I Can Do Decor: Three-Dimensional Fruit Wall Art Tutorial

Today's project is the first of my new I Can Do Decor feature, a series of home decorating tutorials that are easy, quick & durable.  Fun, fashionable ideas that can be done with minimal skills and hold up to real family wear & tear (not just a staged 5 minute photo shoot).  With 3 active kids, my house is about as real as it can get! 

We redid our kitchen about 9 months ago and with a new color scheme I needed some nice custom-matching wall art to go over my sink.  The challenge was finding something  large enough and with the fresh look I had in mind.  Wall decor can get really expensive & nothing seemed to have the right style/color combo, so I came up with this Three-Dimensional Fruit Wall Art that can be made for less than $25.  And the best part is it is easy.

By using faux fruit, this artwork has a reach out and touch look that gives so much more style than a flat picture or painting.  Here's how to make one for yourself using whatever fruit (or shape) you want.

You'll Need:

- Cheap matted & frame artwork 

- Craft/artist paper

- Fake plastic fruit

- Hacksaw

- Hot glue gun

- U Glue adhesive strips

- Foam Board

- Packing tape

- Exacto knife

The base artwork doesn't have to be anything special, just something with a decent looking frame and some matting, so look in the clearance section or a thrift store for a good deal.  I scored this 23in x 19in framed artwork on clearance for $12 at Michael's.  

Take it apart by peeling off the backing paper - I was really careful with mine so I could save it to reuse later.  Pull out the cardboard backer & glass and separate the artwork from the matting.  Mine was actually glued together so I had to pry my matting off the center image.  I cut the foam board & paper to the same size as the cardboard and got to work.

To adhere the craft paper to the foam board really well I used these adhesive strips from UGlu.  I wanted the paper to be nice and smooth and not pull away from the board over time since the pears would be adding some extra weight to the front.  I've had this artwork up in my kitchen for about 8 months and everything's held great, so I think it was worth using these instead of tape or glue.

I stuck 3 strips along the top, 3 in the center and 2 on the bottom corners & peeled off the backings.

Then pressed the craft paper on top and smoothed out.

I got 3 faux pears at Michael's as well.  These are the kind that are plastic, but styrofoam inside, so they won't buckle when cut.  Using the hacksaw, carefully saw the fruit in half.  I was surprised to find that a piece of concrete is what gives these fruits their solid feel:



Using a spoon makes it easy to dig out the concrete center.  Repeat with remaining fruit.

Put matting over the background and place fruit on background in the desired layout.

I wanted mine to be in a row, so I leveled & centered them with yard sticks.  Mark positioning, if necessary, with a pencil.

Run a line of hot glue around the edge of the fruit and place firmly onto background.  Repeat with other fruit halves.

Now it's time to attach the masterpiece into it's frame.  Since you can't just flip it upside down on a table, it's easiest to put it over the edges of two chairs, sawhorses or, in my late night makeshift case, open up the leaf of a table and place it over that.  Tape down edges of foam board with packing tape:

Take that backing paper saved from the beginning and attach over the back with a thin line of hot glue:

Material Costs:
- Clearance framed artwork - $12
- 3 plastic pears (using coupons) - $6
- Craft Paper - $1.50
- Adhesive Strips (using coupon) $4
- Foam board, tape & tools I already had laying around the house

Project Total: $23.50

And for the big reveal, here it is in place in my new kitchen:



I just love how it looks with my new quartz counters and fits with my other green accents:



It feels so good when a crazy idea from my imagination turns out better than anything I could buy!  I've got several other projects to share from the rest of the kitchen and a before & after reveal of the whole room coming up too, so stay tuned:)  

I'm also sharing this project with my FAVE LINK PARTIES.

Click HERE to check them out!