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Elevate your home decor with this DIY large wall art project! Creating art for your home is a budget-friendly way to add color and personality to your space. And the best part is that you don’t have to be an artist to recreate this look for your own home. You just need to follow these few simple steps!
After being in our house for a few months, I decided it was time for some color! We had a big blank wall in our dining area that made the room feel empty. If you missed our home tour, you can watch here for more context on the room.
Because we’ve had to spend so much money fixing other areas of the house (updating pipes, a new furnace, electrical work, ETC), there’s not a lot left for decor expenses at the moment. Instead of leaving it blank, I decided to give myself a DIY challenge. I set myself a budget of $100 to create a piece for this area. Here’s what I came up with:
Insider Tip: You can find this and similar accessible colorful home decor ideas in my new book Colorful Living! Coming this fall, pre-order today!
Why Make Your Own Art?
First things first, let’s get into the why of this project. You might be asking yourself, why would I even want to make this when I can just go to a home decor store and grab something. And that’s a completely valid question, especially when we’re all so short on time.
I think when you take the time to create art for your home, you’re adding a bit of yourself to the space in a way that a bought item doesn’t do. Because home decor should be more than just decorating. It’s about creating a life lived within four walls. Taking the time to make something with your hands and with your imagination will always elevate your decor in ways something manufactured won’t.
Supplies to Make Your Own Large Wall Art
- Frame
- Paint sample
- Primer
- 120 grit sandpaper
- Roller + brush
- Digital download
- Painter’s tape
- Laser level
One quick thing to note, I used the ENTIRE paint sample for this project. And truthfully, I could have used more paint. If you watched the YouTube video then you know the secret behind the frame. Consider getting two to make sure you’ll have enough paint.
Instead of painting or creating work in Photoshop, I opted for a digital download. The piece is from Matisse and you can grab it here.
Where to Print Large Art?
There are a few locations where you can print large scale art. It comes down to quality of the print you want and your budget. I opted to get mine printed at Staples. I chose the 24″ x 36″ size poster and it cost $35. The paper is a bit thin, but for the cost, it’s alright.
You could of course print your download, frame and be done, but I think what makes this piece a statement is the paint. Here’s how I took the piece from framed art to statement wall art.
How to Make Large Wall Art
1. Start with prep work. If anything is on your walls now, or you need to paint it a background color (for example, I painted my walls white before doing this project), take care of that first.
You’ll also need to prep your frame for paint. Gently sand in order to remove any coating and give the paint something to hold on to. Follow with a primer and let dry.
2. To continue the prep work, tape your shape on the wall. Mine is roughly 10″ beyond the frame on all sides. You don’t have to go that large, but I would say at least do 3″ for an impact. A laser level will help you keep lines straight!
You can also experiment with different shapes here. Maybe your border is wavy or has scallops. You can even try a circle. Play around and have fun!
3. After your frame is dry, it’s time to add paint! You’ll want to use the same paint color for the frame as the wall. I recommend starting with the frame and then move to the wall in between coats. You’ll most likely need 2-3 coats for solid coverage. Just make sure the wall and the frame end up the same color.
Before adding your art to the frame, let dry for at least a day. This is to help the paint cure, but also to ensure that you don’t get any paint on the art.
Once you’ve applied your final coat, let dry then peel your tape from the wall.
Variations
- Instead of a printable, try printing a photograph. You can even paint your own canvas
- Try a different shape frame for the wall paint! A circle or even scallops would look great
- Create a gallery wall of smaller frames with different colors
The Final Touches
All that’s left to do is add your art to the frame and hang! My go-to tool for hanging art is this photo hanging tool. It will premark where you need to place a nail and it will help you level your art once it’s on the wall (for single nail hanging art). If your frame has space for multiple nail holes, then you’ll want to try this hack.
So that’s how I made large wall art for our home! I didn’t quite hit the budget of $100, everything ended up around $126, but that’s largely due to where I sourced the frame. If you’re thrifting or shopping second hand, I have no doubt that this could be done for under $100.
Would you ever make DIY statement wall art like this for your home?
Related: Instagram Wall Art, Hammered Flower Art, 30 Minute Wall Art, Washi Tape Gallery Wall