So, you’re just starting out with your own place but you have few furnishings? Most of us know that feeling! When moving into a new house most people are more concerned about the necessities, like dishes, bedding and personal items, than they are about decorations for their walls. After arranging all the furniture, however, and standing back to get the panoramic view, you’ll be painfully aware of how blank and stark the walls suddenly appear. Don’t have money to run out and purchase decor pieces? Make some yourself, from things you might already have, and your place will be gorgeous in no time!
Got cardboard boxes? If you have two or more boxes just alike, and the boxes are shallow, they’ll make great wall hangings! White cardboard boxes look much more attractive than the ordinary brown boxes. Cover brown boxes in decorative paper, foil or even paint the boxes gold. Be sure to cut off excess paper or fabric to eliminate bulkiness. Cut a picture from a magazine, a poster or another source. If you can find images printed on thin cardboard or thick paper, all the better. Use watered-down white glue to affix a picture to each box. Hang the boxes on the wall and you’re done!
If you have some craft supplies you can further enhance the pictures by doing a border in ribbon, twine or roping. The 3-D wall hangings are interesting and unique. You can even use them as shelves by placing small collectibles on the tops of the boxes. Hang the boxes vertically or horizontally to create different effects. Arrange the boxes in a group of three, six or nine to form a large block design on a roomy wall. Create other looks by turning some boxes one way and some the other way. There are dozens of designs you can do in minutes.
Got an old saw blade? Cut pictures from magazines and glue them to the blade. Shellac over the top of the picture or laminate it before gluing it to the saw blade. Either of these techniques will protect the picture and make it easy to wipe off. The decorated blades look lovely hanging in a living room or den. Instead of a picture you can paint the saw blade and spell out “WELCOME”. It will look beautiful hanging on your front door.
Create a picture theme on margarine lids to make a beautiful wall hanging. Glue the chosen pictures onto the lids. Group three or four small lids, or two or three large lids, to create the complete design. If you have a piece of ribbon, or a piece of cloth, you can make the designs even nicer. Fold the ribbon or cloth strip in half and tack to the wall. Glue the lids, spacing them evenly apart, down the length of the ribbon. If you have a metal ring, like a key ring or brass ring you can tie the ribbon onto it and use it to hang the creation on bedroom, living room or even bathroom walls.
Make something similar by using small key rings to display family photos. Glue a picture on the back of each key ring and trim it to the size of the ring. Where the ring splits glue on a small bow, jewel or even a button. Hang a set of the key ring pictures on a length of ribbon and hang it on the wall. This creation can reach from ceiling to floor if you want. These can hang on each side of a picture or on a sliver of wall somewhere in the house.
If you’ve got an extra place mat you’ve got any number of beautiful wall decorations. Use markers, tube paints or even paintbrush to spell out “WELCOME” and hang the sign in the kitchen or even on the front door. Enhance the design and give it dimension by gluing on fake jewels, buttons, swatches of fabric, and other decorative items.
Fabric place mats look great as a block design on a kitchen wall. Tack or otherwise secure the four place mats on a section of the wall. Butt the four together or leave spaces between them all. The place mats can hang alone or you can add embellishments to the place mats or surrounding wall. For example, you can butt all four mats together, then create a design for the center. Glue a picture onto a paint can lid, margarine lid, or even an upside-down plastic plate. Attach the “medallion” to the center of the place mat arrangement.
Over time you’ll collect many different decor items, but in the meanwhile, it’s fun and easy to make your own. Don’t stare at blank walls anymore! Give your guests something fabulous to view when they visit! Get busy making your own wall decorations and the place will start to feel very homey indeed.
