Last Updated on June 11, 2023 by lindseymahoney
If you’re looking to add some personality and style to your home, DIY wall decor is a cheap and easy way to do it. Along with creating a space that is unique to your family, these wall art ideas are affordable too!
With a little creativity and some basic supplies, you can create unique and eye-catching pieces that will make your walls pop.
Check out these easy and cheap wall decor ideas for some inspiration.
Unique Wall Decor Ideas & Cheap DIY Projects
If you really think about it, anything can be turned into art and used as wall decor.
While it is tempting to run to a big box store like Target to decorate an entire room in one day, I advise against it. Mixing vintage artwork, newer artwork and DIY wall decor create a collected feel that gives a room that personal touch.
How to choose wall decor for each room?
Whenever I am shopping for wall decor, whether that is from a big box store or second-hand, I always keep an eye out for items that remind me of my family.
For example, my husband is from the New England area and loves the ocean, so I look for maps of that area, architectural drawings, paintings of oceans, etc.
With my brand called Building Bluebird, I am naturally drawn to artwork with birds and always keep an eye out for these items as well.
Vintage Artwork
Estate sales are my favorite place to shop for vintage and unique artwork. I have found so many original paintings, architectural drawings, and even vintage prints at estate sales and second-hand shops.
I found these two vintage drawings of historic buildings in Williamsburg, VA. Although I have never been to Williamsburg, I love the architecture of the buildings and the fact that these are original pencil drawings by Charles Overly.
I have a closet filled with original art that I couldn’t leave behind at an estate sale. Eventually, I will find a place for it or I can sell/gift it later on.
Children’s Artwork
My son is quite the little artist and I love incorporating his masterpieces into a room design. This bunny is so sweet and looks perfect in the brass frame I found at a thrift store.
I added the bunny to an open shelf in our living room. This DIY wall decor is as cheap as you can get but it doesn’t look like it!
DIY Checkered Photo Mat
Customize your picture frames by adding a checkerboard pattern on the photo mat! I created this graphic checkerboard picture frame to compliment a Halloween photograph I display in the Fall.
Family Photos
The most unique artwork you can add to a design is personalized photos! We all take so many photos these days and I have to remind myself to print out physical copies to display around the house.
When I renovated our dining room, I couldn’t decide what artwork to hang on the back wall. I realized after much debate that one thing I would never get sick of was photos of my kids and our family.
When in doubt, hang a photo of happy memories with the ones you love, it will work every time!
Another way to share all of the images you capture throughout the year is by making an annual yearbook! Check out all of my tips for constructing your own family yearbook.
Digital Prints
There are so many digital print shops that allow you to purchase artwork to download at affordable prices! I purchased a digital print of a painted seascape to hang on the wall in our master bedroom.
The kitchen makeover at my brother’s house was on a tight budget and I had to get creative with the wall decor. Luckily, I had a large vintage frame with matting in my closet that fit perfectly with their kitchen design.
I found a downloadable print of a vintage pie wall on Etsy for $5 and had it printed to size. The total cost for the easy DIY wall decor was $10.
I downloaded the two prints from Juniper Print Shop and hung them in our laundry room. One print is an image of Paris, which brings back memories of when we vacationed there. The second image is a mountain landscape that reminds us of our time in Denver and our love of the mountains.
Here are a few places to find beautiful digital images to download:
- Juniper Printshop,
- Museum Quality Art
- Heritage Art prints
- Etsy
- National Gallery of Art – most museums have open-access gallery images that are free to print.
Magazines Clippings
This is one of my favorite ways to add affordable wall art to our home. You can frame almost anything in a book and it looks beautiful!
In our living room, I framed Van Gogh artwork that I found in a 50-year-old pamphlet from an exhibit at our local museum. Funny story, I actually found the pamphlet by searching through boxes of old books that were left on the side of the road for trash pickup. I created multiple pieces of wall decor from this old museum pamphlet that was left for trash.
Here is another Van Gogh print in our most recent guest bathroom makeover. It looks so beautiful with a white picture mat and a simple black frame.
Old Textbooks
While vacationing in Paris, we stopped at a bookstore and picked up this vintage animal print that looked like it was in a textbook. Our son loves animals and it looks great in his bedroom.
Original Artwork
I have found so many incredible artists through Instagram!
I am lumping into the affordable art category because the word “affordable” varies by person. It is also important to support small businesses and current artists.
The large print of the woman and bluebird is by Juniper Briggs, who I discovered on Instagram. I believe this large print was $300 or so, which is great for the size of the piece.
A few other artists from Instagram that I would love to add to my collection at some point:
Wallpaper a Photo Mat & Frame
This DIY cost less than $10 to make a unique and one-of-a-kind picture frame! All you need is a picture frame with matting, leftover wallpaper or a wallpaper sample, spray adhesive, and an Exacto Knife.
Childrens Book Illustrations
Framing a few pages from your favorite children’s book is the perfect wall decor for a playroom, nursery, or child’s bedroom. If you feel guilty about cutting up a new book, check out your local thrift store – they always have an aisle with kids’ books.
Eclectic Artwork Gallery Wall
The guest bedroom at our house has a large blank wall that I struggled to decide on the wall decor. I didn’t really have the budget to purchase a substantial piece of art, so I got scrappy and created an eclectic gallery wall with artwork and vintage mirrors.
Frame a Nostalgic Restaurant Placemat
My husband’s family has been visiting the same restaurant on Cape Cod since they were little and the paper placemat has never changed. For Christmas, my in-laws gifted each child a framed placemat and we love it! It is the perfect addition to our kitchen.
Family Recipes
Whether it is a recipe written by you or a weathered old recipe card with your grandmother’s handwritten recipe, this is the perfect artwork for a kitchen.
DIY Torn Paper Patterns
Sometimes framing patterns of torn paper is all you need to create custom wall decor. To create a cohesive look, stick with a color palette for that space.
Plate Wall
A plate wall is the perfect wall decor for a dining room! Whether it is vintage plates collected through the years or family heirlooms on display, this wall decor is a great way to add visual interest to a room.
Frame Wallpaper
It can be expensive to wallpaper an entire room in your home! I love the idea of framing a few panels of the wallpaper you love to achieve a similar look at a fraction of the cost. This is a great wall decor option for renters, too.
Postcards
Framing vintage postcards is a great way to remember vacations or display places that you love. This is a great gift idea for loved ones as well!
Frame a Vintage Scarf
Framing a vintage scarf is a quick and easy way to create high-impact artwork. In general, scarfs are larger and include a pattern, which is great for custom artwork.
I can imagine framing a family heirloom scarf or item that is sentimental to the family. Such a sweet way to keep the memory alive.
Paint a Picture Frame Mat Board
For a fresh new look, consider painting the photo mat board in a picture frame you already own. A can of spray paint cost less than $10 and you can create a whole new look!
Dried Flowers as Wall Decor
This DIY wall decor idea is definitely on my list of projects to try. Over the last few years I have spent more and more time in my garden and hanging dried flowers from our backyard will look beautiful in my office.
Reuse Images from a Calendar
Framing calendar artwork is genius, especially when it is as beautiful as the one from Rifle Paper Co. I love when items like this can be repurposed and reused!
I hope these DIY wall decor ideas inspire you to hang a few unique items in your home. The artwork displayed in your home is such a great conversation starter!
