Hi, friends - if you were able to catch my guest room tour, you may have noticed that I referred to the art over the guest bed as "prints". The reason for the quotation marks is that these are not art prints - or at least they weren't. Today I am sharing 3 affordable art ideas with you, starting with those cactus "prints".
#1 Use Calendars
Yes, that's right. The cactus "prints" are actually calendar pages that I re-purposed into art. This is not the first time I have framed calendar pages, and it definitely will not be the last! Calendars make great art because:
They are affordable (and are often on sale after January)
Turning them into art is super easy and quick - just remove the pages, trim to size, and voila!
Using the pretty pages after they expire is so much better than throwing them away
They have 12 designs that work together - so they are perfect for a gallery wall or similar type of display
Now, certainly every calendar won't work as art, since you need the artwork to be separate from any text. There are so many good options out there, however. Here are a few of my favorites, including the calendar I used!
Plant picks
Artsy picks
Picks for specific rooms
Farm Fresh (great for a kitchen) | Bear Faces (great for child's room/nursery)
#2 Use Greeting Cards
I know you are probably thinking that I'm crazy after reading #2, but I'm not (for the most part). If you are like me, you probably spend A LOT of time at Target. You may have noticed that they recently began carrying greeting cards by Minted. I have been shopping the Minted website for several years. They offer beautiful cards, art, gifts and more, all made by independent artists.
And now, Target carries Minted greeting cards, and they are so pretty! So pretty in fact, that they are tiny little works of art that should be on display! The Minted cards are 5" by 7", so they are perfect for a 5x7 frame, or can be trimmed slightly to fit in a 4x6 frame. Here are a few of my picks from the Minted collection. These can be turned into art in less than 5 minutes and will look great throughout your home (including #4 in a nursery).
I purchased the Let Love Grow card recently for $5.99 and cut it to fit in a white frame I purchased for $3.99. It looks so cute next to a few plants - not bad for $10!
| Let Love Grow | Magnifique | When Live Gives You Lemons | Little Hands Little Feet | Let's Get Wild | I'm Rather Frond of You
#3 Think Outside the Frame
Let's face it, frames can be expensive! I have found great prices on frames at Ikea, as well as TJ Maxx. The Ikea closest to me is not all that close, so I like to stock up on frames when I visit the store. This 16x20 frame from Ikea is only $13, for example.
Hovsta Frame - Ikea
Additionally, there are other things you can use to hang art beyond frames! Using other ideas instead of frames can offer a great, creative look, and help save money.
Here are a few of my favorite options:
Giant Copper Bulldog Clips - Urban Outfitters
Wooden Print Dowel Hanger - Urban Outfitters (not overly budget friendly vs. a frame, but I love the look)
Clipboards are a great, budget-friendly substitute for frames. I am loving this gallery wall! Just think of how much money was saved here by using clipboards instead of frames! I am hoping to do something similar with a calendar at our cottage.
Image via Lonny
Grab a pack of 12 clipboards at Amazon here.
I hope you found these tips helpful as you think about displaying art in your home!