Cavallini calendar art project

Y’all know I love this Cavallini print so I finally did something with it in my own home.  I’ve suggested the wrap as “art” for many client projects.  BTW, we will have a guest post soon I hope on quality prints and botanicals from my good friend Melisse Campbell.  But for this project in my upstairs attic room where the temp is never constant, the calendar “art” is perfect. I don’t have to worry about climate control or anything ruining.  And when i tire of it, I can easily switch it out with something else.. So on with the project.

Cavallini 2011 Wall Calendar, Butterflies

Oh and by the way, the calendar happens to be on sale here! You can also do this with a book, wallpaper or fabric etc..one of the oldest stylist’s secrets in the book!

1. Start by choosing which prints you want, rip up your calendar and tape to the wall to get an idea of composition.

2. Buy frames, cheap frames.  I purchased 11 x 14 front loading frames from WalMart. I bought this size because I liked the shape and look of the shape even though the odd size means the mats would not be equal on all sides..if that kind of thing drives you nuts, then buy 10×13 frames. 

3. Then I had my mats custom cut at local frame shop so the exterior was 11 x 17 and the interior opening is…8 3/8 x 12

4. Simply trimmed and placed my favorite pages in the mats with a bit of tape!  Non acid free but who cares these are not expensive engravings but calendar pages!

BTW, not each illustration is exactly the same size,some have writing at the bottom, some have lined edges,  so if you are really a precise type A person have this might not be the “set: for you…but if you want to save hundreds of $$$ and fill a wall space, do it this way!

5. INSTALL! No special secrets to hanging them I just started at the center and yes i made more than one nail hole on some frames but no worries..and voila!

This is my mom’s new “sleeping nook” (it’s very small 7×8) i created in my old office area upstairs, a twin bed barely fit! I love how the prints look with the suzani and linen and chandelier! I am still tweaking the room (I see a frame that needs moving just a tad!) but will have more to show of the room soon!

{fyi the card was to welcome nana to her new room!}

So there you go..what is your framing secret?

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Comments

  1. Beyond beautiful!!!! Seriously lovely! I don’t notice the frame that needs to be adjusted but I’m totally wired like you that’s why I always take photos of my rooms for some reason the camera catches things your eyes don’t! I hope your baby boy is feeling better!! xo

  2. I have a thing for butterflies, so this really strikes a chord for me! I also love the plank walls. The space is just beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration!

  3. Oh I love these! I still have in my kitchen 8 framed & matted fruit designs from a Laura Ashley calendar. The designs are probably from a 20 year old calendar….can’t remember the year…but do remember purchasing it. They have moved with me from another house…go with my cottage look. I still love them! I have kept calendars with nice botanicals on them…for “just in case.” 🙂

  4. Beautiful! I’m working on a collage wall for my sons’ room and the cheapo frames look great! 🙂 Your room looks like a lovely, peaceful retreat.
    PS…I’m smitten by the blanket at the foot of the bed. Would love to know where you found it.

  5. I love it! I just ordered the calendar. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for-for our bedroom. Would you mind sharing what you paid to have the custom mats made? thanks!!

  6. I called in a snow storm and had a local gallery cut mats..ordered over the phone and got the next day…so they were about $9 each but i think Michaels or HL would be much cheaper..the frames were $7 or 8..it adds up when you do six but nothing like custom framing!

  7. love it!

  8. Hi Holly!

    I just did a Cavallini calendar art project, too! I’ve been using these calendars for years and love them. Check out my project at http://www.curlywillowdiy.blogspot.com
    I have other canvases I’ll be sharing in future posts, all done with calendar and book pages.

    Your bedroom is gorgeous! Love you blog.

    Barb

  9. Great idea. Can’t wait to give it a try!

  10. I agree that price is reasonable. Thanks so much for this great idea, I know it’s going to look beautiful. So excited!

