WAYS TO CREATE WALL ART ON A BUDGET
If you are faced with bare walls and need ideas to fill the space without spending a lot on framed paintings or prints, think about creating your own wall art.
An advantage of making your own wall art is that you can select the colors for your art that coordinate perfectly with the rest of your room. Additionally, your work will be one of a kind and can serve as a conversation starter
when friends visit.
- Paint a canvas. You can find canvasses of different sizes at a craft store. Paint your very own design with a free hand, or for a more geometrical look, use masking or painters tape to create clean
lines and shapes in different colors. You can also use stencils to paint patterns on a plain canvas. Try painting a few small canvasses with a related design and displaying them together in one area
of the room.
- Use fabric. Fabrics add an interesting texture to the wall, and can be applied directly onto the wall surface using starch. Lightweight fabrics like polished cottons, ginghams,
and chintzes are more easily applied than heavier ones, and can be easily removed if you desire to change up the décor. You can create wall panels with your fabric,
or design a wall mural with fabric scraps.
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Frame cork boards. Collect frames of different sizes, colors, and styles. Remove the glass and backing and of each one replace it with a piece of cork board cut to size.
Craft stores sell sheets of cork in various sizes. Using push pins, attach photographs, postcards, notes, or other kinds of paper onto the cork. Arrange your frames on the wall
in an interesting design.
- Create mosaics. Beads, glass, or buttons can form attractive mosaics that make an eye-catching accent for any wall. You can use a piece of plywood or a tile for the base.
Draw a simple outline of the pattern you want to create and glue your beads or buttons on, filling the space. You may want to grout the piece to hold the mosaic in place.
- Use wall shelves. Try installing wall shelves to make an artistic impression on a wall. You can find inexpensive wood planks and wall brackets at your local home improvement store.
Give some thought to the way you position the shelves and the items displayed. A cluster of colored glass vases from the thrift store or a collection of your favorite accents
grouped according to theme are some examples. For a sleek and simple look, place candles in votive holders at intervals along the length of the shelf.
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Add mirrors. Inexpensive framed mirrors can be found at discount department stores. Purchase one or two and place them vertically or horizontally on the wall.
You can dress up the frames with tile or paint. Some home improvement stores sell unframed, circular mirrors that come in a pack of different sizes. Play around with the arrangement
on the wall to create a casual, fun look.
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Alyssa Davis is a staff writer and decorating specialist with Metal-Wall-Art.com and she offers stylish suggestions for decorating
with metal home decor and silver metal wall decor.
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