hoedown lowdown: take two

as i mentioned yesterday, i tried to use my birthday party materials as wisely as possible + save every wee bit of paper for some project or other.

so when i discovered a pair of square canvases stored away in a cupboard, i decided to DIY some silhouettes for them as foyer decor.

for the cowboy, i traced the silhouette from this book cover:

via outwestmktg.com

i had contemplated buying the book itself for display, since i love the cover images + text + color so much, but i just couldn't cough up the twenty bones that would have required.  so instead: DIY silhouette art.  the denim-esque paper is kinda fitting for the cowboy, wouldn't you say?

for my indian, i googled something totally out there like 'indian silhouette' and got this bad boy.

via spreadshirt.com

and since i was feeling particularly crazy, i free-hand drew that silhouette onto the polka-dot paper by looking at the computer screen. and then cut it out with scissors.  and i think it turned out quite well!

perhaps my favorite thing about the silhouettes were their....uh....silhouettes.  i mean, doesn't that cowdude look like he means serious business, hanging out over there?  he's got the sun at his back + a shotgun at his side.  yeeeehaw!

and what is that twisty thing in all the shots?  well around valentine's day i was inspired by this post, and decided to use the yarn + wire concept to personal the canvases with the birthday boy's name.  i just shaped the wire into cursive letters in a fun made-up font and then [laboriously, ie: not quickly,] wrapped the wire with gray yarn.  gray, so that hopefully it can stick around as his room decor for a long time + not clash with anything.

i like how the yarn is reminiscent of rope....and i think parts of the name look kind of lasso-ish to mesh with the whole cowboy theme.

on the subject of getting carried away....er, i mean more decor details, i had my diffuser sitting on the same console as the canvases + decided to attack that too.  paper scraps?  nay, instant arrow tips!

i also cut more scrappy triangular pieces to jazz up our kitchen chandelier.  kinda fun to see the flags flying up there + i love how they tie in to the banner on the fireplace.

that scrapbook paper had a couple more uses yet, lest you think i'm finished already with party posting!  coming soon: food details + free stuff + foof fest '11.