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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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April 4, 2014

Gift Bag Turned Wall Art

Let’s talk about trends for a minute. You know you want to! 😉

gift bag wall art

Has anyone else found themselves in a store recently doing a double take at the styles? I found myself in Target recently…ok…who am I kidding….I find myself in Target multiple times a week but that’s neither here nor there…anyhoo…I found myself in Target and stood there in the aisle between clothing and shoes and wondered if perhaps instead of walking through the front door I actually entered a strange vortex where I was suddenly back in 1985.

5 minute craft graphic

To the left of me were zippered jeans and mesh tops and neon colors and….GASP!!! Oh Lord have mercy, were those stirrup pants I saw? Then, after I picked myself up off the shiny tiled floor onto which I passed out, I looked to the right of me and saw gladiator sandals and little white Keds and high-top sneakers with crazy strappy things all over them.

I was shocked…appalled…chagrined. And not just because some of these (let’s face it MOST of these) trends were totally horrible the first time around and should never EVER have returned for a second act. But also because what was now considered “vintage” and “retro” trends with all of the kids (yes I realize how old that makes me sound) were things that I actually wore that first time around.

Sigh…

Gift Bag turned Wall Art from atthepicketfence.com


But, here’s the other thing about trends. Sometimes something totally classic that has been around forever morphs into a trend.

Take maps for example. I’m seeing them all over the place lately!

But, can geography actually be considered a trend? I don’t have the perfect answer to that question.

And, to be honest, I don’t care. Because I LOVE maps!

And when I found a giant map gift bag on clearance the other day I knew it wasn’t meant to just be a gift bag. It was destined for greater things. Like hanging on the wall!

gift bag wall art supplies

I dug out an old canvas that I had intended to use for another project which turned out horribly and left me with several canvases painted pale blue.

I covered it in Mod Podge…

making gift bag wall art

…cut the bag to size making sure to keep the handle in tact so that I could do this with it!

gift bag handle as hanging art

Trends will come and go.

gift bag wall art

Some of them I will embrace and incorporate into my own ‘look’ and some of them…ahem…stirrup pants…will never be welcomed into my world again!

But, if I can take a trend/classic and turn it into something fresh, fun and cheap! Well, I’m all over that!

What about you? How do you feel about trends? Or, more importantly, how do you feel about stirrup pants? 😉

Blessings to you from the Picket Fence today,

Vanessa signature

 

 

18 Comments Filed Under: Crafts, Five Minute Crafts Tagged With: 5 minute crafts, cheap crafts, crafts, Five Minute Crafts

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Comments

  1. chelsea says

    April 4, 2014 at 3:53 AM

    I love it! Such a cute idea!

    Reply
  2. Lauren says

    April 4, 2014 at 4:44 AM

    Lol I had the same reaction at our Target! My 22 yr old girls were oohhhing over it all! Insane and yes ugly. Love what you did with the bag! Bags like napkins are something I’m always drawn to. Great job!

    Reply
  3. Cheryl at Snaps of Ginger says

    April 4, 2014 at 6:55 AM

    Adorable! I admit I’m in on the map trend. I just bought a vintage Deep South map and have big plans for it.

    HOWEVER, I will not be in on the mesh top or stirrup pant trend. Ever. Like, EVER!! 🙂

    ~Cheryl
    https://snaps-of-ginger.blogspot.com/

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      April 4, 2014 at 11:29 AM

      Thanks so much Cheryl! And yes, the stirrup pants need to just go away and never come back!!

      Reply
  4. Katharine says

    April 4, 2014 at 8:32 AM

    LOL!! When you were young, the stirrup pants were already vintage! I can remember older girls/women wearing them when I was little–and I’m 62!

    Reply
  5. Ashley @ 3littlegreenwoods says

    April 4, 2014 at 9:21 AM

    We are retro now? Neon orange and pink are still yuck!

    I’m loving the maps too. A project like this would be so much easier than wallpapering my half bath with brightly colored maps. 😉 Smart girl for keeping the handle!

    Reply
  6. Cindy L. says

    April 4, 2014 at 10:53 AM

    LOVE the bag idea. Hate the “new retro flashback” styles. Just last year I said that stirrup pants and shoulder pads were next to make a comeback…and big hair too. Can’t wear stirrup pants with out the shoulder padded oversized sweater and the giant hair. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    April 4, 2014 at 12:23 PM

    Love it, Vanessa! Such a great idea. Sometimes gift bags are just too pretty to use as gift bags.

    Reply
  8. grammygoodwill says

    April 4, 2014 at 5:00 PM

    I love how you used the bag handle as your canvas hanger! Creative and smart.

    Reply
  9. Nilza says

    April 4, 2014 at 10:57 PM

    So creative…love the idea!!

    Reply
  10. laura@top this top that says

    April 5, 2014 at 3:29 AM

    i love this idea…skipping the stir up pants though.

    Reply
  11. Barbara Ann says

    April 6, 2014 at 9:44 PM

    Great idea. I see so many gift bags that are great art. Now I know what to do with them.

    Reply
  12. A-1 Basement Solutions says

    April 8, 2014 at 5:46 AM

    Very creative idea! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  13. kristin says

    April 9, 2014 at 4:37 PM

    Such a simple and cute idea!!
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
  14. Maryann @ Domestically Speaking says

    April 11, 2014 at 9:55 AM

    Brilliant! What a great quick craft!

    Reply
  15. Doreen says

    April 16, 2014 at 6:56 AM

    I saw a very similar gift bag at HomeGoods a while back and thought it was too pretty for a gift bag – sadly, I must have been distracted by something else and didn’t pick it up! Love this idea!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      April 16, 2014 at 8:23 PM

      Thanks Doreen! 🙂

      Reply
  16. malia says

    April 17, 2014 at 7:02 AM

    You are so clever! Beautiful idea.

    Reply

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