Today I’ll share a fun project that I did for the annual New Year’s Eve bash we threw benefitting S.O.U.L. Uganda.  I love planning this party every year because the people and cause make it all worth while.  You know how New Year’s Eve is often over-hyped and under-delivered? This annual bash has never been that.  When you party [hard] with a purpose, the selfish wills seem to disappear and you’re left with hundreds of people bringing in the new year with joy, gratefulness and tons of laughter.

© Whim & Fancy //

We rented a pretty raw space.  It was great for the signature Whim & Fancy feel. Lighthearted, rustic, with a fancy twist. But the walls needed some color and spunk!

Working on a budget is a challenge, but all worth it in the end because you really get to use that creativity of yours!  For this project, I decided to take advantage of the vintage records found at thrift stores.  Not just any old school record, mind you.  Only the cheesiest, craziest cover art will do!  Luckily, I found all these covers in one trip, on half-price Saturdays! Yay for making budget!  I painted hot pink speech bubbles onto the record covers that contained the event name, MWANZO, in the event logo font. All in all, I think I spent about $25-30 on this project (I already had the painting supplies, so it was hard to estimate that!).

What you’ll need:

• Vintage Record Covers from the thrift store (try to pick ones with a coordinating theme, whether it be similar color family, genre, or trend)
• White acrylic paint
• Fluorescent pink acrylic paint (can also use fluorescent poster paint for this, but it will ruin your brush for further use)
• Liquitex High Gloss Varnish
• Medium width brush
• Speech Bubble cutout
• Pencil
• Scissors

Step One:

Find a speech bubble or preferred shape by using a simple Google image search or build one in Photoshop/Illustrator.  If you want to add a logo or text, create several on a page. Print and cut out a speech bubble as well as your logo/text.  Set aside.

Trace the speech bubble shape onto each album art cover. If you have any people on the cover, place it strategically!

© Whim & Fancy //

Apply one coat of white acrylic and let dry. Then apply a coat of fluorescent pink. Let dry. Apply a second coat, if more coverage is needed.

Apply a coat of the High Gloss Varnish. At this time, if you want to add your logo or text, use the varnish as its glue. Apply a second coat of High Gloss Varnish to finish and seal.

Hang as you please and enjoy a great conversation starter at any party!  I mean, really, Cat Juggling?!

© Whim & Fancy //

Also, you can apply this same customized project to any thrifted art piece!  I went ahead and picked this lovely piece of art up and hung it in the bathroom of the party.  It was certainly something interesting to look at!

© Whim & Fancy //