Here's a collection of Home decoration pictures entitled "A little Fall music" based on compositions of dried Fall leaves and miniature musical instruments. Natural materials and colors come together and contrasts are struck between differently-sized picture frames. This composition evokes a stroll in the woods when the trees are dressed up in their finest Fall colors.

We chose a wide variety of leaves, looking especially for fine Fall colors (the leaves must not be damaged, of course). Then we dried them between sheets of old paper under a heavy book. A few days will be enough to dry them out, but they can also be kept until next Fall.

The canvas on the frames is made from real linen: linen introduces a natural element. There's just one drawback, which is the lack of contrast between the colors of the materials used and the linen canvas.
an 11.8 x 11.8 inch frame, 0.8 inches deep,
a 7.9 x 7.9 inch frame, 1.2 inches deep,
two small frames, 3.9 x 3.9 inches, 1.2 inches deep,
miniature wooden frames: two 2.8 x 2.8 inch squares and 2 rectangular frames, 3.5 x 2.6 inches,
a miniature unfinished wood violin (2.8 inches),
a treble clef (3.3 inches),
paint, wood stain, crackle medium, glossy glue/varnish

Explore theAtelier bois (the wood workshop) other musical instruments and notes in unfinished wood

Prepare the frames by pushing the wooden corner keys or wedges supplied into the slots in the corners of the frame: this will stretch the canvas. Then add a fastening or hook to the back and center of the frame.

This picture brings out the beauty of the real linen canvas. Using the same warm-colored wood stain for the miniature violin and the mini-frames brings an easy balance to this composition.

The area inside the simple thin cardboard picture frames is colored using diluted paint (Jo Sonja's Marigold), before a dried leaf is glued on with glossy glue/varnish: coat the area where the leaf is to be glued on, along with the back of the leaf with the varnish, then set the leaf into place and varnish its visible face.

The wood picture frames and the miniature violin receive 2 coats of the brandy-colored wood stain. After they've dried, the frames and pîcture frame glass are put together and glued, using strong glue, to the canvas. Three fine leaves in different colors are glued on with glue/varnish. Then the violin is glued on with strong glue to the bed of leaves. To give it the same glossy finish as the leaves, glossy glue/varnish is applied to the upper face and the sides of the violin.

This composition combines Fall leaves, naturally, as well as small frames that will really show off the little Fall-themed music scores (a miniature extract from a score and a miniature score) in the best light. A wood treble clef rests on a leaf with a stem that ressembles the 'bottom stroke' of the treble clef...

To create a more striking 3D effect, the lower part of the canvas is painted in Jo Sonja's Wild rose-colored paint, and the right-hand part in Jo Sonja's Oak Moss, mixed with a little black to contrast with the linen canvas). The lower part of the picture is then covered with a coat of crackle medium of variable thickness, which will produce a range of 'crackle' effects in different areas.

As soon as the coat of crackle medium has turned transparent but is still sticky, you should apply a darker coat of paint (applied in the same direction as before, in one single brush stroke). The dried leaves are then glued on, the wood treble clef (painted black, like the music scores) is glued to a leaf which has a similarly-shaped stem to that of the treble clef. If the glue/varnish applied to the leaves on the lower strip spills over a little, you may apply glue/varnish to the entire strip.

The small rectangular wooden frames are colored using the brandy-colored wood stain. The music scores are printed out (just take a look on the internet), either life-size, or reduced in size to fit into the small frame. The background of the music scores is colored with very-diluted Jo Sonja's Marigold paint. The frames are brought together and glued with strong glue to the canvas on the frame.

The mini-frames compliment this collection of canvases. A beautiful dried leaf is glued to a mini-frame by its stem, then branches and foliage are painted in 2 shades: black for the branches, orange for the leaves. Use the thickness of the frame to continue the design along the sides of the frame.