How to incorporate art in your home

Art gives your home a personal touch. It makes any space come alive. A home without art is pretty soulless. But how do you decide where to put up a painting or what kind of art to bring into your house? It can be pretty confusing. You don’t want something run-of-the-mill but you also don’t want to invest a lot in something you might still be unsure about. So what do you do? You can actually get inexpensive pieces of art if you get a little creative. Here are six tips that can help. 

Commission a friend to make something

Have a friend who is good with a paintbrush or someone who likes to paint? Ask her to make something for you. If you can, tell her what you want. You could pay her to make a special piece for you. That way, both of you benefit from it. You will have something personal and she will have done something with her skills. Alternatively, you can also get a friend or an artist to help you make something by yourself. 

Get free prints off the internet 

This has to be done with caution and you have to be willing to browse through the hundreds, if not thousands, of free photos online. Decide on a theme—it could be rain, sunshine, water or anything you want. Choose three photos to fit the theme, get them printed on A4 size paper, frame them, and then hang them together. Don’t choose the first thing you see. Chances are many have already picked those. Dig around a little. 

Black and white photographs

Go through your grandparent’s or parent’s photo albums and pick out some black and white photographs to display on your walls. These could be photos of your grandparents, your parent’s wedding, or those of the extended family. It’s a neat little way to give your home an artistic touch while displaying your history as well. Buy inexpensive frames, sand them a little to give them a rustic touch, and get decorating. 

Frame fabric

Fabrics with beautiful patterns, motifs, and embroidery make stunning displays especially when framed and hung as a focal piece in a room. Do you have a beloved scarf or a sari that your mother used to wear that you really loved? Cutting a sizable piece from one of these and mounting it on a wooden frame works really well. The good thing about this is that it’s an inexpensive idea and you can easily change things up when you are bored with the decor. 

Hang memorabilia

Pretty greeting cards, handwritten notes, pressed flowers, ticket stubs, and anything else that you might have saved over the years because they remind you of happy times works for this idea. Someone we know framed their daughter’s baby clothes and it made for an eye-catching display. You could create a gallery wall of sorts with the things you want to display. Just be creative with how you choose to frame them or put them up on the wall. Postcards from your travels could also be a nice thing to display. It will remind you of the past while inspiring you to travel more and create new memories.

The written word

You might have a favorite poem, a song, or a recipe that has been passed down through generations. Type it out, choose a fun font, get creative with the margins and designs of the layout, print and frame it and voila, you have just made a neat piece that is uniquely you. You can also print quotes you resonate with. Try not to stick to cliches though. The same goes for some good advice you might have received that you want to be reminded of time and again. Print the blurb of your favorite book and hang that.