheet
10. Freehand some stems/ leaves onto newsprint and paint desired color
11. Glue remaining pieces
12. Throw in poster frame. Hang on wall!


Now you have your very own “hanging garden.”


Now by the power of Robert Smith, go forth and make some art!
Meri