Michael and I were married eight years ago in the Arizona LDS temple. It’s such a beautiful place and is really special for our family. A while back I was looking for vintage maps of Mesa, AZ on eBay (we collect old maps of places we’ve lived) and I stumbled across this photo of the temple from the 60s. I loved how modern the shot is with all the white space!
Later I saw this tutorial on Pinterest and knew I wanted to blow up my vintage photo for our home. I scanned in the photo and brought my zip drive to Kinkos (Or I guess it’s called Fedex Office now? Bor-ring!). For only $4 they printed my image on their large format blueprint printer. The largest size you can do is 48″ wide, but mine is 36″. It’s so inexpensive because the paper is nothing special and you can only have black and white. But it’s huge and graphic and so affordable!
I cut down the paper to size and then mounted the print with scrapbook tape on double thick foamboard I got at Blicks for $7 (which I also cut down to size using an X-acto knife).
After mounting the print I realized I could save a ton of money by not framing it and just painting the edges. I used an orange tester paint that I already had on hand and a square-edged artist’s brush. It was easy to carefully paint just the edges of the foamboard.
I hung the mounted print on the wall with my favorite picture hanging strips.
I’m so happy with how this project turned out. I only wish my wall was bigger so I could have done the full 48″ width!
Oh please detail how this was mounted on the foam board PLEASE PLEASE!
I recently ordered a "big print" from http://www.etsy.com/listing/54285512/summer-bounty-poster and I'm thinking this might be the perfect way to "frame" it.
call me naive, but until this moment i never realized that you were lds. as a fellow young lds woman who is about to get married and embark on her career in interior design… i just want to say thank you for being an incredible role model. to do what you do with three young kids at home is pretty impressive. i so want to do what you do! you have managed to balance your life so well with all the important things. you've made time for both your family and their needs & for YOU and yours. again, i just want to say thank you! you are so inspiring!
xx
katie beth
Great idea!
I would love to mount my kid's art in the same way, paint the edges bright colours and make a gallery wall.
I love the way this turned out! How in the world did you get such clean lines with an exacto knife? I have tried cutting foam board with one and it was a nightmare.
I love the way this looks – can you tell us a little about the resolution required to blow up something this big.
thanks
I adore the combo of the photo side trim with the lamp and the tulips. Gorgeous!!!
Jenny, I absolutely love how you mix pattern and color, botanical prints with black and white photography. It's encouraging me to let go of the "rules" and just decorate with what I love. Just make it work and stop worrying about perfection. So inspiring. Also, love the blue chest of drawers in your photo. My living room wall is a very similar Benjamin Moore color, it's makes me smile everytime I see something in that beautiful jewel tone.
Jennica
I love it! It's been great seeing all your ideas online.
K
what did you use to "mount" the picture onto the foam core board? Spray adhesive?
what did you use to "mount" the picture onto the foam core board? Spray adhesive?
Love that you painted the outside of the print with that bright red paint! We're doing a feature this week on bright sheers and black and white to highlight fashion week and this is such a great example of how gorgeous the two are together!
That is just beautiful! You can never go wrong with a picture of an LDS Temple. I have been searching high and low for great picture of the Logan Temple that is different that the usual. This is a great idea. I didn't know you were LDS, thats awesome!
I love cheap oversize art prints!! But the orange edge is the real stroke of genius. Brilliant, Jenny!
I knew there was something about you that said Sister in Zion… So glad you posted this! :)
Yes, I love it! Super easy to do.
I can see how this was inspired by the door trim post you did earlier. I love the little surprise! What a great, inexpensive project!
Clever girl, Jenny. I knew about the Kinko's (ahem– FedEx Office) prints, but you NAILED IT with the foam board and painted edges. My boyfriend and I have been going crazy trying to figure out what to put on the bare walls of our bedroom, and I think taking some b&w photos of places that are meaningful to us is just the ticket.
That looks amazing Jenny; that vignette is beautiful. I wish I was bold enough to use color the way you do.
you're LDS?! i'm 18, and also LDS, and have loved your blog for a couple months now just because you have an amazing eye for design and you make it so easy. i also love that you put family first, and if things are getting hectic and crazy, you take a break and center yourself with your girls and your husband. it's a lot of pressure sometimes because there's always the question of, "when are you gonna get married?" but you've now helped me realize that i don't have to get married right away, i can do what i love and become who i want to be, and i will fall in love when the time is right. thank you so much for everything! and p.s. the orange is genius! (:
Such a good idea! I love the accent of the bright orange.
http://www.idesignlove.com
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! Thanks for sharing! Such a great idea for any picture but, I especially love that it had so much meaning to you and your famly.
