Crafty Genes: Scaled Wall Art

Skill level:
1/5

Price:
1/5

SUPPLIES:
One 30- by 40-inch foam core board (black)
7 to 10 sheets of poster board
Old rag
Three colors of wood stain — golden tan, brown and black

TIPS:
Look online for images of close-up snake scales for a print inspiration.

1. Stain the posters
Use an old rag and apply wood stain to the sheets of poster board. The image we used had mostly gold, less black and only a few brown scales. We stained around five sheets gold, three sheets black and two brown, but we had a few sheets of poster left over.

2. Cut the squares
Once the boards are dry, cut them into 3.5-inch by 4-inch pieces. It’s quickest to use a paper cutter for this step.

3 . Stencil and cut scales
This is the most tedious and time-consuming part of the project. Make a stencil that was is a rounded diamond shape. Then cut the scales out. Grab a friend or a sibling to help with this step — it takes a long time.

4. Apply the scales
Lay the scales out on the poster board according to your printed inspiration (start with the top row). Plan the layout and take a photo if you need to remember what looks best. The edges of the scales should touch, and the top layer will be on top of the layer beneath it. Apply the scales using a dab of hot glue on the bottom point of the diamond shape.

5. Trim the edges
If there are any black pieces of the poster core showing through, attach leftover scales in those places. Once the glue has set and you’re happy with the turnout, then trim the edges. We also made a custom frame for the wall art.