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Close up of girl hands coloring eggs for easter
Close up of girl hands coloring eggs for easter
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DIY: Kate Spade-Inspired Posters

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar JuviandRivera
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Lexi Bollis
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kenyon chapter.

In my last article, I wrote about why Kate Spade is the ultimate fempowerment brand. I love the brand because the designs are classic and the messages are smart. I wanted to have something like that displayed in my room, so that’s how the idea of making DIY Kate Spade Inspired posters came to be.

I made two posters emulating Kate Spade’s spirit, and here’s how to make them:

 

Things to Keep in Mind

When designing your own Kate-Spade inspired posters, there are a few things to keep in mind:

She typically uses neutral and pastel colors

She incorporates subtle metallic details

Her designs are simplistic, and never gaudy

Her designs are clean, and never cluttered

Supplies​

Here is what you’re going to need:

Thick poster paper (Serves as poster base)

Construction paper and thinner, colored poster paper (Serves for design)

Pencil and eraser

Black marker

Paint markers

Paint

Paintbrushes

Scissors

Ruler

Glue stick

Glitter glue

Time and patience!!

How to Make Poster #1:

Step 1: Fold a black piece of construction paper into four rectangles. Place an object with a circular surface on top of the construction paper and trace the shape.

 
Step 2: Cut the traced circles and place them on the thick, white poster paper. The circles should be spaced evenly in a pattern like the one above. Glue the dots onto the paper, and cut off the parts that are outside of the poster paper.
 
Step 3: On a separate piece of paper, use a pencil to create evenly spaced lines on which you write a quote or mantra that inspires you.

After penciling in the quote, write over it with a marker. Then, finally, go over key words, letters, or symbols with metallic paint.

This requires a steady hand and a lot of patience, so take your time!

 

Step 4: Glue the paper on top of the poster, and voila! Now you can call your friends into your room and show them how crafty you are!

 

How to Make Poster #2

Step 1: With your ruler and pencil, draw a fake frame on the poster paper. Then go over it with a marker. Be as neat and precise with measurements as possible!
Afterwards, color the frame in with gold paint.
 
Step 2: On a separate piece of paper, use a pencil to create evenly spaced lines on which you write a quote or mantra that inspires you.
 
Step 3: For this inner poster, play with 3 different supplies such as glitter glue, paint and paint marker. Mixing up the textures, fonts, colors, etc. makes it interesting, and the structured replication of “I AM” gives the whole design an organized chaos.
Also, don’t be afraid to have fun with this, and remember to be flexible with mistakes—sometimes it can add character!
 
Step 4: Lastly, place the inner poster in the middle of the ‘fake frame’ and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
 

Some Final Thoughts:

Poster 1:​ On a few pages in my journal, I keep quotes from famous authors, philosophers, politicians, etc. that resonate with me. While reading works from Mill, Marx and Weber for my Sociology class, I’ve been racking up quotes with nowhere else to appreciate them besides my journal. I imagine most Kenyon students have treasure troves of beautiful phrases they wish to memorialize. If I’m right, then they should start making some posters!

Poster 2:​ I got this mantra from Vanessa Pawlowski, a clinical psychologist. She instructs her patients to say this mantra while looking at themselves in the mirror. This method helps battle the negative psychological effects of eating disorders. It’s supposed to remind her patients that they “don’t need to be perfect or to listen to the body-shaming messages in the media.” I believe this mantra doesn’t just apply to people with eating disorders because we are all constantly bogged down by external and internal expectations that make us feel like we’re not “enough.” Making a poster of your own self-affirming mantra will be a physical reminder that you are so much better and more capable than you give yourself credit for.

Overall: I’m extremely happy with my two posters. They were such a pleasure to make, however, they took way longer than I planned (Over 4 hours). So this is a DIY project that you should do with a friend on an easy Sunday afternoon! Enjoy!

A big thank you to Her Campus National and Martha Stewart crafts, some of the Martha Stwart craft supplies given to us in our Survival Kit were used to make these posters! #GettingBackGivingBack

Image Credit: Juvi Rivera

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I'm a first-year at Kenyon College. I was raised in Staten Island, New York. I'm a Scorpio. I'm a delicate balance between introvert and extrovert. I'm into Environmental Science and Politics. I'm super excited to be part of Kenyon's Her Campus team. Go Ladies!
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Class of 2017 at Kenyon College. English major, Music and Math double minor. Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Accidentally singing in public, Eating avocados, Adventure, and Star Wars.