Hi I love this print you found. My husband and I were sealed in the mesa temple six years ago. Is there anyway i would be able to get a copy of this print from you?
Hi guys! Thanks for the sweet comments!
I mounted the print with double-sided scrapbooking tape. It was so easy and it's laying down perfectly flat (no air bubbles).
If you'd like the temple image file, feel free to email me and I'll try sending it to you. It's huge – like 4 mb, but I think it will send without a problem.
My email is jenny at jennykomenda dot com
xx
beyond awesome, INSPIRED – I love photography!
http://www.mash-upchic.blogspot.com
I love the large print! It looks great above that dresser and I like how you used the bright red/orange to compliment the lampshade. Great work!
Hi Jenny- I'd love to know if the lamp shade on the dresser was a DIY or where you bought it. I just love the look!
Thanks!
Genius.
What an awesome project! My husband and I were also married in the Mesa temple eight years ago and there are so many more fences in all of our pictures compared to this one! Thanks for the inspiration and for sharing, I can't wait to try this (should be perfect above my piano!)
Ooh, I love this idea!! I have been telling myself to get a picture of the Boise temple where we were married, but couldn't justify spending hundreds on it (even though we SHOULD have one hanging). This is a great alternative and much cooler if I do say so myself! PS I LOVEY love, LOVE your blog. I check it everyday! :) I used to live in NYC and it's fun to see it again through your eyes. So thanks!!
what an easy way to do a big print and i LOVE that temple! i miss going there once a month but it's fun being back by the seattle temple (where i married my husband)
Love the colors!
I haven't been to your blog in a few weeks, but I kept seeing the 2nd to last picture (full shot) of the dresser and such on Pinterest. Then today, I saw the pic of your hand with the gold leaf pin everywhere on Pinterest. Now that I've looked at your last few posts, I see what everyone loves. Super cute!
I've been contemplating how to add an amazing image on my wedding location within our home…I think this is it. What RL color did you use on the edge of the image, I love it!
Love your blog…I visit everyday! Such great inspiration and DIY.
Hi Jenny!
I love your blog and am determined to make my own version of your diamond tufted headboard this weekend. I'm really excited and confident (likely overly so) because of your clear instructions.
I am intrigued by the dressers too. Would you please share the name of the paint color?
Thanks!
LOVE that temple! Such a unique design and so different from the more recent temples that I've seen (San Antonio, Orlando, DC, etc.).
Thank you! I love this. Big question though: Do you think it would work just as well if I took a picture of a picture–I.e, a picture of something in a book?
Found this on pinterest…love it! I have many pics at home, (3000 miles away), and I can't wait to pick a few and try this. Thanks for sharing. Oh, and I have to know the color of that gorgeous blue dresser so I can buy some. Thanks, Lori
years ago I saw a series where
a photographer had found relatives of
people who posed for john singer sargent paintings and
he took photos of them that were reminiscent of the original pictures.
they were quite wonderful.
Pictures to paintings
photos to paintings
photo to painting
picture to painting
painting from photo
Jenny, love this idea. My first attempt was a total fail, but my second was a success. Some advice: (1) on staples.com, you can upload your image and order the engineer's print from there, and then pick up at your local staples store. (2) don't try to modge-podge the print to the foam. The paper is totally not conducive to this – stick with the double-sided tape. (3) don't try to tape a bunch of craft store elmer's foam boards together to make a large foamboard. Instead, go to home depot and purchase a large piece of foam insulation. It cost approx. $12. The store will cut the foam to size and it's MUCH cheaper than the craft foam boards. Good luck!
Hi! Question…If I find a postcard or smaller print on eBay, when I scan it in can it be any size without getting blurry do you know? Or does the picture need to be a big to start?
The blog was absolutely fantastic! Lot of information is helpful in some or the other way. Keep updating the blog, looking
forward for more content…Great job, keep it up.
Printing Malaysia