painting curtains

Alas, here is what I am talking about when I say that I "painted curtains".

My camera does not really do them justice...

I had seen some friends' projects where they pained striped on curtains...and then I saw some Pintrest posts of others stenciling designs on curtains...and I decided, I wanted to go for it. I have had a package of Ikea curtains unopened for over a year...and I knew they would be perfect for what I wanted...I didn't want curtains that took over the design of the entire room...and I didn't want drab curtains that were almost the same shade as the wall color in our bedroom...so painting them was the PERFECT compromise!

I started with these, simple RITVA curtains from Ikea...I have a kind of burlap color which is not available online...

I also have one small window and a double window in my bedroom...so I needed three curtains. Ikea curtains are made where you cut them to the length you need for your window and then use iron-on binding to make a hem at the bottom...so, I just used the access from both curtains to make a third. It worked out perfectly (and may have been a Divine blessing :))

So, once I sewed and cut the appropriate pieces, I made a stencil. I am a HUGE fan of clover shapes...and since I will probably never get the Van Cleef clover I so desire, 

I decided that the print of my curtains should look like it :) So I searched Pinterest until I found this:

I went into Photoshop and enlarged the image so that one clover would take up an entire 8.5 x 11 page...and that gave me these:

The hardest part of making these stencils was figuring out what to cut out and what to leave...I guess my brain just doesn't work that way :) The stencil on the left was the best.

Then I gathered my supplies...painters tape, a drop cloth, stencil sponges and acrylic paint...I ended up using two 8 fluid oz. bottles of white paint for all three curtains.

Then I got to taping. I would do this inside if you can.

And then I got to painting...making sure to fill in any blank spots on the clover outline left by the stencil.

After letting each curtain dry, I hung them up in our room...and absolutely adore how it looks! When it is day time, the light comes through and the design is a dark outline. 

At night, the white stands out, letting me dream about one day getting a Van Cleef clover. Hey, a girl can dream!

Now we just need my quilt on the bed and some decor on the walls...it's coming together...verrryyy slowly...but I like that it is all very intentional.

Another small design element that I really wanted to try was to use matte and gloss paint to create a design on our night stands.

It didn't work quite like I thought...but that is a story for another day...

Thanks for sharing my fun with curtains...let me know if you have any questions!

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

love through resurrection

Have you ever thought what would have happened if Christ decided that He didn't want to come back from the dead?

I wonder what kind of temptations the evil one put upon Him to try to discourage Him...maybe he told Jesus that we weren't worth it...that all of the sin that He took on for us would not prevent us from turning away from Him...I wonder if the evil one played some events that are happening today for Jesus to view (not that I think the devil has that kind of power)...but if we believe that God is omniscient, then surely He knew what His world would do without embracing His sacrifice...

But the story of Christ is one full of hope...and that story continues today...with the hope that we all carry with us...to see our families and friends living lives that are surrendered to God...to see God   provide in mighty ways...to feel the peace and joy of His presence on a daily basis...and I believe Jesus hopes for us all...He hopes we will finally quit trying to figure it out on out own, and will embrace His resurrection! That same hope He went to the cross for is the same hope He calls us with today...

Thank You for always hoping, and choosing not to give up on me, Dear Lord!

Every year I reflect on my First True Love...and I fall deeper in love with Him...what are you learning about Our Sweet Savior this year?

need some good, fully focused music to reflect on Our Savior's resurection? Check out Under the Radar's Easter Special!

Much love + HE IS RISEN!
Emily Elizabeth