DIY Layered Paint Wall Art

My dining room has new DIY layered paint wall art and it’s adding a fun pop of color and personality to that room.  And it was really easy, and quite fun, to make!

When the trash pile painted dresser was moved into the dining room recently, I moved out some glass vases that had been hanging on the wall {one had been broken by a misplaced basketball} and the space above the dresser looked a bit empty.  I decided to make a simple piece of art {using supplies I already had} to fill the void.

Since I was going for a rustic look {and not wanting to buy anything for the project}, I used a piece of scrap plywood I had in the garage.

I painted it with an espresso brown color, let it dry completely, then painted some green paint sparsely over one area.  {I used colors to match the decor in the room but you can obviously recreate this with any color palette you want.}

I printed a verse I wanted {from a song I love} with my cutting machine and applied the vinyl letters to the corner of the board …

… then painted the board, right over top of the letters, with yellow paint {all the paint in this project came from old paint samples I had picked up at the hardware store}.

The yellow was a bit brighter than I wanted for this space {the chair cushions have a lighter yellow in them} so I painted over it lightly with a white wash. {If you’re curious, I have a full tutorial about creating a color washed effect.}  The white wash toned the yellow down perfectly.

If you’re making a similar piece, it’s really all about layering paint until you get the style and coloring that you want.

I peeled off the letters, exposing the brown and green paint underneath, then let the paint dry completely.

I used picture hanging supplies attached to the back of the board to hang it on the wall.

The sign is rustic looking but I really like it and it adds a nice bit of color and texture {and a personal statement} to the room.