8 Budget Ideas for Decorating Your Blank Walls
Postcards, tile and sentimental clothing can bring beauty to your walls, often for less than the cost of original art
Wall decor is a key element of making a room look complete. One wonderful way to make a room lovely is with original artwork. But if your budget doesn’t allow for the purchase of an original piece, take heart — there are plenty of inexpensive ways to add attractive wall decor to your home. Here are eight ideas to consider. You may already have the elements you need.
Adhering wallpaper to just a portion of the wall can be a fun way to add interest to your room. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is widely available, so if you choose this type, changing the pattern in the future would require relatively little effort compared with the traditional method of pasting on wallpaper. You can find a sizable panel or small roll online for $40 to $60. You might also consider purchasing discounted remnants or discontinued patterns.
Wallpaper mural: Selänne, Marimekko
Wallpaper mural: Selänne, Marimekko
If applying a large swath of wallpaper to your wall is too much commitment for you, you could frame smaller pieces like the ones in this bedroom. You can find samples from online wallpaper retailers like Spoonflower, WallsNeedLove and Chasing Paper for about $5.
Browse more wallpaper
Browse more wallpaper
2. Fabric or rugs. If you like art with texture and dimension, consider hanging a rug or a special piece of fabric on your wall. The rug in this photo is a great example; its black and white colors and varying textures make an attractive focal point against the room’s dark backdrop.
Delicate textiles, like the African Kuba cloth shown in this photo, can be protected and displayed in a frame or shadow box.
Here, fabric has been used two ways: stretched over a large wood frame and displayed behind glass in a small frame. If you’d like to stretch your fabric over a frame, look for wood stretcher bars in varying lengths online and at most art-supply stores. Prices start at less than $2 per bar. (You’ll need four to make a frame.)
One caveat: I recommend stretching and stapling only durable fabrics, as doing so to delicate fabrics may damage them.
One caveat: I recommend stretching and stapling only durable fabrics, as doing so to delicate fabrics may damage them.
3. Tiles. Tiles can look sculptural and abstract when placed on a wall, as this room shows. The designer sourced the square tiles pictured here from a department store display, but you can find them in all sorts of locations, from tile showrooms to garage sales to online. Costs will range widely, but you can find plenty of tile for less than $10 per square foot.
Search for tile
Search for tile
4. Postcards. Do you have a collection of postcards from your own travels or your friends’ travels that are sitting in a box unappreciated? Consider framing a series of them to create a wall collage. Using the same frame for each postcard and choosing a structured layout on the wall will keep the focus on the images.
5. Black-and-white photos. Black-and-white photography can be a beautiful choice for dressing your walls. Choosing simple, monotone frames creates a clean look.
Find more black-and-white photographs
Find more black-and-white photographs
6. Free prints or old calendar images. Here a salvaged window makes for a creative and interesting way to display a series of botanical prints. You can find free botanical images from the New York Public Library as well as other online sources.
Or, if you have an old calendar you’ve kept because you love the images in it, why not display your favorite ones in a window like the one shown here? Alternatively, you could mount your calendar prints individually in a grid arrangement to get a similar effect.
Or, if you have an old calendar you’ve kept because you love the images in it, why not display your favorite ones in a window like the one shown here? Alternatively, you could mount your calendar prints individually in a grid arrangement to get a similar effect.
7. Children’s art. If you’d like to display your child’s creations, consider picking a few favorites to frame and hang. That way, your little artists have their best work elevated beyond the typical refrigerator-and-magnet display. Plus, you’ve likely got plenty of options, and for a bargain price.
8. Special clothing. If you have family keepsakes like a baptism gown or a newborn’s coming home outfit, these can become cherished decor. A shelf rack, like the one shown in the photo, is one good way to display a couple of outfits as well as other sentimental items, like baby shoes. Be sure to use appropriately sized hangers to show your clothing in its best form.
Clothing can also be framed and hung on the wall, which will keep it clean and dust-free. The framed garment in this photo is a vintage family textile. If the item is very valuable to you, I would recommend having your heirloom clothing item professionally framed to ensure you are preserving it correctly.
Framing and displaying. Custom framing tends to be costly, so consider doing the framing yourself. Discount retailers and art-supply chains often have sales and promotions on frames, and some of these include mats. For oversize art, you might research online frame sources for lower cost framing options, as retailers typically don’t have massive ready-made frames on hand. Alternatively, you could repurpose used frames that you find at a consignment shop or flea market to save on cost.
As shown in this photo, a wall shelf or ledge can be a fun place to highlight your favorite items. This display method can make an assortment of random frames and images look more pulled together.
More
Top Tips on Choosing and Hanging Art
A Dozen Creative Ideas for Decorating Blank Walls
14 Creative Ways to Hang Art
As shown in this photo, a wall shelf or ledge can be a fun place to highlight your favorite items. This display method can make an assortment of random frames and images look more pulled together.
More
Top Tips on Choosing and Hanging Art
A Dozen Creative Ideas for Decorating Blank Walls
14 Creative Ways to Hang Art
Wallpaper: Calico