Filling the Walls Part Two: Simple DIY Wall Art
Let’s call this “artsy upcycling” . . .
Last month we looked at the process of creating gallery walls and toured the nature-themed gallery I created for my half guest bath (see Filling the Walls: an Eclectic, Nature-Themed Gallery). I explained that this project was a couple of years between start and finish, largely because I ran out of artwork to complete the fourth wall. I had three items ready to hang; but although it’s a very small wall, this was not enough to fill the space. Wanting to get this home project checked off the list in January, I looked around at what I had on hand (in closets, the studio, the attic) and found I could easily put together four additional pieces. The top criteria for each piece was that it had to be a project I could complete quickly and without spending any money. Here’s how I did it.
A quick note: I understand that everyone might not have a large supply of “raw materials” — canvas panels, craft wood, decorative papers, unused frames and art prints, etc. stashed away at home. But expand your options to include items you’d never think of framing and/or hanging on the wall, one-time favorite pieces that could stand some modification, stationary, giftwrap and so forth, and I’m guessing you have more to work with than you’d originally thought. With a little ingenuity you can, even if you don’t feel like an “Artist,” easily and inexpensively create custom, uniquely “you” art to hang in your home.
I found the tiny bird’s nest in the yard after a particularly windy night, no little eggs — thank goodness. I stored it in a ziplock bag and saved it for a project — it definitely felt meant to be featured in a shadowbox. Back in the 1990’s (!) my Nana sent me a favorite calendar illustrated by Marjolein Bastin because she thought I might want to use the pretty pictures for something at some point. She was right — I cut this little bird illustration from that calendar.
This little collage is simply a printed gift tag and scrap of linen with frayed edges adhered (with glue) to a piece of painted craft wood and embellished with bark, a mother-of-pearl button and some tangled loose threads.
This print is by the artist Jessica Roux, and I bought it at a handmade market pop-up in Raleigh several years ago. The ribbon is from May Arts. For more decoupaged decor examples and tips, see my blog post Decoupage Decor Tricks.
So that’s a wrap on how I made these four projects. The craft techniques featured here —
constructing a shadowbox from an old frame
upcycling a notecard and gift tag into art pieces
inexpensive custom framing alternatives
can easily be adapted for what you happen to have on hand. Remember, you can always modify an existing piece to make it more custom or inline with the look you’re going for now. (Although creative re-working is probably best attempted on pieces that are not highly-collectible/expensive/etc.)
If you’re wondering where to find items that lend themselves to artsy upcycling, things like: secondhand frames, old books, inexpensive art prints and ephemera, then come back in March. We’ll take a shopping trip, and I’ll show you the kinds of places to look, the things to look for, and share hints for your treasure hunt.
