Anniversary Subway Art

Sonny’s and my anniversary was on the 22nd of September…4 short years of absolute bliss!  I wanted to get him something really special…but we were/are on a strict budget.  Even applies to gifts, y’all.  So…what else would an incurable DIY-er do….but to make something!!!  Although I was a little frightened after the reaction to my Christmas gift (which was art), I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to go the art route.  But I took the plunge…because let’s be real… I wanted it just as bad as I wanted to give it to him.  So PLLLEEEHHH.  Happy Anniversary!
HAHA!  Ok so the first thing I did was to get a canvas.  40% coupon at Joann’s made that baby about $15!  And DON’T let those folks at J’s try and tell you that it’s already on sale so you can’t get it.  There is a big fat sticker on there that says “EVERYDAY low price 50% of MSRP.”  It’s not a sale if it’s run allllllll the time.  Don’t be a beech….just don’t let ‘em getcha.  Yeah.  I’m so hard.  I enforce coupons. what.
Then I got contact paper from Target.  Just a roll of plain white contact paper.  I remember reading in one of the bazillion tutorials on subway art to use this, and it’s inexpensive.  Word of advice though.  The paint WILL bleed on the canvas if you use contact paper.  I even Mod Podged the whole thing before I painted.  I think if you used a wood instead of canvas and the contact paper that would work much better.  See…it’s just not laying right..

Next comes the cutting of the letters.  I chose the Simply Adorable font for my Cricut.  If you don’t have a Cricut or other cutting machine, you can print your words off of a computer, trace onto contact paper, and then cut those out. After that it was just a matter of lining up all the words and phrases I wanted to use and laying them out. 


Painting time!!!  I knew this was going in my dining room, So I wanted it to coordinate.  I really didn’t want just basic black.  After rummaging through my supply of paint, I found my so-dark-purple-it’s-black paint.  Oooooo…I just loooooooove this color.

TA-DA!!!  After peeling off the letters (and fixing some of the bleeding), here she is!!  Isn’t she grand!  This is by far the most favorite thing I’ve ever made…perhaps even more than my kitchen table!  I’m so excited to have this in my house, and Sonny absolutely LOVES it.  Score one for me!! And in case you all really want to know what everything means…or not…it’s the story of our relationship

• -3000 Miles – that’s how far apart we were from each other when we met
• Las Vegas – Where we met
• 20 compass – where we live
• Disneyland – where we got married, and our anniversary date
• Bermuda – where we honeymooned
• HHA, JXA, – our kiddos initials
• LUADT – that’s confidential!!!  But it’s how we sign our emails and texts.

Ah love….ain’t it grand??