Adding wall art to your home can transform and add personality to your space. And don’t worry, you don’t have to break the bank to liven up your home. Here are my budget friendly ideas, for filling your space with affordable wall art.
Planning
When planning your art, think about the impact you want it to have. Are you going to have one really large piece that is the hero? Or do you want to hang two or three pieces in a series? Using a number of prints and matching frames across the one wall can break up a large space, rather than having one large piece. Doing this also means you can get off-the-shelf frames, rather than having to custom frame one large picture, which will be much more affordable!
Sourcing affordable wall art
While choosing an original painting by a local artist is a great choice, this is often an option that many can’t afford. Thankfully, there are a number of great choices nowadays when it comes to purchasing digital prints that won’t break the bank. These may be digital copies of painted or drawn work or digitally created art.
Affordable original art from Etsy
If you haven’t scrolled through Etsy before, where have you been? Etsy is an online marketplace where you can purchase handcrafted items, as well as digital downloads and artwork. There are hundreds if not thousands of sellers on Etsy that sell digital prints. The great thing about purchasing a digital print is that you don’t need to wait for it to arrive! There are also no postage costs. You’re simply emailed a link to download your print and then you can print it at your nearest printer or Officeworks (more on that later).
I have purchased items from Etsy from as little as $10, so it’s a great way to source affordable art that will be different from what others are buying in stores and helps support up and coming artists.
Online poster stores
There are also a number of great online stores where you can purchase posters to hang on your wall.
Our favourites include:
You can find all sorts of vintage, retro, art deco, art nouveau, and modern posters that will breathe life into your walls. I love the old art nouveau posters by Alphonse Mucha, as well as the French-inspired ones. You could spend countless hours trying to find the one that best suits your home and your personality!
Free pictures online
Another option is to utilise the free photos that are available on the many websites where photographers allow you to use their photos royalty free! I love using these sites, as it’s then just the cost of printing.
Alternatively, for a small monthly fee you can also get access to more pictures on:
Quite often these sites will have the first month free, and you can cancel any time. This means you can get the photos you want the first month, and then cancel before you have to pay. You will get access a wider range and better quality of pictures on these sites, so it’s worthwhile checking out.
Where to get it printed
I usually have my digital art printed as a poster at Officeworks. You can do it from the comfort of your home, and it’s ready the next day for collection at your closest store, or they can post it out to you for a small fee.
I select the Colour Poster option from the Print & Copy Shop on their website. I then select the 200gsm satin paper. This gives it a soft and smooth look and feel. It’s great for framing, and for an A2 size print it’s only $20. They can print posters up to size B0 – which is 1m x 1.4m so it should cover most of your art printing needs.
Where to get it framed
Now that you’ve selected your art and printed it, it’s time to frame it and get it on the wall. The reason digital prints are becoming so popular is that you can print them in any size you like and then choose a frame that best suits the décor of your room. You are not limited to a few basic colours like you are on many of the art sites.
There are plenty of places to purchase frames, including Kmart, IKEA, and Officeworks, or your local photography or framing shop. I often use Frame Today, which has a selection of off the shelf frames up to about A1 size. Choose a frame that matches the colours in the room where it will be hung and a style that appeals to you.
Here are some examples of artwork I have created myself from free pictures online, using Kmart frames. These cost me no more than $40!
DIY wall art
If you want to create a unique feature that really stands out and has people talking when they see it – then we have the idea for you!
Arming your children with cardboard and paints and letting them create their own little masterpiece is a lovely way to not only showcase their art but also to create something a little bit different for your walls.
Once the artwork is dry, choose a suitable frame and have the art hung up on the walls. Make sure you also date the artwork and which child created it so that you can always look back on it and know how old they were. We have several of our son’s artworks from when he was in daycare, and he’s really proud to have them on show.
Artwork is a really great way to create a homely, lived-in feeling to your home. It finishes a room and gives it a personality. There are literally thousands of designs available online to choose from, so get online to find your perfect wall art.
Remember, choose pieces that speak to you and show a piece of who you are. Have fun with your decorating and making your house a home.
Confused about colour schemes and design? We’d love to chat with you on 0407 480 668