Cardboard Box Top Turned Heart Art

I saw this genius idea while perusing blogland or Pinterest, can't remember where exactly and I didn't mark it except in my memory.  Anyhow, this genius idea was to use a cardboard box lid as a canvas for art.  As I was organizing my office, I came upon some huge lids.  I was in my rampage mode, so I was ready to recycle them when I remembered the box top canvas idea.

At first I couldn't decided what kind of art I wanted to do, then I remembered another pin of mine.  It was a cut out of a map in the shape of a heart to represent the places you've lived or met your spouse, etc.  One person put multiple little hearts in one frame and another one did a series of a couple frames in a row.  (Check out their versions of it at Everything Fabulous and  Mini Moz.)  For us, one heart works because the two cities we've lived in together fit right on the same heart.  This was the perfect opp to finally get this idea off my "to do list" and it was ALL FREE and completely repurposed!

And today was the day to make it.  I had been digging my way through my office for way too long and I hit a wall.  I just couldn't take it anymore!  I needed to do something else!!!!

So I got my cardboard box lids.

Got some blue paint.  I even repurposed a ping pong ball wrapper as my paint palette.  The divots for the balls were the perfect little spot for a squirt of paint.

Painted the box top with a bit of a striated effect.

Found an old map in the office and used my Valentine decoration as a heart template.

Made some homemade Modge Podge - 50/50 water and school glue mixture.
Recycled my Starbucks Mocha Frap bottle for its container too.
I'm just a repurposing fool today!

And modge podged it on.

I know right where to hang this guy.

It will be part of the kids' art gallery wall in the playroom.

For now it will hang out in the office until I can tackle the playroom!

When my little guy got home from school, he said the nicest thing.

"Mom, did you buy that at the store today?"

I'll take that as a compliment!