~restoration hardware subway art knockoff~

Do you remember this post where I said I really needed to find out a way to recreate Restoration Hardware's subway art for less than their $550 price tag?

I have admired their subway art for so long, well, since it first came out, but I am cheap 

thrifty, and racked my brain until I came up with a plan. 

Here is my version:

 And here is there's:

Pretty close huh? 

Wanna see how I did it?

It started with this frame.

I new I needed a HUGE frame and I found this one at a garage sale on Friday.

$15.00 friends!

Do you even know how fast I ran over to it and snatched it up?

Now, if you are looking to do the same thing, don't worry about the color or finish on the frame.

It's the "bones" of it that matter because it is going to get painted.

 I was lucky enough to find one with a matte 

{but you could get away without one}

and glass.

 I figured I'd find a frame without the glass 

and have to get a piece cut, and at this size I'm guessing it would be around $50-$60.

So, total bonus there.

As you can see this frame was a black lacquer with gold.

When I got it home I set up some saw horses in the yard and sprayed the 

whole thing with black satin spray paint.

Much better.

While that was drying I made my "pattern"

First I googled the Restoration Hardware sign I wanted to "knock off"

Then I printed it and headed down to Kinkos copies.

I first enlarged it on the regular copier because my printout was teeny tiny, and you need a larger image for the oversized copier to work.

Then I took the larger copy 

{I think it was around 6x15 roughly}

and enlarged that on their over sized copier about 400%.

{cost, $2.50}

Once back home I laid it out on the counter and this is what it looked like.

Originally I was going to cut out the lettering with an exacto knife and use this pattern as a big stencil, but the copy turned out so well, I thought what the heck, I'd use it.

It still needed to age it up a bit, so I got out my Annie Sloan clear and dark wax and covered the entire piece of paper, adding instant age.

I thought about brushing on tea water but thought that might make the paper warp.

The wax method worked perfectly!

 I cleaned the glass and put it all back together.

It's ginormous~about 5 feet tall, and I love it!

There is one flaw, can you spot it?

I got a little anxious as the copy was coming out of the printer

 and I pulled on it before it was fully done printing.

Therefore the first F is a little wonky.

I was too tired to make another trip to Kinkos, so I just left it the way it was.

I might fix it someday, maybe not, 

probably not :)

So, what do you think? 

I just saved $510, not bad.

xoxo