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You don’t have to spend a fortune updating your walls. Just use some creative thinking and your budget artwork can look like a million.
I don’t know about you, but over the Winter I start scrutinizing my home. I try to look at my decor with a fresh eye and find sometimes things look a little tired. And that may include my walls. I’ve never had the funds to cover my walls in expensive original artwork. But that doesn’t mean I can’t spruce up my walls or update them with some budget artwork. There are plenty of ways to freshen up your decor without spending much at all that look fantastic. And we can also reflect a little of our own personality or fond memories.
Prints
There are so many places to look for artwork, photos or prints without spending much. Start shopping first in your own home. Family photos, vacation photos that may have a dated look can be turned into black and white prints and resized if necessary. A grouping of two or three of your own photos in the same or similar frame with a fresh white mat can be absolutely stunning. Maybe you already have something on your wall that you love but the mat is yellowed and needs replacing.
Even a smaller print, like a 5×7 with an inexpensive pre-cut mat added and put into a modern frame becomes a fresh look. If you don’t have a photo that inspires you look for an oversized postcard you may have at home, an old calendar with images you love that can be framed. I’ve cut up a poster I had gotten for free and matted and framed it. Have any vintage piano sheet music lying around? Especially in a nursery, some of your favorite picture book covers can look amazing framed in a group of three. You’re only limited by your imagination.
There are also some amazing online sites that have free public domain images that can be downloaded. I love a vintage print and one of my favorite resources for browsing these is the Library of Congress’ Free to Use image collection. They have old travel poster images, vintage advertising, maps and so much more. There’s a section just of cats! All the images are free for download, so for the cost of paper and ink you have a new print. Sometimes you need a bigger piece though, and we can’t print a 24″ x 36″ poster from our home. You could download the image and have a local printer print it for you. But you can find all of these images on sites like Amazon or art.com or allposters.com at a very reasonable price.
Frames
Like with your artwork, the first place to look for a “new” frame is in your own home. How about in the basement or the attic, or buried in a closet? Maybe you have a framed print from your grandmother’s house that looked a little shabby or too dark for your home. But look at it with a new eye. Do you like the frame or could you like it? Recycle it.
Replace the artwork with something you love. Maybe you need a mirror, you can have a piece cut for your found frame at a glass shop. If it’s not a valuable antique, you can paint the frame. Paint it black or a metallic color. You can find an inexpensive can of spray paint at your local hardware store in a myriad of colors to replicate metal like gold, silver or bronze. Choose a color to go with other frames you have for a cohesive look. You can find frames at a secondhand or charity shop, or yard sales, too. And keep in mind you can paint it if it needs it.
Amazon or hobby shops like Michael’s do have reasonable prices on nice frames, as well like the cute ones from Amazon below. And you can find pre-cut mats for photos or prints at shops for a very reasonable price. Sometimes a fresh mat is all you need.
Have fun with it. It’s always nice to have a bit of whimsy in your home and art is a great way to show that off. You can reflect your taste, your personality, your memories or simply what you find beautiful, but I hope it makes you smile.
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