DIY Photo Frame Ideas

There are many DIY, easy artwork ideas that anyone can do without spending a lot of money. A little creativity and elbow grease can go a long way and make a big impact when creating artwork for your home.

Framed Fabric Art

Framing fabric is such an easy artwork idea that anyone can do without spending a lot of money. If you've already got fabric and picture frames lying around, then this is a FREE way to add artwork and change up your walls. Simply adhere your fabric with with spray adhesive or fabric glue to a piece of card stock or cardboard and insert into the frame. Buying fabric for this project shouldn't cost much because you don't need a large amount. If you have an old frame that doesn't quite match the fabric you want to use, a few coats of spray paint will transform it for just a few dollars. Thrift stores are also great places to find cheap frames to paint. Create a grouping of coordinating fabrics, use a matte, or let one frame stand on its own. Use your creativity to come up with your own unique and affordable DIY artwork piece.

Books and Calendars

Books and calendars are such a great place to find inexpensive DIY artwork. If you are not opposed to tearing pages out of a book, you can find some amazing treasures to adorn your walls. Just carefully tear out and cut to size. Pop it in a frame and there you go. The same goes for calendars. Use books and past calendars you already have, or shop the clearance section of any bookstore. This also works great for kids rooms. Just frame pages of a favorite children's book. Try using something that looks vintage or a nursery rhyme themed book to add some charm. If there is a particular artist or piece of artwork you just adore, but cannot afford, search for a book with those artist's images and frame those instead. You will save money and still have beautiful artwork to enjoy.

Use Paint

There is no need to hang anything on your walls if you go bold with your paint. DIY artwork doesn't get much easier than this. Create a pattern of painted squares on your wall, or let a single square stand on its own. Use painters tape and a level to achieve an even square pattern. You can get quite creative using different colors, sizes and arrangements. If you want a variety of colors, but don't want to fork out the money for that many cans of paint, try using a sample size instead. They are usually only two to five dollars per sample and come with more than enough paint for this project. Most of them come in a flat finish, but if you want something a bit more shiny, gently rub some wipe-on poly (available at any home improvement store) over each square before removing your tape.

Pressed Botanicals

Just take a walk outside and you'll find everything you need to create your own pressed botanical artwork. This project couldn't be easier. Try to find greenery, leaves, and flowers that will lay flat. Hold up the greenery to your frame and trim to size if necessary. Then place it between two pages of a book (preferable one you don't care too much about as the pages may warp or wrinkle slightly). You can play with the shape of the botanical by curving it to the right or left before closing the book. Stack lots of heavy books on top and let it sit for a whole week. Gently remove and secure to your background paper with a little rubber cement. Just use enough to keep it from sliding in the frame. That's all there is to it. Pressed botanicals look great and provide more impact when hung together in a grouping. So get outside and gather all the FREE DIY artwork you want. To save money on frames, switch out pictures from frames you already have or use spray paint to give thrift store frames a brand new look.