Art Framing and Decorating Your Home on a Budget

Artwork is something that really brings a home together. When you head to a local framing store, you can be overwhelmed with what they have to offer, both in selection and pricing. Custom art framing can be incredibly expensive, normally hundreds of dollars for a simple print or painting. There are a few ways to beautifully decorate your home on a modest budget.

Buying already framed art is usually cheaper option than buying a print or painting and framing it yourself. You can usually find discounted artwork for sale in home goods stores and furniture warehouses or even at a local art fair. Try second hand stores and antique stores for low cost options. These places often have really unique selections of artwork that will always draw interest from your guests. By looking for already framed art you're also saving the hassle of having to pick a frame that suits your home décor, and dealing with matting and glass choices, paying for art framing, etc. You can generally find something you love at an inexpensive cost to you.

If you do happen to enjoy buying prints and artwork, another cheap art framing suggestion would be to try and find pre-made frames designed to suit common-sized pictures and paintings. There are a range of sizes that artists and photographers tend to publish their work as, such as 8" x10," 11"x14," or 17"x17" so that their customers can easily frame their work. This means you usually get to spend more on the artwork than the frame! These are available at framing stores, home stores, department stores, and sometimes even your local convenience store.

Another helpful thing is to try and buy art in these sizes that already come with matting. It really helps showcase work in a frame. Some artists sell artwork with matting to increase the value of the artwork, but it's still cheaper than custom matting. Otherwise there are pre-matted frames to feature your newly bought artwork in. If you have a penchant for vintage posters, you'll be glad to know that almost all posters are designed for pre-made frames.

If you can't afford the custom art framing or you can't afford the art, the next best thing is to find other creative ways to decorate. In a family home, nothing is more enjoyable than family photos from across the generations. This decorates your house and creates conversation pieces for friends and family alike. If you have children, display everything from scribbles to fine art projects to showcase an appreciation for your child's creativity. If your friends are casual painters or photographers, ask for donations or swap artwork for a favor and display that in your home. You can even try your hand at creating yourself!

You can decorate your home on a budget. Custom art framing is not the only solution. There are lots of ways to explore creatively and decorate your space to make it more comfortable, inviting, and express your personality and style.