Design and Style with Papernstitch: Wall Art Alternatives
As you may have guessed from some of my previous posts here on Zibbet, I am all for bringing artwork into a home. In the past, we’ve talked about how virtually anyone on any budget can purchase artwork, whether we are dealing with prints or originals. But what about those who can barely afford to pay for groceries, let alone spruce up their one bedroom apartment with colorful works of art?
Well, this post is for you because today we are talking about wall art alternatives that cost little to no money what so ever. How is that possible?
It’s easier than you might think. It just takes a little imagination and a dose of creativity. What if I told you that you might already have everything you need to create a colorful focal point in your home without every reaching into your wallet?
Do you have a stack of magazines lying around, fabric scraps, old postcards that you’ve been sent in the mail, mom and dad’s old vinyl records (with sleeves), or some worn out books you’ve been meaning to donate to Goodwill? Well then, you do already have everything you need to create the perfect art wall.
1. Cruise through those design and style magazines one last time, and pull out any pages you find interesting or beautiful. Look for great imagery, beautiful compositions, and fun colors.
2. Postcards can be used the same way. Look through that mail you’ve been saving, or purchase new postcards for next to nothing. Many of your favorite artists offer very low cost postcards in their shops as well, so check ‘em out if you are looking for something specific.
Frame them up and they are ready to hang. Or skip the frame and pin the pages straight to your wall for an easy look that can constantly change and evolve. Or even better, hang your magazine pages and postcards on a clothesline that is attached to the wall like the example above.
3. Stretch fabric scraps over stretcher bars and secure with a staple gun to create larger wall pieces like the one. It can really bring a lot of impact to an empty wall.
4. Dust off those old album sleeves and hang them in a grid pattern for a uniform, but funky look. Choose your favorite covers, or simply your favorite artists to display.
5. And finally, if your willing to ruin a book, which I realize some are not, then rip out the pages and secure them to the wall for a focal point that is absent of color. This idea would be perfect for a wall that is painted a bright or deep color. The cream pages from the book neutralize the color behind it a bit.
What wall art alternatives would you suggest?
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Image Credit: Faith Will Carry; Inspiration Wall; Pepper Design; House to Home Album Art; Country Living Green Crafts
Brittni is the founder of papernstitch, an exhibition site for art and handmade goods, as well as the editor of the papernstitch blog. You can follow her on Twitter or learn more about her love of all things handmade.Tags: alternatives, art, decor, design, home, style, wall art
Thanks for the great ideas!
My pleasure DenimAndPearls.
[...] art alternatives, and I thought it would be a good fit for papernstitch too. So, I am re-posting my Zibbet article from this week over here as [...]
Textiles make great wall art. I have bins of ‘em, as you can guess from my shop name. On one wall in my home I’ve decorated it simply by attaching entire pieces of textiles to the top of the wall & let them hang to the floor. Colors and textures that look attractive together…its a striking design feature and simple to do. Before discarding old bedspreads, draperies, clothing, etc…rethink using the material in a new way.
This is one of my favorite blogs to read daily. I love everything about Paper n Stitch.
Thank you so much StitchnStudio! And Milesoftextiles- what a great idea to create a floor to ceiling look. I love it.
Loving this post, my items are all about affordable art x
I have tons of magazines with rich colors so I think I’m going to put together a collection of color - summer make up ads and jewelry ads usually have a lot of rich detail that would be great. Of course, they’re girlie, but that’s what makes them pretty!