party parade

– The guideline for the perfect still life –

So I have this thing for mood boards. Anytime I’m on a vacation I collect the cutest postcards, receipts and unforgettable souvenirs to create still life’s. In the fall, chestnuts and leaves make for the perfect accessories and for Christmas, I gather a ton of decorative lights. It might sound very snug and dull but trust me when I say it’s extremely hip and very ‘current.’ Here are some instructions to help release your inner visual designer week after week.

color scheme and theme

This part sounds logical but before you begin, decide what your color scheme and theme are going to be for your still life. You don’t have to make obvious choices. Fall doesn’t have to be in the colors red, green and orange per se. And Christmas doesn’t have to be red and green. Think out of the box. Fall can be just as cool with black and white, owls, gold chestnuts and silver acorns. Christmas can be fun in a metallic color and when you’re creating a Winter Wonderland, don’t shy away from combining white with a bright color.

practice, practice, practice and be patient

Practice makes perfect. Sometimes you get so excited that you end up finishing your still life in 10 minutes. But hey, that’s not how it’s done. Take the time to perfect your skills. First of all you need time to collect everything you want to use, time for some DIY’s, painting some of your attributes and then assembling the collage. If you don’t take the time to do any of this, it’ll end up looking like a messy pile thrown together.

take a photo

If you think you’ve created a masterpiece, take a photo. If it’s Instagrammable, then your job is done. Wait, almost. That’s when you pull out the super glue and carefully secure your work of art. Use the photo you took as a guide so you don’t forget how everything was placed. It might sound childish but I bet you’ll thank me afterwards.

New life

Give new life to the things you should probably get rid of, but don’t want to. Spray on a new color or sand it down. It’ll add a slight change to the appearance and it’ll be easier to throw out once your done with it.

collect everything

Collect everything you come across that could potentially be ideal for a still life year in, year out. The result of this is that my own home has turned into a clutter of ribbons, bows, postcards, cut outs and a whole lot more, but don’t worry, a modest kind of collecting is okay too.