Guide to Affordable Art for Your Home
Including curated pieces to add to your collection right now
Art is the #1 item you can add to your home to add character and make it feel more like homey and warm. Yet when you ask people what they have the most trouble sourcing, they commonly say art. One of the biggest barriers is cost, and understandably so, original art is an investment, especially the larger the piece, and framing only adds to that.
But the obvious cheaper options, like posters and digital art, also might not appeal to someone who wants to collect and be surrounded by art that’s soulful and not mass produced.
My aim with this post is to introduce you to affordable art ideas, some of which you may not have even thought of as “art”. I’ve compiled a guide to help inspire you to see out-of-the-ordinary items as the artworks they are – including some sentimental items you may already have or some you can purchase without breaking the bank.
Oh and AFTER you’ve got the art sorted out (or simultaneously), here are some creative framing ideas for you. I’ve catalogued a wide assortment of framing, matting, and even mounting options and curated framing ideas for specific types of art. Hope this helps!
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Scarf
A scarf is essentially a work of art printed onto a fabric, so it makes perfect sense that it can be framed and turned into art (in fact many artists are collaborating with brands to reproduce their work). The key is to find a design you really love whether it’s vintage or something new.
1. TOAST bandana. 2. Vintage Dior neckerchief. 3. Frida x Lost Pattern silk bandana. 4. Dries van Noten silk scarf.
Tapestry
It blew my mind — and transformed my walls — when I learned blankets, quilts, and other textiles (or even rugs) could be hung as large scale art. I now have two tapestries hanging in my home. In my opinion, this wall hanging is the most affordable — and simplest — way to cover a large wall.
1. Carne Bollente blanket. 2. BFGF throw. 3. Kara Marshall throw. 4. Slowdown Studio throw.
Artist’s prints
If you’re not ready to invest in an original piece of art, the next best thing is purchasing an artist’s print. You get to live with a special piece at a price you can afford. Because they’re typically printed to order, another benefit is that you can often choose the size to fit the scale of your space.
1. Blakely Little print. 2. Curious Common print. 3. Marleigh Culver print. 4. Shaskia Cuaspa print.
Tea towel / napkin
Much like a scarf, a tea towel or a napkin with a great design (some of which are artist’s works) can be turned into art. They tend to have kitchsier designs that look great in a kitchen or a bar area matching the theme.
1. Amuse la Bouche apertif tea towel. 2. Kayla Plosz Antiel Delft tea towel. 3. Charlotte Lynggaard fish napkin. 4. Julie Peach tomatoes on gingham napkins.
Plates
Plates have had a major resurgence as a form of wall decor. It just so happens that they can be pretty reasonable compared to art, whether vintage or hand-painted designs. Just one (or two) plate(s) can decorate a small or odd-shaped space and a cluster of plates can cover a whole wall. You can find ideas for hanging plates here.
1. Laetitia Rouget toi et moi plate. 2. Cabana horezu plate. 3. Salter House Not Too Much plate. 4. Carolina Irving & Daughers aqua plate.
Greeting cards
Have you ever received a card that was too beautiful to throw away? Well, you can frame it instead. I look out for cards with an artful quality, be it embroidery, linocut, or drawing. In fact, I framed a series of cards depicting different animals in my son’s room.
1. Vintage lemon greeting cards. 2. Quilt love letterpress card. 3. Coral & Tusk sailboat card. 4. Mr P x Marian McEvoy pressed poppies notecards.
Silhouette
One affordable way to create custom art is getting a silhouette made. I commissioned a silhouette of my son on Etsy that I will treasure forever, and it only cost $50 (plus framing).
Sentimental items
At no cost to you, turn everyday, but meaningful, items into art. Some examples include: a wedding invitation, a menu from a favorite restaurant, hand-written notes/letters, a stamp representing something a special theme.
even framed the plastic bag that was used to carry champagne to her engagement.
Decorative paper
Applying the rule that anything beautiful can be framed easily extends to decorative paper — this could be sheets of wrapping or book-binding paper or even scraps of wallpaper. You could frame a large piece or several smaller pieces together.
1. Antoinette Poisson Domino paper. 2. John Derian wrapping paper sheets. 3. Les Indiennes wallpaper sample kit. 4. Hand-marbled paper.
Dried flowers
For a very quick and easy DIY, I created my own art with dried pressed flowers. I bought a few flowers on Etsy including cosmos, cornflower, and oregano, then just glued them onto a piece of sketch paper.
Books
High quality art books have images in them that are frame-worthy, if you’re willing to rip them out of the book. Choose a book about plants or animals if you want to create a series. This can be way cheaper than buying original engravings.
1. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. 2. Audubon: American Birds. 3. Vintage Art Botanical Specimens. 4. History of the Herbarium and Natural Specimens.
YES to all of this, just found a tapestry and I can’t wait to hang it this weekend!