These ideas for free, and almost free, artwork will help you create your own custom wall decorations.
- Botanicals
With a bouquet of beautiful pressed flowers or just one blossom and a few leaves, you can make your own botanical print. Also try a beautiful fern frond or some colorful fall leaves. Mount the pieces on a white or colored mat board, cut to the size of your frame. Either hand write or stencil the botanical name of the item somewhere on the matboard. It will look very professional. If your pieces are very flat, you might float them between two pieces of glass. Bulky or thick-stemmed pieces can be mounted in a shadow box frame. - Create Color Copies
If you're not up to drying or pressing flowers or leaves, try copying them on a color or black and white copier. Place the pieces on a piece of white or colored mat board or cardboard, secure the pieces in place, and make a copy. You can make it any size that the copier can accommodate. Keep in mind that items with a heavy stem or thick texture will cast a shadow, so flat items work best. - Frame a Game
A fun idea for a family room or child's room is to frame the game board of a favorite game (or collection of games). Glue the open game board to a rigid piece of cardboard, glue some game pieces and dice around the board, add game rules and playing cards. When everything is attached securely, place the piece in a shadow box custom-cut to the size of the board. - Shadowboxes
Any special collection can be displayed in a shadowbox frame, which can be purchased at frame or craft stores. Gather together items from a special occasion, such as a wedding or vacation, or items from a hobby or craft. Arrange the pieces on a piece of mat board or cardboard and secure them carefully. Then place the board into the shadow box frame. - Create a Collage
Select photographs, buttons, pieces of fabric, ribbons, small toys, keys, magazine pictues, menus, or greeting cards to create a collage. You can see that the list could go on forever! Coordinate a theme, color, or design to create a collage that you can frame. You can make one large collage and some smaller ones to create an interesting arrangement on your wall.
You can see that there are countless ways to create artwork for your home. Look around you, both at home or when you're out. You're sure to see something wonderful that will be able to decorate your walls. Try to "think outside the frame!"
