Metal Collage Wall Art

By Rebekah Meier for Walnut Hollow^®

A trend I noticed while looking through the Fall magazines and catalogs was the use of numbers as a design element.  Numbers are being put in any direction and on any surface.  This inspired piece, re-created with Walnut Hollow wood, is both easy and fun to make. 

Materials:

• Walnut Hollow^®
• #27996 Creative Metal ^™ Beginner Kit
• 2 - #29021 Aluminum Metal Roll
• #28074 Design Sheets A
• #28016 Metal Tape
• #18211 Rectangle Plaque
• Wood Letters
• DecoArt^® No-Prep Metal Paint
• Sedona Clay
• Deep Red
• Bright Yellow
• Ivory
• Bright Lime Green
• Espresso Bean
• Clear Medium
• DecoArt^® Ebony Black Acrylic
• E-6000 Adhesive
• Tsukineko^® Staz-On Solvent Ink Pad, Jet Black
•  Other Supplies:  Blue painter’s tape, clear or rubber stamps (numbers and letters), large flat brush, paper towels, fine sandpaper

Instructions:

Note: Items used below, but not listed in supplies, are included in Beginner Kit.

1. To prepare wood for painting, sand entire surface with fine sandpaper.  Remove dust with paper towel.  Use large flat brush to apply black acrylic paint to the back and each side of Plaque.  Let dry.
2. Using ruler and scissors, cut metal into rectangle and square shapes to cover the front of Plaque.
3. From the cut pieces, select 3 sheets of metal to be embossed.  Place each Metal piece on top of a Design Sheet using blue painter’s tape to hold Metal in place.  Use Texture Tool to emboss design by rubbing over the Metal until design details are revealed.
4. Attach Nylon Detailer Point onto the Handle.  Use Points to refine and define the embossed designs on both the front and back of each Metal piece.
5. Paint Metal pieces with metal paints.  Let dry.  Gently sand Metal with sandpaper.  This will give the Metal a distressed appearance.
6. To antique distressed Metal pieces, mix 1 part Espresso Bean with 2 parts Clear Medium.  Paint mixture onto painted Metal pieces.  Wipe off excess with paper towel. 
7. Using Staz-On ink, stamp numbers onto Metal.
8. Paint Wood Letters (your choice) with black acrylic paint.  Let dry.
9. Use Metal Tape to adhere embossed Metal pieces to the front of Plaque. 
10. Use E-6000 to adhere painted Wood Letters to Metal.