  11. I’ll bet Nana loved her new cozy room! It looks lovely!

  12. Brilliant! I absolutely love it!

    -Rene

  13. LOVE this idea!!!!! Just might have to try it this weekend!

  14. And I am so going to copy that!!!

  15. So beautiful. The custom mats make all the difference, they make the prints look so much more expensive!

  16. Love it! I have cut out prints from old art books of my grandmother’s. The great thing about books and calendars is that the color quality is usually great! Not all art has to be expensive!

    Jennifer

  17. Castudio makes these great embroidered (state) pillows. I wanted to collect one for each state we’ve lived in. Problem…they are pricey and what would I do with so many pillows? Solution: they make dishclothes for @ $20. I bought those instead and had them framed and matted.
    https://alittlehappy.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-favorite-things-catstudio-dish.html

  18. This is a great idea! I need something on the wall for our guest room – this might be perfect!

  19. gorg! Lucky Nana.
    d e n i s e

  20. Nana’s room looks fabulously cozy Holly, great job!! Also wanted to tell you how excited I was to see that Joni featured your work today on her post~ some very well deserved recognition my friend.
    xo~
    T

  21. I’ve got another “wall art” favorite. L. Young canvases. They’re about $42 and don’t need to be framed! A great alternative to “botanicals”.
    https://alittlehappy.blogspot.com/2011/02/favorite-things-l-young-canvases.html

  22. LOVE this idea so much I popped over to Kate’s Paperie and ordered the calendar right away. This will look perfect in our powder room against the muted blue/gray striped wallpaper.
    Thanks Holly!!
    Best~
    Kim

  23. Hi, I love this calendar, and actually ended up ordering it online! In the first picture at first glance, I thought the pages were hung with clothespins instead of tape and it stopped me in my tracks. So cute! I might have to improvise and see if I can achieve a similar effect using clothespins on my wall.

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful project.

  24. Mary Frances says

    I did this with a Cavallini calendar about 17 years ago! The prints are of columns and capitals…but I had them professionally matted and framed…my gift to our then new house. It cost 50 per mat/frame/glare free glass and the best $300 bucks we ever spent…the frame shop did two at a time for me over a year’s time…they just kept the dimensions and mat/frame info on record. We have changed other things in our home, but this collection remains in our entry and we get compliments from visitors every year…we also bought one of their calendars on clearance at Borders a couple years ago featuring Opera art and framed one of Turandot’s famous Asian beauty matted and framed in a 16×20…she greets us with those gorgeous golden eyes…I love that you don’t forget homeowner’s on a budget and show us how to love our homes now…not when we can “afford” our dreams!

  25. love your guest room! looks super duper cozy! thanks for the link to the calendar! what a great deal! 🙂

  26. Cool idea! Love the butterfly

  27. Thanks again, Holly for this idea. I was just to walmart, found the frames and made some calls for matting. I think I found a place that will cut mats for 3-4 dollars! I am so excited to get these up on a wall in our bedroom, it’s needed just the right something for ages! yay!

  28. So beautiful, Holly? Love the look of that little corner! You’re so good!

    I take it Henry is feeling better since you’re back to blogging? Hope so! I know he must love the extra cuddles!

    Xo,
    Linsey

  29. Holly, I bought the Cavallini Botanica calendar and wanted the butterfly calendar so bad but I was trying to keep my spending down after the holidays. Been trying to figure out how to handle the framing of the botanicals, so thanks for the inspiration!! I think I may buy the butterfly calendar too!

    Pat

  30. I love Cavallini! Every time I go to our local paper store, I drool over their calendars and wrapping papers. At Christmas, I got their “antique” gift tags and I LOVE them! I’m so inspired to pick up a calendar – but which one, there are so many wonderful ones!!

  31. This is great! They look perfect in Nana’s room. We wait for the Cavallini calendars to go on sale after Christmas. We usually find them for a good price at Borders or Barnes and Noble. I have some Cavallini vintage A&M football game posters that were made into a calendar that I might use for one of my boys’ rooms. Thanks for always sharing your tips with us!

