Fun Enlarged Object Décor | Family Economics

By Cathe

Take decor to a larger, more whimsical level by creating giant art out of everyday small objects found around your home.

To easily create your big art, follow these steps:

• First scan or photograph simple little things such as a plastic bread tie, dog tag, a button or a raffle ticket. Flat items become most realistic as it’s easiest to add simple dimension to these types of items.

• Once scanned or photographed, enlarge your image as much as possible on your computer or on a color copier and print to a letter-size sheet. If you plan to display your enlarged items together, scale them up at the same rate to keep the illusion most believable.

• Print the images and adhere them to a lightweight, but thick surface such as cardboard, matte board or foam-core board. Spray adhesive works great, but a very thin coat of white glue will work fine.

• Once dry, carefully trim out the image along its shape with a sharp craft knife over a well protected surface. To simulate perforated edges on my giant raffle ticket, I used my standard office hole punch tool along the cut ends.

• You can give your piece a shine with a spray coat of clear enamel if you choose.

Tack your giant art to your family’s bulletin board to add just the right touch of silliness, or adhere magnets or magnetic strips to the backs to attach them to your refrigerator or other metal surface. If hanging on the wall or non-magnetic surface, sticky party-tack putty works best.

Children will have fun hunting for little things enlarged and will enjoy how funny they become when made big.

Some other flat enough items that you might find in your home that would work great are:

• Bottle caps
• Coins
• Postage stamps
• School ID card
• House key
• Camera card
• Banana or other fruit sticker
• Bus token or ticket
• Hang/price tag from clothing or other product
• Domino or other game pieces
• Playing cards, both sides
• Adhesive bandage
• Library card
• A badge or patch