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Inexpensive Wall Art
by By Monica Resinger
There are some lovely pictures available in retail stores, but
they can be very expensive. I’d like to suggest some less
expensive ways to make your own decorative wall art that will
be more charming and beautiful in your home than any picture
that can be purchased.
To get started, you’ll need frames. Frames are also expensive
when purchased retail, so I suggest buying them used. You
can find good picture frames at yard sales and thrift stores for
a fraction of the retail price. If there are minor problems with
the frame, such as chipped paint or nicks and scratches, don’t
worry, you can cover that part up with the decorative ideas
that follow.
What to Put in the Frame
Family pictures are a great, personal way to warm your home.
Looking at them brings back memories for the owner or brings up
conversations with guests. These also make great gifts for
family members. If you’re planning on designing family pictures
to give as gifts, it’s a good idea to start getting double prints
developed from your films.
Pretty pictures cut from magazines, calendars or holiday cards
are other items that make great wall art. You can choose pictures
that have to do with the theme or colors in your home or in someone
else‘s home if you‘re planning to give the picture as a gift.
Pressed flowers and leaves are beautiful framed. Outdoors, try
to find flowers or leaves that are naturally flat and will lie
between paper well, then press them between pages in a book.
After a week or more, check to see if they’re dry and crisp to
the touch.
Frame crocheted doilies on a contrasting background for a beautiful
picture. Hankies are another item that’s easily framed. These are
really special if the item belonged to a family member.
Save memorabilia from vacations such as ticket stubs, menus,
napkins, pictures or other flat surface items and frame these for
a unique picture that brings memories and conversation.
For a garden look, a pretty seed packet could be framed with a
complimentary background. Hot glue small pinecones or other
natural material to the frame to finish it off. If you don’t
have a pretty seed packet, you could cut a pretty garden picture
from a magazine or birthday card.
Frame a recipe. What I like to do is copy and paste a recipe
into a card/calendar or art program on my computer and change
the colors and fonts of the text then add clip art, pretty
backgrounds and/or a border. Print it out and you have a nice
item that can be framed and used in the kitchen. You can also
photocopy your own recipes to be framed and take a picture of
the finished recipe to include with it.
Decorating the Frames
Decorate a picture frame by covering the entire frame with
shells, buttons, pebbles, bottle-caps or other small items.
Hot-glue would work best for attaching items. If you’d like,
you could finish it off with a complimentary ribbon bow. You
could also use these items or silk or dried flowers as accents
and attach a few to a corner with a ribbon bow.
Paint it. Choose a color included in the picture you’re framing
and paint the frame that color with acrylic paint. You may need
to apply 2-3 coats to cover the frame completely; be sure to let
each coat dry before applying another. When the frame is completely
covered and dry, you can then sponge paint a darker or lighter shade
over that for a very pretty look. To sponge paint, simply dip a
small area of a sponge in paint, blot on newspaper a few times to
get excess paint off, then blot the sponge onto the frame. Another
idea is to paint polka dots, squiggly lines or another small design
in a contrasting color.
When decorating a frame to be given to a family member or friend,
think of their favorite color, the color of the room they will most
likely display the picture in, their hobbies, or what they enjoy.
You could design a garden picture for your gardening friend, a family
picture for a family member or a doily picture for your grandmother
or mother. Have fun with it and unleash your creativity, the
possibilities are endless!
Copyright, 2000, Monica Resinger
Monica Resinger is the Editor of Creative Home Ezine, a fun ezine packed with homemaking tips, inspiring articles, recipes and themed content from folks just like yourselves - its readers! After each twice-weekly issue, you'll surely be inspired to organize your home, cook mouth-watering recipes, entertain your friends and family, beautifully decorate your home and much more! Don't miss another issue - join now! Send a blank e-mail to: CreativeHome-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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