  32. Hi Holly, this is gorgeous! Would you mind revealing where you got the lovely bed cover?

  33. That room looks so cute! Love the mix of colors and the planks on the wall.

  34. I love this, the pictures are so nice and really add that rustic and romantic feeling. Thank you for the link, I am not sure if they ship to Europe, but its definitely worth checking up.

  35. Anticookiecutter says

    Holly, saw you featured on Cote de Texas. Excellent.

  36. Lila Ferraro says

    They are lovely. I love when I find prints that are educationally interesting but, lovely as well!
    xoxo
    Lila Ferraro

  37. Holly –

    Gorgeous!!! I’m drooling over that suzani, to die for.

    Since I’m so in love with your site I wanted to pass the Versatile Blogger Award on to you! If you’d like to accept, you can visit my post for the award rules here: https://westermanfam.blogspot.com/2011/02/award.html

    Congrats!

    Shelley

  38. Hi Holly! I saw your post on Layla’s blog, and I was wondering if you could tell me where you found the galvanized pendant in your boy’s bedroom? I’ve been looking for one just like it. Thanks!

  39. Love, love, love it… The prints are perfect in your moms sleeping nook. I want to sleep there! 🙂

  40. I am in love with this picture–just everything works together. Like Dorothy Draper said, “if it looks right, it is right.” Lovely!

  41. Holly – I’ve been drooling over your butterfly prints since the first post! I think I need to bite the bullet and go purchase one for myself! Thanks for the inspiration!
    Melissa

  42. FORTUNATELY my mom bought me a mat cutter for my birthday a few years back so i feel lucky to never have to pay for that service. that is my framing secret. in fact….i started doing so much custom framing in my home that i went ahead and purchased all the necessary toos (dual point driver, miter saw, etc.) so if i cant find the needed size frame at thrift stores and second hand stores…then i high-tail it to home depot and pick up some trim and make my own. having glass cut is pretty easy and inexpensive….but most of my framming projects are glassless. sort of my signature!! lol…..i have been plagued with a framing sickness!!

  43. They look great! I did something similar in my son’s nursery with our Cavallini Travel Poster calendars that I have been saving for over 5 years: https://www.otherpiecesofme.com/2009/06/nurserycheck.html

  44. FANTASTIC! How did you know that I’ve been looking for butterfly art? What a cheap, easy way to do it.

  45. Oh I love this!! I did the same thing with their bird calendar from 2009! It is my favorite “art”!

  46. Just finished framing all twelve of these butterfly prints for a big bare wall in my kitchen. Had the mats, acrylic and backer boards cut by American Frame and we made our own frames out of stock. Cavallini does such a nice job — the printing and paper are very good, the colors are all adjusted so the prints work together, and they even provide an image of all twelve arranged on the wall so you can see how the final installation will look. The entire project cost about $350.

  47. Love it!! What is the wall paint color please???? I’m desperate!

  48. Oh thanks for sharing this post, your room is absolutely lovely, what a cosy space. I am English so I particularly love the little union jack cushion on the bed, the pictures are lovely too. Jo x

  49. Hi Holly,
    This room is gorgeous! I love everything about it. Just ordered my 2013 Cavallini butterfly calendar so I can do this very thing. Thank you for the inspiration! Any chance you recall the name of the fabric on the euro sham? It’s perfect!

    Rachel
    xoxo

  50. Your style is very unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark
    this web site.

Trackbacks

  1. […] Cavallini calendar art project | Holly Mathis Interiors – Holly Mathis … We wait for the Cavallini calendars to go on sale after Christmas. We usually find them for a good price at Borders or Barnes and Noble. I have some Cavallini vintage A&M football game posters that were made into a calendar You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response , or trackback your own site. […]

Leave a Comment

*