Artwork on a Budget

Jessica Ackerman

The furniture has been purchased and artfully arranged. The new rugs have been put in place. There is fresh paint on every wall, and you spent days selecting the perfect colors. Your room looks great, but there is just one thing missing: artwork. It's easy to get to the end of your home decorating project and not have much money leftover for artwork. That doesn't mean your walls have to stay bare, though. There are lots of ways to create beautiful décor for your walls without spending a lot.

Artwork doesn't have to be created by a professional artist to be fabulous. You have the potential to create your own even if you feel you have no artistic ability. Everyone has creativity inside of them. Stir yours up and you'll be able to create artwork that is personal and fits your taste perfectly. Here are some ideas to get you started.

From the Hands of Babes
That colorful finger painting that your child created while sitting at your kitchen table might be the answer to the lack of color in one of your rooms. Remember that everything looks great when it's in a frame! Mat and frame your child's masterpieces. You'll be surprised how great they look.

Placemats? (Yes, placemats!)
You can easily find inexpensive placemats in every color or design. Again, framing is the key to turning a $2.00 placemat into a work of art. You don't need to have it professionally framed, but choose a mat and frame that complement the placemat in both color and size. You can even use this trick change your "artwork" to match the seasons.

Nature's Bounty
Nothing is more beautiful that those things found in nature. Take a walk through the woods and keep your eye out for interesting looking leaves. Mount them on backboard using mounting spray and allow it to dry completely. Then, mat, frame and hang in groups. You can use different color backboard for each to create a interesting look.

Tissue Paper Treasure
Need some color in your room and like the look of abstract art? This project may be for you. Gather tissue paper in several colors that you would like to incorporate into your room. Tear them into random shapes of various sizes. Then, use spray adhesive to mount onto a piece of backboard in a random pattern. Allow the pieces to overlap. There are no mistakes. Just be creative. This is a great project to do with your children. If you don't like the results, just try again! Frame and hang for a cheap way to add a burst of color.

Photographs
You don't need to be a professional photographer to take photos that are worthy of a place of honor on your walls. Try shooting subjects that interest you at different angles. Try extreme close-up shots and experiment with the settings that are standard on many digital cameras to try effects such as blurring and sepia coloring.

Photoshop
The easy to use software that is available today can help you turn ordinary photographs into modern works of art. One popular example is to take a favorite photograph and then use software to color the same photo with four different colors. Form a square using the four different colored photos to form a pop work of art! These software programs offer endless possibility for jazzing up your photos to create unique wall décor.

All of the above ideas can be completed for next to nothing. The best part is that your artwork will be not only meaningful to you, but it will be one of a kind as well.

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Jessica Ackerman is a senior staff writer for Wall Décor & Home Accents. Wall Décor & Home Accents is a wall decorating store featuring wrought iron wall decor and unique wall candle holders . Visit their site for great savings today.

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