{create} shelf style

On Monday I confessed that I'm really not great at styling. So I gave it a whirl ... why not, right? And, I'm going to walk you through the process. I realize this could go a number of directions, but it's good. Really. Stick with me here. :)

My goal was to take a sorely neglected shelf and create a balanced, well edited collection that incorporates a color scheme and texture.

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Here's the before: a very poorly styled shelf in our bedroom. It's SO. Boring! I love all the elements, but clearly I threw them up there in haste and called it done. Lazy? Sometimes.

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I started by adding a few elements that I had around the house. I quickly framed a sweet card from the hubs and pulled some rocks, buttons and pine cones into cute jars to add texture and interest. The color scheme evolved from the *art* on the shelf: pinks, corals and neutrals. It didn't feel balanced though.

So moved things around and started creating the *triangle* I noticed in a lot of the photos I shared Monday. To help create the shape, I added the little plant and removed the *M*. Which was actually great because I like the M better in the living room! A little scrap of burlap adds additional texture and interest. It was close, but not quite.

Aaah, yes. That's what I was looking for. Raising the picture added some height to the arrangement that I like. At this point I thought I was done. In fact, I was SURE I was done. But, just to show you how far my OCD extends ...

... this is what the shelf looks like now. Yes, it took moving that one little jar over to the middle to make me completely happy.

The view from my side of the bed. My favorite part? The main artwork holds incredible sentimental value. It makes walking past it every morning such a treat.

For the collage, I purchased a simple inexpensive shadow box frame and added all the design elements of our wedding with one of my favorite photos. I love having these elements on display -- I hated the thought of them sitting in a drawer somewhere!

When I decided I needed something else on the shelf to round out the group, I grabbed this sweet card Chris had given me, taped it onto kraft paper and framed it in a frame I already owned. Super simple! Not only did Chris notice, but he actually beamed. That alone was completely worth it. :)

The lesson I took from this exercise? Styling not only takes practice, but it also takes time. It took longer than I thought it would to get to my final point, but it was worth it because not only do I now notice the shelf and it's contents, but they make me happy.

So, all my creative friends, what sort of art have you made with things around your house? And, does the shelf look happier?