Budget Decorating: DIY Wall Art

I like decorating that looks costly but I don't want to pay a lot to get it. I've managed to find a few good ways to create artwork for my walls that don't cost a lot. Some of my favorite DIY art methods are creating subway art, framing scrapbook paper, creating DIY canvases, and printable art from the internet. 

I have used MS Word to create DIY subway art three times now, once for Emorie's nursery, once for Emorie's new room, and once for a Father's Day gift. This is pretty simple- just select your margins, create some text boxes, change your fonts and colors, and go!

Michael's Father's Day gift. I made a similar one for my Daddy. 

Emorie's nursery art. Love this!

I didn't water mark this, because it isn't original to me. Found it on Pinterest.

Framing scrapbook paper also makes great DIY art. I've heard of people canvas-mounting it, but I've never tried this. I like to frame it. The trick is to cut the paper the same size as your mat. If I try to cut it to fit the mat opening, I usually end up coming up short or cutting it crooked.

This is some scrapbook paper that will soon be cut, matted, framed and hung over Emorie's new bed in her new room. 

I chose this paper, not only for its repetitive pattern, but for the fact that it looked sort of like vintage wallpaper. Antiqued frames completed the "old" look I was going for.

I love canvas prints, but they can be costly. The one in the middle is actually a Faux-wrap canvas from Wal-Mart. The two baby pictures of Emorie were created using a tutorial I found on Pinterest. I used a 10x13 photo I already had. I painted the sides of the canvas black, Mod Podged the picture to the 9x12 canvas I ordered from Blick Art Supply, and hung them on the walls.  I'm actually in the process of making more.



Another great way to get cheap art for your home is to print it off the Internet. If you're into botanical prints, you are in luck! The Graphics Fairy  and The Painted Hive are two of my favorite sites to use. You can find loads of these things on Pinterest, too.


Got this from The Painted Fairy. It is on one of the bookshelves in my office.


This is a botanical print of a chicory flower, and one of my favorite art pieces in my whole house.


I love these vintage veggie prints in my kitchen, because they look like watercolor paintings. I printed them off the same website with an inkjet printer.

Lastly, this picture hanging in my dining room was a complete DIY. I cut and measured a piece of foam posterboard, used a stencil and a white paint pen to evoke chalkwriting, and wrote a prayer on it. My mother-in-law took it to Hobby Lobby, where they built this rustic frame for me. I love, love, love this. And yes, I know some of the text is crooked. It was done on purpose.


 I hope you enjoyed my DIY art! More posts to come soon.