Home Decor Crafts: Giraffe Print Monogram Wall Art

This fun and whimsical giraffe print monogram wall art project is great for a living room space. Or, consider using it in a jungle themed bathroom or home office.

For this project, you will need (per piece of wall art):

- 1/4 inch thick piece of plywood
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Jigsaw or other tool for cutting wood
- Medium or fine grit sandpaper
- Tack cloth or other type of soft cloth
- Krylon Indoor Outdoor Primer in All-Purpose White
- Krylon Indoor Outdoor Paint in Satin Brown Boots
- Krylon Short Cuts Hobby and Craft Paint Pen in Espresso
- Giraffe print scrapbook paper
- Craft knife
- Self healing mat
- Sponge brush
- Mod Podge or other decoupage medium
- Craft roller
- Three to five inch tall monogram stencil (available at scrapbook supply shops)
- Pour on latex glaze
- Cardboard
- Paint stick
- Hanging hardware
- Newspaper and/or a large drop cloth

To start this wall art project, cover the space you will be crafting at with sheets of old newspaper and/or a large drop cloth. Lay a sheet of 1/4 inch thick plywood flat. In pencil, trace a twelve inch by twelve inch square onto the wood. Cut out the square using a jigsaw or other similar style wood cutting tool. Sand the edges of the plywood with medium or fine grit sandpaper. Wipe away any dust from the wood with a tack cloth or other style soft cloth.

Prime all sides of the plywood piece using two or more coats of Krylon Indoor Outdoor Primer in All-Purpose White. Once dry, paint the wood with multiple coats of Krylon Indoor Outdoor Paint in Satin Brown Boots. Continue to add coats of brown paint until you reach a color shade desired. Dry completely.

Lay the giraffe print scrapbook paper face down flat on the self healing mat. Use a ruler and a pencil to mark a one inch border all around the backside of the paper. Cut off the border using a craft knife, leaving an eleven inch square piece. Discard all paper pieces except the eleven inch square.

Apply a thick coat of Mod Podge or other decoupage medium to the back of the paper square using a sponge brush. Adhere the giraffe print paper in the center of the painted wooden piece. (This will leave a one inch border of exposed brown wood all around the giraffe print.) Smooth the paper with a small craft paper. Dry for several hours.

Use a pencil and a three to five inch tall monogram stencil to create the design in the center of the giraffe print. Fill in the design using a couple of paint coats from a Krylon Short Cuts Hobby and Craft Paint Pen in Espresso. Let the paint dry overnight.

Place a large piece of cardboard under the wooden art design. Pour on a few thick coats of latex glaze over top of the design. Spread the glaze towards the outside edges of the wall art with a paint stick. Let the glaze cure for a couple days before installing hanging hardware on the back of the art.