Cheap and Easy Wall Decorating
By Kathy Wilson
Decorating our walls seems to be a huge dilemma to most home
decorators, but it need not be. Here are some quick and easy ways to
dress up your walls, on a budget!
The most common mistake most people make in decorating their walls
is
to sprinkle things around just to fill empty space. Instead, draw an
imaginary rectangle on the main focal wall in the room you wish to
dress up. Now fill that rectangle with a grouping of related art,
such
as portraits, plates, or clocks. This makes much a better impact on
the room than the sprinkled effect.
Try to hang larger scale items to make your rooms seem bigger. This
doesn't mean you have to run out and spend hundreds or thousands on
a large painting! Hang a rug or a pretty quilt. Create a dramatic
wall hanging with a large piece of plywood, some paint, and one
inspirational word in large letters. Faith, belief or dreams
are
great ones. Paint a simple border and background in neutral colors.
Then sketch on your word in blocks with pencil, and fill in with
paint.
Try setting off a special portrait or a wall collection by painting
a
background frame. Make the frame at least 4-6 inches larger than the
art, tape off with painters tape, and fill in with a darker version
of
your wall color.
If you have dozens of different frames and pictures, tie them all
together by painting the frames all the same color. Black gives an
elegant touch to any style decor. White is very fresh, and a bright
color can be fund in a contemporary design.
Consider using stencils to add detail and design to your walls. It's
easy, relatively fast, and inexpensive. Pick up a simple design to
wrap around windows and doors, or to add detail to your painted
frames around your wall art groupings.
Finally, look at unconventional items as wall art. A weathered piece
of driftwood accents over a doorway, or an old wooded box can hang
as
a curio cabinet. Simple wooded blocks can be attached to the wall as
candleholders or display shelves. Your children's christening dress
can be hung as memory art, or you can frame a piece of the maternity
dress you loved while you were pregnant with your youngest. Use your
imagination!
Decorating walls doesn't have to be daunting, just use these
easy
ideas to get you started!
Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and
is
the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more
home
and garden ideas at
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com and
http://www.TheGardenGlove.com.
Also visit her at
http://www.Women-on-the-Net.com
where any woman can learn to make
money on the internet!