Embroidery Hoop Art

If your walls are feeling bare as bones, but you don’t have the money to buy “art”, then this easy do-it-yourself project is for you. All it takes is some fabric remnants and a few embroidery hoops. (There’s no actual embroidering required with this project, although personally I’m eager to try that next.) Basically, you just place your fabric in the embroidery hoops, trim off the excess and hang your new hoops on the wall. See: Here I just strung several different sized hoops along a piece of twine to create a collection. The display pretties up a bare door. Fabric scraps leftover from other projects make the perfect pieces for this embroidery hoop art project because you don’t need a lot of fabric. I found my fabric remnants a while back at an estate sale for something like $1 each. (Sometimes supply hoarding turns out well for me!) But you can also find cheap remnants at fabric and craft stores. Thick paper will even work. The reddish-orange leaf pattern is actually paper not fabric. Or, you’ll even see I even used the denim leftover from cutting a pair of jeans into shorts. The leg pieces were leftover, so...

Cork Trivet Wall Décor

On my most recent shopping trip to Ikea, I was staring at a packet of three cork trivets and inspiration struck! Instead of using them to protect countertops and tables from hot pots, I decided to hang them on the wall. Similar to a cork bulletin board, this packet of three cork trivets can be used to pin up postcards, messages and pictures. I adhered mine to the wall with just a few swatches of double-sided tape. It took all of three minutes to go from blank wall to wall décor. You’re not limited to hanging pictures or postcards on your trivets. I tacked up a carnation to dry. The flower adds a bit more visual interest to the whole scheme. I hung my three circles in a vertical line, but there are so many other options you could try. Buy a few more packets of trivets and you could create an entire gallery wall or make a cool pattern on the wall. At $2.99 for a packet of three, it’s a very inexpensive project. (Hint: If you check Ikea’s “as is” area, you might even be able to score some for less!) I love the versatility of this cork trivet wall décor. Whenever...

Make a Travel Art Wall From Souvenirs

Travel art on the wall.

When most people travel, they buy one thing: souvenirs. I’ve bought plenty of keychains and magnets from those kitschy souvenir shops that seem to exist everywhere. As great as the magnet or bottle opener is, I’ve found that I want something more memorable to remind me of the places I’ve visited. Over the past few years, I’ve collected different types of artwork from the countries I’ve visited. To show them off, I put together a wall of travel art in my apartment. Displaying memorabilia collected from the different trips I’ve taken works not only as a souvenir, but also as personalized home décor. It also makes a great way to remember my travels. The great thing about creating a wall of travel art is all the possibilities! The collection can be made up of prints, photographs, postcards, one-of-a-kind paintings, fabric, scraps of paper… (you get the idea). When I travel, I try to keep the expenses low. Most of my trips to foreign countries have involved staying at hostels or budget hotels, and packing lunch from the free hostel breakfast. As such, I try not to spend too much money on souvenirs. Here are some...

Decorating For Christmas: New Holiday Art Print

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Art Print

I’ve been obsessed with a trend I’ve noticed around the home blogging world lately: decorative pillows with holiday sayings on them. One of my favorites is this “Baby It’s Cold Outside” pillow over at The Nester. It’s an unexpected touch of festiveness without looking over-the-top Christmasy. I think I’m also into mixing words/type into home décor right now. As a writer, I’m a big word nerd. I didn’t feel like committing to a pillow. (I’m hard on them.) So, when I spotted this print with its modern merry look, I had to have it. I don’t even remember how I found the artist, Lindsey Nichols at The Curious Nickel, but when I saw that she was based in Kansas City, Missouri I was even more excited because buying her print meant supporting local art! Well, this pretty baby arrived today! I popped her into a simple black frame I already had, and right now she’s hanging out on my mantle. I’ll probably move her around the house several times and I can’t wait. Psst. Lindsey’s having a sale over at her shop on Etsy. Buy two 8×10 prints, get one free. I took part in her sale, so I...

Do It Yourself Hanging Collage

If you need an easy way to fill a blank wall, go for a simple hanging collage. It creates a lot of drama without much effort. It’s inexpensive. It’s completely customizable. And, it doesn’t require you to be handy with any tool more difficult to use than a hammer. Basically, you just string up a length of picture hanging wire supported by nails. Then, you use small binder clips to secure photos, magazine clippings and any other pretty papers you want to the wire. (Step-by-step instructions are at the end of the post.) When I first hung this collage in my living room, I had some decorating issues with it. See… Whoa. Way too much going on. It seems that I wanted to hang pretty much every postcard, photo and stray paper I had available on my collage. Don’t do this. It’s unorganized and cluttered. Instead, do this: Keep your papers and images evenly spaced. If you leave some room in between each paper, it creates a clean look. I also like the idea of picking a “theme” for your collage. That way it’s not too random. I chose travel. Thoughts of wandering and discovering new places inspire me. Plus, I already had a box full of various papers I accumulated...