Are you stuck with bare walls in your house and in need to find budget-friendly wall art to fill it with? Well, then you are in the right place. Today I’m listing my favourite ways to make your budget stretch a little further when choosing wall art.
We had a lot of bare walls when we moved into this house, and I’ve been creative over the last couple of years. A lot of projects are DIY solutions, but you can also be creative with store-bought items. So, let’s look at the eight budget-friendly wall art ideas.
Use these budget-friendly methods to add stunning wall art to your home
There are a lot of ways to add wall art to your home on a budget, but I’m sharing my favourites with you today. These methods are easy, and I’ve used them all (some more than once) in my home. Let’s look at the list.
Cross Stitch
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you probably already picked up on my love for cross stitch. If this is a craft you love, you can also easily create wall art! Yes, embroidery thread and fabric is a bit costly, but if you have the materials on hand, and if you frame it yourself – you save big!
I created this gallery wall in my son’s bedroom. I designed the patterns myself, used colours I had on hand and framed them in a selection of frames – there are always interesting frames at the thrift store!
You can also use embroidery hoops to frame your work as I did with this protea.
And with cross-stitch embroidery, you can also make a Dutch Bell Pull cord.
Frame cards or illustrations from holiday Destinations
I bought these two illustrations while on holiday. They are vignettes of two towns we visited on that holiday, the first of Colmar, France. And the second of Elburg, The Netherlands. Both are prints of paintings by Anton Pieck. I bought them at the Anton Pieck Museum in Elburg.
Keep your eyes open for cards like these, especially at museums. They are usually inexpensive, and you can place them in a simple frame to make some striking art.
Create a gallery wall from thrift store frames
Gallery walls will always stay popular. Whether you are displaying family photos or some collection of printable art – it is an easy and budget-friendly wall art solution. Buy frames at the thrift store or dollar store (Crazy Store in South Africa). Use them as they are or spray-paint them in one colour for a more cohesive look.
Use landscape or Nature Photos
Using your own photographs or downloading free printables is another excellent way to save. I shared this set of printable photographs last year, and you are welcome to download them and use it in your home décor.
Paint a Mural
A wall mural makes a significant impact in a room, but vinyl decals can be expensive. Sample pots of wall paint, on the other hand, is affordable. I discuss an easy method of projecting your chosen design onto a wall in this post. The tree mural is still on my son’s bedroom wall, and he still adores it.
Use sentimental items as wall art
I’m sure a lot of us have childhood memorabilia in a box somewhere. Or maybe a box full of your Grandmother’s old things. Dig through those boxes, as they might hold treasures that you can use! My parents gave this small cuckoo clock for my sister and me when I was just three years old. We used to love winding it up every day. Even though it does not work anymore, and I can’t find someone to fix it, I used the clock and framed tiles on the wall in my youngest’s bedroom. It brings back memories every time I see it, and the grouping looks especially good together.
Maybe you have a couple of interesting porcelain plates that were passed on to you? Hang them on the wall and be reminded of your grandmother every time you walk by.
Buy Paintings at an auction
In my experience, there are not as many pretty paintings at thrift stores. The frames can mostly be repurposed, but the painting or print not really. But I was lucky enough to grab a set of four watercolour paintings at an auction once.
These are authentic paintings and not prints! The frames had a nasty green and gold marbled effect, and I did not have the budget to reframe them. A couple of coats of spray paint did the trick. I covered the glass and backs with newspaper and painters tape and spray-painted just the frames. Now I adore this set!
Create the Art yourself
If you have the talent, you can paint or draw something to frame and use as art. But even if you are not skilled with a paintbrush, you can use your kids’ handprints or even their artworks as well.
I don’t really have the self-confidence to paint, but I painted this oil painting in a workshop I took once, and I’m still really proud of it.
I made these handprints to use as wall art in my sons’ bathroom.
My final thoughts on budget-friendly wall art
When choosing wall art, you can save on two elements. Firstly, the content. Remember that you can use prints (free printables), your own photos, cards from souvenir shops, or various DIY methods. Secondly, you can save on the frame, or framing method for that matter. Buy inexpensive frames from the thrift store or budget home décor stores, and paint them if necessary. Frame the items yourself or build frames if you can.
That being said, you do not always have to save on both. Your beautiful oil painting or embroidery work, might look better and last longer if you have it professionally framed. Sometimes, you just have to spend a little bit of money on the retail frame and not skimp with the thrift store option. So keep that in mind.
These budget-friendly art ideas also make great gifts!
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Take care, until next time.
