Not everyone has thousands of dollars laying around to splurge on expensive art. Most of us have very little, or nothing, in our “art budget”. So I have rounded up 24 examples of do-it-yourself art. The wonderful thing about art is that it is very personal and there is no limit to what you can do or where you take it.
Find old prints at a thrift store or find a site with graphics and images that you can print out on your own printer. Make sure you have the right to use htem for personal use first. I love to garden so old botanical prints appeal to me. My husband is an architect so I love the idea of using old blueprints. You could also use old sewing patterns or pages from antique children’s books. Once you have then framed, get creative on how you display them!
Plants breathe life into a room. And there is no rule saying the plant has to be on a plant stand or table either. Why not add them to your walls for living art? Talk about a conversation piece! Faux or real, that is up to you but either way, you can never go wrong with adding a touch of greenery to a space.
Paper and fabric are both inexpensive and they can both be transformed into a million different things. Add paper to wood plaques from the crafts store like shown above. Or frame some left over fabric for a one of a kind piece of art. Whether it is one large piece or a gallery wall full of these creations, it is a crafty way to add art to bare walls and is totally custom to your taste.
I know these pictures both show numbers but you could easily add letters. Maybe you could have an entire wall of one letter. Your last name letter maybe? All different sizes, shapes and colors? The number could mean something to you like an anniversary or birthday. Or they could just be letters and numbers you have collected from salvage yards and antique shops. Crafts stores now sell wooden letters that you could paint to look like metal if you have a hard time finding these in your area. I like the haphazardness of how these numbers are in the pictures but you could always line them up in rows. Maybe you could have just one giant number. Maybe you could frame it! The sky is the limit.
You can’t go on Pinterest or blogs without seeing pallets, pallets, pallets. Besides the fact that old worn out wood just looks cool and can be made into practically anything, it in most cases is FREE. A little paint and creativity and you have custom art for you home. Make sure to clean them well and use safety precautions when taking the pallets apart. There are a lot of articles written about the subject. If you feel you need more info, do a search online. Safety first!
Ceiling medallions are not just for ceilings anymore. Add them to a wall for so major character! These examples are painted all the same as the wall but for a more modern vibe you could paint them different colors. Even in a more traditional room these give a whimsical modern twist.
You don’t have to be a great oil painter to create a piece of art. Buy a canvas at an arts and craft store and some acrylic paint ( the small bottles of inexpensive “craft” paint) and get to work. You can tape it off with painters tape and paint stripes, or blend similar shared together. The best part about art is there is no wrong way to do it. Trace something with a pencil and carefully fill it in or use a projector and trace an image that way. Remember… have fun with it!
Do you something wonder what to do with the things your hoard…err… collect? Why not add then to your walls as 3-D art? It could be vintage gold clubs, skeleton keys, china, or anything else you have multiple of. Or, you can mix it up and hang a bunch of non-related items in a collage. It is up to you!
Rocks may not be the first thing you think of when you think of art but I have found that with four boys we seem to collect o lot of them. Especially when we go on vacation to the beach. What a perfect way to remember your vacation that with an art piece using these natural souvenirs. Simply glue then to chip board or cardboard and insert them into a frame. This is even something that your kids could help with! It doesn’t just have to be rocks. Maybe it is drift wood, or shells, or flowers you press and preserve. Keep an open mind as you are out and about. You may just find your next piece of art!
You know those papers with the colors of paint available at home improvement stores? Hey, they are free! And when combined with your creative mind and some scissors, they become art. I am drawn to the geometric art pieces but I have even seen them cut into tiny pieces and turned into a picture of an object or person. I even like it when people leave the paint number or name on it. It is such a great idea!
Okay, okay. I get that photos on your wall is nothing new. But let’s explore a few new way to display them or what photos to use. I love the idea of taking a photo yourself and then blowing it up really big as a statement piece of art. It could be your child or pet, or it could be a shell you saw at the beach, a close up shot of a leaf, or some graffiti on the side of a building. When you are going about your day, look at things with a new eye. Find beauty in the unexpected and then photograph it. You don’t need an expensive camera either. I am partial to black and white prints but I also love when things are over saturated. It makes it look a little surreal. Hang them on a wire with just mats like it shoes above or have them printed on hardboard and hang just the photo on the wall with no mat or frame. There are so many possibilities!
For all of you out there who are still saying that you have ZERO creativity or artistic ability (I don’t believe you by the way) then enlist your children! They seem to have no inhibitions and ample creativity. Let them create the art for you. Not only do you have colorful art for your walls, but you give them a boost in confidence because you want to hang it on the wall for all to see. That is a win, win situation. I do this at my house and I make sure that what ever frame I use, I have it be an easy one to open and close so I can change out the art often. I am considering doing the wire option like shown above with the black and white photos.
Have you created any original art? Which of these option would you like to try? I would love to hear about it!
