My friend Michelle (the one for whom I painted the train table) commissioned me once again to breathe new life into something.

Her little boys keep becoming increasingly less little, and she wanted to turn their old crib bumpers into wall art.

So I grabbed a few square canvases from Michael’s (above picture, at right) and set to work!

The commitment cut is always the hardest for me. Especially when it involves someone else’s treasured item!

But I took a deep breath and made it through, cutting off first along the cording at the top and then either side of the image.

I pulled out all the padding, which left me with the front (with Mickey) and the back (navy corduroy) still attached to one another.

Next I cut the blue corduroy part (the former back of the bumper, now the bottom border of the new art) in half and sewed the cut off piece onto the top of the Mickey panel.

So then I had something squarish to wrap around the canvas! [Measurements do not need to be exact as the excess fabric is cut off after stapling to the back of the canvas.]

The only tricky bit to attaching your new art to its new home is perhaps the corners, about which I am pretty meticulous. I like them to be right. Once the panels are secured to the canvases, I cut off the excess fabric.

Then all that was left was to repeat for the other two Mickey’s!

Cut, cut, sew, staple, repeat!

And there you have it: brand new wall art for the big boys’ room!

There are actually three more duplicate images on the other half of the bumper pieces… Throw pillows anyone?! Wheeeeee!

So, are there any ways you’ve held on to special kids’ pieces over the years? Do tell!