Affordable Art: 3 Ways to Decorate for Less
I am not an artist. My drawings look like they were done by a child. I am also not rich enough to afford fine art to adorn all my walls, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want lovely pieces in my home. The good news is I don’t have to be an artist, or rich, to have great art in my home. All I need is a little creativity and ingenuity and even I can manage do-it-yourself art projects like these…
Image by Webb Zahn
Recycled Art
There are many things you can recycle and turn into art for your home.
Calendars:
Have you ever had a really pretty calendar that you hated to get rid of at the end of the year? Well, don’t get rid of it, re-use it! We once bought a calendar of scenes from mountains we visited on vacation. The pictures were beautiful and after the year was over, I decided to use them as art. I chose three of my favourite pictures, got cheap-but-nice frames at a discount store, and hung them as a group.
The great thing about that is that I have nine more pictures I can rotate in and out throughout the year. This works really well if you have a seasonal calendar or any other one with pictures you love. You can even pick up a calendar, with the specific purpose of using it for art, when calendars are on clearance after the first of the year.
Kids’ Art:
Do your children seem to bring home a different art picture from school each day? For years, mine ended up in a pile, with a few making it onto the refrigerator, until I finally went through them and threw some away and kept a few as keepsakes.
Then I visited my cousin’s home and saw some neat ideas. In her younger son’s room, she had put up a clothesline along the wall and hung up pictures with clothes pins. It was cute and a great way to display her son’s art. Some of the better pictures were actually framed and hung throughout the house. Using art made by your children makes them feel special, provides you with one-of-a-kind pieces and hardly costs a thing.
Use Your Photos
Right now, under my bed, there is a huge box filled with photos. Baby pictures, birthday pictures, Christmas pictures, you name it and there’s a picture for it. But what good are all these pictures doing under my bed? Better to get them out and put them up, and there are many ways you can turn pictures into art in your home.
Collage:
Remember doing these in school? Well, a collage is a great way to display several pictures at once without having to frame each one. This works really well with smaller photos. Purchase a large frame and then on the backing, make a collage of photos. You can go with a theme, such as vacations or holidays, or just a general montage of family pictures.
Black & White:
I love black and white photos, especially of little babies and weddings. Pick a few of your favourite photos and have them printed in black and white. The photos will look stylish and artistic and make great inexpensive art.
Get Creative
As I said, I am not an artist, but there are some forms of art even those who are artistically challenged can manage! Have fun, be creative and you may end up with your own special work of art created by none other than yourself.
Photos:
With digital photography, you can really play around with shots and your camera without spending a lot of money developing pictures that aren’t any good. Get creative with your camera and create art. A friend of mine took a black and white photo of her feet, her husband’s feet and their baby girl’s feet. So cute, captures memories and is a great piece on the wall.
Looking for art for your kitchen? Take close up pictures of pots and pans, dishes and utensils, vegetables and eggs from unique angles and create unique art. The possibilities are endless, and you can have fun, spend little and put up pieces friends will enjoy and admire.
Shop:
You may not be able to afford expensive art, but you can still find great items to put on your walls for less. Visit consignment shops for paintings and other wall hangings. Shop discount stores for pictures, frames, metal pieces and fabric wall hangings. And stop by yard sales now and then to see what you can find.
Homes with lovely art, family photos and decorative pieces on the walls are inviting and attractive. With a little work, you can make you walls look great without spending more than the house itself is worth.
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- 7 Ways to Put Your Old Clothes to Use
- 5 Wedding Gifts: Fast and Frugal
- Don’t Need It, Don’t Buy It: 5 Things We Don’t Have to Have
Category: Frugal Living
