HUGE, Custom Photo Poster (and it's REALLY inexpensive!)

Last year, I saw this awesome Giant Picture on Sugar Bee Crafts and knew I wanted to make something similar.  All I had to do was wait till I got the perfect photo that I would want to make giant-sized.  Well, last week I finally got that perfect shot of my girls and set out to make my own huge print.

Here it is...

Isn't it pretty?  It's 2 feet by 3 feet, so it's quite big, but fills the space above their big dresser just perfectly.  (For a tutorial on their pretty, fabric-covered dresser, go HERE).  Oh, and did I mention that this gorgeous big custom print cost under $4?  That's right, four bucks!  It was so inexpensive that I splurged and got an $18 white frame to display it in.  Just over $20 and such a wow factor when you walk in their room.

When even an 8x10 photo enlargement can easily cost $4 or more, how did I get an 24x36 print for the same price?  The secret is getting an engineering print at an office supply store or copy center.  (I used Staples).  Usually engineering prints are used for blue prints and such, but they also work fine for a black and white photo.

Here's what I did...

First, I used a photo I got of my girls at a flower garden near our home.

They're both smiling, hair is brushed, outfits match, pretty background ~ that's something to take a picture of for sure!

Next, I went on PicMonkey.com  (it's FREE and really user friendly) and changed the photo to black and white.  I also adjusted the brightness, contrast, and sharpness just a little bit so it looked nice and crisp in black and white.  Finally, I added the frost edges around the outer edge and put the year in the bottom right corner.

Finally, I went online to Staples and uploaded my picture.  (I imagine other copy centers have similar online ordering options, or you can just save your image to a flash drive and take it in) I chose the 24x36" size (the medium option) and selected to fill the frame with my image.  Within a few hours, I got the email that it was ready and went to pick it up.

The paper is thin, like regular copy paper, but the photo is surprisingly clear.

Here is where I differed from the original tutorial.  Mandy had opted for the largest 3x4 foot size, so she mounted hers on a large piece of foam.  I actually tried mounting mine on foam board, but it got a few wrinkles in it that I didn't really like.  Then I realized that 24x36 is a standard frame size.  I got another engineering print, then used a coupon so I was able to get a nice white frame for just $18.  The print is protected behind glass and I can spend just $4 again anytime I want to just switch out for a new picture.  

Oh, and the bottom of the picture looks a little blurry and hazy with a line running across their arms, but it's actually just the reflection of the bed in the background.  (It was like trying to photograph a mirror ~ tricky, tricky)

The girls love it, I love it, and I'm just thrilled that it was so inexpensive.

Next, I'll be sharing how I made a similar poster-sized piece of artwork for my son's room. You can check it out HERE.