15+ DIY Wall Decorations (Art Decor Ideas)

Here are over 15 DIY wall decorations for a personalized space. Let me tell you how much I really dislike those mass-produced wall decorations. The Husband calls them “adult stickers.” I think people buy them because they don’t know what else to put up on the walls. So, I created this list to give you some inspiration. I think all of them are unique, really show off your personality, and are meaningful. I aimed for things that aren’t seasonal, so you don’t have to change things out.

What I Love About These 15+ DIY Wall Decorations For Your Home

When you go over to someone else’s house, you can immediately tell what kind of person they are. Sometimes, it stands out right away: messy or neat, lots of antiques or personal mementos, the colors, or even how bright the lighting is. What the person has on the wall is even more telling, like little windows into the soul. 

What would someone else say about you? Well, here are some ways to show that person just how special you are.

• I’m super thrifty, , so I don’t want to spend a fortune to decorate my house. Everything included here can be made or purchased on the cheap.
• If you love to thrift shop or antique shop, then you are in luck! Find something special at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army!
• None of the stuff is junk. I hate it when I go to site, and the article is just spammy clickbait. I actually have all these things on my walls.

DIY Wall Art Decor Ideas In Your House

1. A Map On A Corkboard

   Grab any map, even a printed one, and you can turn it into a piece of artwork. If you put it on a corkboard, you can also stick pins in it to show where you’ve been. Want an added bonus? Print a small size photo that you took on a trip to that place. It’s a great conversational piece when you have company over!

   

2. Photo Grid

   Grab any of your favorite photos, or even by subject, style, time, or theme. Put them up in an even, spaced row or gridline. Black and white photos in a black frame with a white mat are especially beautiful. When the kids were little, I had 5×5 rows in our kitchen with black and white photos of my favorite moments.

   

3. Plants

   Plants can make their own beautiful decor. Use as many plant shelves or mounts as you want. You can even make it into a grid (see above) for a nice display. For obvious reasons, you want to make sure your plants have enough light, or you can make a low-light display on the opposite side of a sunny window.

   

4. A Newspaper or A Book Page

   Newspapers and books make wonderful artwork. If there is a special moment in your life, you can buy the front page of your newspaper for that date. Or maybe there is an announcement in the newspaper. Or your favorite poem. Or maybe you have a signed page from the author? When I was in the bookstore recently, I saw many mass-produced books that were “signed” by the author. I imagined making a gallery of my favorite authors!

   

5. A Child’s Drawing

   Most of my children’s artwork (there is soooooooooo much of it) got photographed and then tossed. But every once in a while, I framed something that I know they worked hard on. You can put different pieces out, or make a statement wall of it. Or, if you want to get electronic, get one of those wonderful picture frames that keep changing out the pictures automatically.

   

6. Thrift Store Artwork

   My local Goodwill sells thrifted artwork for like $2 on Tuesdays. (Get it? Two Dollar Tuesday!) I’ve found some nice pieces there, some that are worth a few hundred dollars each. I’ve gotten into the habit of going to that section first, just in case there is a Rembrandt or something that someone donated. I know you’ve heard of those stories! I also have many pieces of artwork that my friends made me, so those are special. But really, it doesn’t matter how much it’s worth. Just that if you like it.

   

7. Thrift Store Frames

   You can also buy picture frames at the Goodwill. You can, of course, leave them as-is. Or you can paint them a uniform color … or a rainbow of colors. Sometimes I like to find a frame and then decide what to put in it. As if the frame is speaking to me. I once bought a lot of frames, lightly sanded them, and then painted them all black. I then cut out poster board to size, and mounted black and white photos of places that The Husband and I vacationed. It was such a treasured place, a constant reminder of the good times in our life. (In case you are wondering, we have since moved. Haha, I haven’t unpacked that box yet. Soon! Soon!)

   

8. Painted Geometric Shapes

   Who says you have to hang something on the wall? Why not just paint different designs directly onto the wall? Paint is cheap, and so is painter’s tape. Or even free-handing it, if you’ve got the art skillz. Other interesting design ideas: an ombre wall, chevron pattern, and simple rectangle-like “picture frames.”

   

    

9. Old Postcards

   Or new postcards! Or anything handwritten! You can find postcards pretty much everywhere, including at antique or thrift stores. Pick one up at every airport you go to, or every beach, or every single place you visit. Want a fun idea? Send your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend/dog a postcard every time you go to a new place (even if it’s just the museum down the street). Write them a note, and drop the postcard in the mail to your address. Soon, you will have a wall of keepsakes. Or, find lots of old postcards from random people. The older the better!

   

10. Mood Board

    If you haven’t heard of a mood board, it’s something that you create every once in a while to get you in the “mood.” Many times, it’s your goals for the year/season/next few months. I often create mood boards for my books. Get a poster board and make yourself a “you” board. Or just tack them up on the wall with push pins (or put on a corkboard, a white board, or even poster board).

    

11. Pressed Flowers

    Your husband gave you a dozen red? Press them! You usually put flowers between newspaper sheets or books, then weigh it down with more books. Eventually, the water content gets dried out and you have a lovely preserved flower. Hang these up on the wall for a beautiful keepsake.

    

12. Quilt or Embroidery

    If you have a quilt that your grandma made, or even if you’ve bought one, you can hang it up for a nice decoration. The benefit of this type of wall hanging is that it also absorbs sound. This is beneficial in any room that has high ceilings, is really large, or has audible noises when you walk (like a hallway). It can also absorb sound through walls, so you can put it between bedrooms for some extra noise canceling.

    

13. Collage of Mirrors

    Like your own reflection? Show off yourself in style with a wall of mirrors! Personally, I have a thing against mirrors. I know all about Bloody Mary. And walking down the hallway at night, when I am half asleep, I can totally believe she exists. If you are one of the former, then you might love a collection of mirrors. You can find vintage ones at the thrift store, and many have unusual shapes and designs on them. 

    

14. Chalkboard Wall

    This is a great idea if you like to draw, have children, or just want your idle thoughts to be your decoration. Some practical uses are the weekly menu or shopping list, to-do items, or how you are feeling that day. If you have commitment issues, you can hang up a chalkboard.

    

15. Handmade Wreaths

    Making a wreath is relatively easy, and can be made from almost any object. They do not have to be complicated, or contain a lot of things. All you need is a wreath form. Then, you can gather items from your garden or house. Some objects that I love are leaves, pine branches, fresh (or dried) flowers, and twigs.

    

16. Origami Wall Display

    Many people like to make these and hang them from the ceiling. But this would be a great display on either one long shelf (think the entire length of a room) or even on a floating shelf. You can even put them in front of books or sitting on top of other objects.

    

17. Printer’s Box

    The Husband used to be in printing, and they have these old-style boxes that used to keep typeset. Repurpose one and hang it on the wall for all those teeny tiny mementos. You can also use just about any type of box that you want, even make yourself a box.

    

18. Music Sheets

    If you have a special song (such as your wedding song, the song that was playing the first day you met, or even your fav), why not buy the sheet music (or find the sheet music online) and frame it? You can also buy a book holder and leave the book permanently open to the song. 

    

19. Make Your Own

    You can make your own printables using Canva (or just about any image software, like Gimp or Photoshop). You can make some cute things to put inside of a frame and then hang up around your house.