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| cute, but impractical deer. |
It's also not rare for me to want to try and re-create something that I've pinned on Pinterest.
However, it is rare for me to find something, especially a craft, that when recreated actually works.
(...and I'll give you a clue: that deer is not it!)
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| Credit to Sugar Bee Crafts This craft is a gem! I pinned it immediately because I was in shock. |
The caption from the original post said it all-
"...$13 (that's $8 for the print, and another $5 worth of an $11 foam board because you won't need to use the whole board...)"
How can that be? $13 for a GIANT picture? I'm in!
As a college student, I'm all about finding an inexpensive way to decorate my room with cool things.
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| swanky peacock feather/willow branch bunch in my room! |
It's even better when these things are compact and can be folded or rolled...
...Or when they're so inexpensive that you don't mind tossing them at the end of the year and starting again the next year.
So how do you go about making one of these snazzy larger-than-life poster prints?
Assemble your materials.
You'll need:
- 1 picture file, preferably a picture you don't mind being giant!
- 1 flash drive
- a backup picture in case the first one you picked doesn't work.
Finding a picture that will work for this project is kind of tricky. Luckily, I have a roommate with incredible photography skills. She was more than happy to provide me with a picture to use for my project. Here are some tips for choosing the right picture:
- It should be as big of a picture file possible
- It should already be a black and white photo
- It should be the highest quality possible... remember, it's going to be HUGE!
- If this is your first time trying it, I wouldn't do any faces. Do an image that can be a little fuzzy and still look ok.
- If you are savvy with computers, format the image to be the exact size of the poster that you want, so there won't be any surprises at the store.... It would be sad if it came out all stretched out!
Step 1:
Find the correct photo.
Puppy!..... Nope.
Too 'busy.' Try again.
Nope... cute, but the image quality isn't there.
Plus, isn't it supposed to be black and white?
Try again.
Nope. Not that kind of black and white. Though that was clever...
...or this kind of black and white.
Must find something a little "bigger".... And remember that time I said to use something like a flower if possible?
Pretty close... now just find one that's black and white!
Ah-HA! There it is! It's high contrast black and white, it's big, and has detail but not too much detail.
This wasn't my photo, by the way. This was my lovely-and talented roommate Jenny's photo. All of the credit goes to her!
She is a truly gifted photographer. You should really check out her work at her website.
She's in Colorado right now, climbing mountains, and I'm sure taking amazing pictures along the way. I miss you, man!
Step 2:
Once you've found the picture you want, it's now time to locate your flash drive.
If you're me, that's usually a problem. I'm a music major.... we don't usually have to actually utilize technology for our classes, unfortunately.
Once you've located that flash drive from a dusty corner of your room, load the picture onto it.
Step 3:
Check to make sure the picture actually loaded onto the flash drive. Do this by sticking it back into your computer (or better yet, someone else's computer) once the picture's already loaded. That will ensure there's no heartbreak once you get to the store.
Please.
Learn from my mistakes.
There are few sadder things than having the store employee say these fateful words... "I'm sorry, miss, I didn't see any picture files on this flash drive."
Check first. Save yourself the time, gas and heartache!
Step 4:
Head over to your local office supply/printing store. I'm using Staples for all of the following pictures, because Staples is what I use in Rome.
Because that's the only place to go in Rome.
Step 5:
Find the Copy & Print Center. Ask the person at the counter for Engineering Prints.
Here's the deal with Engineering prints: they're a cheap way for an engineer to get a big, black and white line drawing of what they're building.
they come in 3 sizes, and have 3 different prices:
18"x24" - $1.79
24"x36"- $3.59
and 36"x48"- $7.29
Now, let's think about this for a second. Before you go doing what I almost did, consider 1) the size of the wall you have to work with, 2) and how big you REALLY want your picture. The photo of Nate staring at the camera blown up to 36"x48" might be a little creepy staring at you while you eat your dinner.
It's easy to be so stunned by the price that you say "go big or go home! Let's go 36x48!" But realize...
That's GINORMOUS. Imagine if that picture of Nate's face was blown up to 36x48 and sitting on the wall in the dining room?
That'd bring the concept of "begging" to a whole new level.
Step 6:
Ask for Engineering Prints and hand them the USB port with the picture on it. Be confident!
Why?
Because their next sentence will most likely be this: "We don't usually do this because the Engineering Prints aren't exactly photo quality.
Be confident. Tell them, "Don't worry about it! I know that, could you pretty please try it anyway?"
If you get someone who's not feeling adventurous, they might refuse. But, if you find the right person, they'll go ahead and do it for you.
Step 7:
Start praying.
Sometimes the picture refuses to print, sometimes the printers are broken, and sometimes the printers freeze in the middle.
Oh, technology.
It's really quite the "perfect storm" of events that need to take place for you to be able to walk out with a print...
But it's SO worth it!
Mine came out great. I decided to change the orientation of it and make it a landscape photo, with the middle orchid blossom being the star of the show.
But I couldn't leave it black and white, could I?
I added some color!
How did I do that, you ask?
My friends Katy, Michelle and I sat down with a container of watercolors and some watercolor pencils and went to town!
Watercolors are very cool. The pencils are even cooler. They're expensive, though, so the regular ol' thing will do just fine. A little watercolors go a long way. (I got my little palette of them at Hobby Lobby in the clearance aisle for just a couple of bucks!)
Oh, and just so you can have a size reference, here's me with my printed poster.
It's pretty big... 24"x36"!
I hope you try this... let me know if you do and if you have any success!
Best wishes for a wonderful week!
Blessings,
SL
....This week's post was brought to you by:
...Beautiful antique peonies! :)
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