creatively filling our walls with art

i love that my home is filled with art made by people i love. 

my people are artists. i am one lucky girl.

this summer, i have been collecting colorful art to hang on our walls. of course, that kind of project can get expensive very quickly; traditional frames are not cheap!

today i wanted to share how i've been hanging art on our living room walls creatively using thrifted pieces & what we already have on hand. (i hope to share this finished space soon!)

this wall used to have an old door leaning against it (another inexpensive & creative idea!), but i wanted something a bit more colorful given the mostly neutral tones of our furniture. 

on a weekend date trip to eureka springs, luke & i found this planting calendar in a small bookshop downtown. i collected clipboards for a couple of months from thrift stores for less than $1 each. i finally found twelve unique clipboards & hung each month on a clipboard to the wall with turquoise thumbtacks. easy, inexpensive & fun!

we've also been working on an art corner. we noticed during the winter months that we wanted a space in our home to make art, read, create & finish various paperwork instead of being cooped up in our home office. this space is coming together quite nicely!

below are some of my favorite pieces i added to this wall: 

the amaginarium cork board map is one of my favorite pieces. we've marked the places we've called home & our florida vacation spot later this month on our map. it isn't just art work! it doubles as a great learning tool for homeschooling families, too. i hung it with fabric ribbon & pom pom yarn to add a bit of extra color.

my sweet friend, erin, sent me that adorable greeting card in a recent package. i clipped it to a clipboard & hung it on our wall. it's too happy to sit in a box. instead of purchasing frames, clipboards in various sizes are the perfect cheap solution.

i have work by the amazing katy of katygirl designs in every room of our home. we have her calendar, greeting cards, notepad, prints & more scattered throughout our home. to hang this print, i used a frame i purchased at ikea a couple of years ago. ikea is a great place for traditional frames at a great price. every time we plan a road trip, i try to work in a trip to ikea for frames. luke is always really excited to go to ikea with me (kidding).

the bird identification chart was a lucky thrift store find. thrift stores are stuffed with forgotten artwork looking for a new home. i have found the best floral paintings, embroidered art & dull picture frames in need of a little spray paint at thrift shops. keep your eye out the next time you're thrifting!

my dear friend, sara of the rosy life, just opened her etsy shop. i remember seeing a sneak peek of this piece on her instagram feed & knew i had to have it. i placed it in a white thrift store frame & it really brightens our walls.  (get free shipping in her shop with the code freeshipping00 until monday, 7/21)

sara, of the rosy life, & i live in the same town. i am oh so lucky to spend time with her & her girls regularly at their home. sara inspires me. her home is filled with handmade & thrifted pieces. every time i visit, i come home with so many ideas on how to fluff our nest with what we already have.

i want to make a plug for her because i love sara so much! - sara is using this gifting of art & homemaking to love women right where she is. i signed up for her upcoming workshop & will be attending with a girlfriend. i need renewing, friends. i need creative time with girls. maybe you do, too? i'd love to share the evening with you at sara's home!

you see, my people are artists. 

how do you fill your home with art that's dearly loved, inexpensive & creative?

love,

natalie