This summer I was itching for some sort of board where I could tack up inspirations and pretty things. ( besides Pinterest! ) Actually, it probably was Pinterest that gave me the idea. I really love the rustic look the chicken wire can give to a space, and the possibilities to expand are endless! I first made a DIY inspiration board like this 6 months ago when I was living in College Station, but now that I’m back in Houston, I decided I needed another one for my new, organized workspace! Now I just need a new lampshade…

SUPPLIES

– roll of chicken wire (available at any home improvement store)
– spray paint (optional)
– wire cutter
– some nails, a hammer & your hands!

To start, roll out the chicken wire to the length you wish. Mine was about 4 feet in length. You really have to bend it out flat since it holds the rolled shape really well. I stepped on mine to straighten it out some, and that worked pretty well, along with creating some inconsistent dimensionality.

After flattening it, use the wire cutters to cut all the way up the length of the wire.

Once the wire is cut, lay out newspaper or magazine sheets to protect the area and spray paint away! Gold’s more my style than silver so I decided to use a shiny gold paint instead of the antiqued matte brown I used for my last board. I sprayed from several different angles to really cover the whole surface, but I noticed the mixed metals effect was quite pretty too if you’re into that.

I let the paint dry a bit, then took the golden wire upstairs to its’ new home! Putting it up on the wall wasn’t too tough, I basically free handed it. I started at the top left corner, marked it, put a nail in, then stretched it across to the upper right corner, then bottom left, and finally bottom right corner. The key is to stretch the wire further than you think you should. Otherwise, the wire will just pop off the nail, and no one wants that.

 

I really like how the wire is inconsistent and adds some dimensionality to my wall. I thought about cutting it into another shape, either organic or geometric like a triangle, but I figured that would require more planning and reconstruction. I’ll save that for another day, or for when I get bored of this one.

This necklace holder is another DIY project I made recently. Maybe I’ll just have to do a post on it, yes?

Now go! Be free and decorate! I’ll leave you with some pictures of my other chicken wire inspiration board and workspace. You know, the one with the computer, and all of it’s distractions?

Naturally yours,

Alyssa