Toy Story Wall Art {An Inexpensive DIY Take on the Gang}

My little guy is in full blown Toy Story mania mode right now after having the chance to see Toy Story 3 {thanks to a very special friend}. There is nothing better than the big smile on his face and pure excitement in his eyes each and every time the toys come to life on the screen.

I wanted to make a special piece of art, just for my little guy, to hang on our 'kitchen gallery wall', in hopes of catching a few of those big smiles each time he walks by. I headed off to the dollar store to see what I could find, as trying to sneak any one of the hundreds of figurines we already own would be totally out of the question.


Even though there wasn't much Toy Story paraphernalia left, {we are a little late hoping on the number 3 bandwagon} I did happen to find a full set of PEZ Dispensers featuring a few of his favorite charaters.


I decided they needed a little makeover to blend in with the kitchen decor, so they all received a couple coats of antique white spray paint.


To bring out the detailing on each character I used DecoArt Antiquing Medium and Americana Acrylic Paint. The DecoArt Staining/Antiquing Medium {found here} can be mixed with any acrylic paint and applied to wood {as a stain} or used on pre-painted items {as an antiquing medium}. I always have a hard time finding just the right shade of 'glaze' to distress painted items; This product is the perfect solution as you get to choose any color acrylic paint as your base {Raw Umber is the just the right shade of brown for me}. I simply mixed equal parts of each and was ready to paint {keep in mind a little of this mixture goes a very long way}.


I began by brushing on a liberal amount of antiquing mix, making sure to get in to all the little crevasses and creases of each piece.


Using my Rockler Foam Brushes, {found here}, I started to lightly brush off the mix, wiping in all different directions.


I love the way the details are instantly brought to life.


Just one more time {because I think it is hilarious that I am actually doing this to Toy Story PEZ characters}.


While the little toys were drying I prepared the frame, which I already had. The glass had previously been removed, which I didn't need anyway. To cover the picture opening I used a scrap piece of board wrapped in fabric; simply hot gluing the edges on the back to hold in place.


Aligning the board, so it rests on the bottom ledge of the frame, I used my super tough Gorilla Tape {found here} to hold into place. Gorilla tape is made to stick to rough, uneven, unforgiving surfaces making it great for projects such as this, with multi texture surfaces.


I then attached the original backing for additional support.


To attach each PEZ dispenser to the front I used a combination of velcro dots that I had on hand and hot glue. The hot glue was basically just used to align the characters correctly so they do not move around.


Woody, Slink, Buzz, Rex, and Jessie


I really like that it is still fun and playful, but toned down enough to blend in with the other decor.


Not to mention the whimsical aspect it brings to the kitchen


I really really like it!


Plus My Little Guy thinks it's pretty cool too! Enjoy!