I am happy to introduce the colorful world map mural that I painted (with a little help) in my daughter’s nursery. It took a while, but it was pretty straight forward! I found some map images that I liked online, projected the images onto Hazel’s wall, and traced the borders of the continents with a pencil. After lightening the borders with a magic eraser, I painted the continents with simple craft paint.

This easy technique yielded a very detailed, and colorful image that brightens my day every day! (Of course, how detailed your mural is depends on how detailed the image is that you choose.) We wanted to refer to the map to teach our kiddos about world geography, which is why I opted for more realistic borders.

I hope you enjoy this video! Let me know if you have ever painted a mural. What technique did you use? What advice would you recommend?

I posted a video of our living room all decked out for Christmas!

What do you think? Should I should paint my chairs hot pink / fuchsia? If not, should I keep them white or paint them another color? Originally, I was thinking I would paint them pink, but now the white seems like a calm visual place for my eyes to rest in the midst of a lot of bright colors in our living room. (I have a tendency to love color every where, so I often counsel myself to cut down on the bursts of color.)

Also, what did you think of this tour? Would you like to see more room tours? I would love to know your thoughts as I develop the content of Happy Crazy Fun! Thanks for watching!

 

I am launching Happy Crazy Fun with a YouTube video about creative stocking stuffer ideas!

I had fun gathering items for this video from some of my favorite stores, including Michaels, CostPlus World Market, Ten Thousand Villages, and, of course, Target!

Thanks for watching! Feel free to share my video on Facebook to spread the word. And, please leave a comment to let me know what kind of videos you would be interested to watch in the future!

Here is a list of the items that I showcased with links to where you can purchase most of them:

• Laser Cut Square Frame from Michaels
• Journal from TJ Maxx
• Glow Bracelets from Michaels
• Pop Rocks from The Dollar Store
• Crafting Tape by Recollections from Michaels
• Wooden Blockprint Paisley Stamp (This stamp is similar to the stamp featured in the video.)
• Strength Stone Paperweight from Ten Thousand Villages
• Pomegranate Raspberry E.O.S. Lip Balm from Target
• Zigzag Socks from Michaels (grab bins)
• Loc-A-Sok Sock Locks from Amazon
• Metal Giraffe Bust Wall Hook from World Market
• Sugared Plums Body Butter from Michaels (grab bins)
• Plaid Folk Art Extreme Glitter Paint from Jo-Ann’s
• Artist’s Loft(TM) Art for Everyone(TM) Postcards (Turkish design version)
• Artist’s Loft(TM) Fundamentals(TM) Watercolor Pencils
• Nail Files from Meijer (stocking stuffer bins)
• Paper Straws from Michaels
• Creative Coloring Inspirations: Art Activity Pages to Relax and Enjoy by Valentina Ramos Harper 
• Ferrero Rocher from Target
• Duck Tape(R) Forest Friends
• Glow-in-the-Dark Ducklings(R) Mini Duck Tape(R) 
• Jute Twine from Target (similar red and white baker’s twine) 
• Castelbel Tile Fresh Pomelo Bar Soap from World Market

Happy gift-giving, everyone!