It was past midnight, I couldn't sleep, and my empty wall, pockmarked by years of shelves & displays, was mocking me. Fortunately, I had glitter, glue, and large watercolor paper on hand, and eight minutes later I had something to hang on the two little nails that serendipitously remained.

  • The watercolor paper is 22.5"x30", bought years ago when a local art store had sheets on sale for, like, $1.20. I've noticed deals like this at various art supply stores over the years, and I highly recommend stocking up.

  • The glue I used was Glitter Glue by Martha Stewart. This is not a MS promotion in any way, I just happened to have it and it worked great. The tip is tiny, so you can write with the glue the same way you would use a marker. Very fun & satisfying. If you have any glues to recommend please do so!

  • The glitter was a gift from my friend Crystal, purchased at the magical Castle In The Air in Berkeley. We both aspire to someday own a glitter collection like theirs.

  • It seems silly to even give instructions- I wrote with the glue, & sprinkled on glitter! Carefully returning every extra sparkle to the bottle, of course.

  • For hanging, I must admit to simply taping embroidery floss to the back of the paper, and popping the loop over the nail. This is not intended to be a permanent display, but the tape and thread has held so far, buying me some time to haunt my neighborhood thrift stores in search of paintings.



    • Images: Tess Wilson

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