DIY Wall Art Ideas to Add Personality to Your Home

When you move into a new home, there’s always that moment when you stare at your blank walls, wondering how you’ll fill them and give them personality. And as fun as it is to track down wall art from retail stores, we’ll suggest another way to dress up your living room or bedroom walls: DIY artwork you can create yourself. It might sound kind of intimidating, but we’re here to tell you that lots of DIY paintings, embroidery pieces, and abstract artwork isn’t as hard to make as you think and can create a striking accent wall in your home. Actually, many of the projects we’re sharing here from some of our favorite DIY bloggers around can be made in a weekend, an afternoon, or even an hour! Handmade ideas are also the perfect solution for adding interest to a gallery wall.

Making DIY wall art can also be a lot easier on your wallet too. Instead of springing for that expensive piece you spied in a catalog, you can create an oh-so-similar version for a fraction of the price, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself. So block off some quality alone time, gather up your friends, or ask your little ones to join in on the fun, because it’s time to make some DIY wall art.

A large-scale piece of painted plywood lends graphic punch to any space. First, cut a piece of plywood to desired size (ours is four feet square). Draw a quilt block (here, Twin Star–style) on the wood with pencil, using a ruler or painter’s tape for straight lines, then paint with acrylic paint. Nail strips of 1/2-inch trim along the edges to finish. Lean or hang on the wall.

A bevy of baskets brings ample texture to a room. Using nails, hang a larger basket in the middle, then surround with smaller baskets in a circular or starburst pattern.

Wooden spoons come in many sizes, shapes, and colors, making them the perfect ombre kitchen art. To assemble, cut a piece of plywood to the desired size and paint. Lay spoons in a light-to-dark pattern on the wood, and use a pencil to mark a spot on both sides of each spoon, typically just below the bowl. Remove spoons, and drill holes at markings. Working with one spoon at a time, loop fine-gauge wire over the handle and through the holes; twist together wire ends behind the wood to secure. Repeat until complete, then hang.

When it comes to gallery walls, frames can get expensive. For this arrangement, simply clip prints to vintage clipboards. Thread a piece of leather jewelry cord under the clip, knot it at the top, and hang with a pushpin.

SHOP LEATHER JEWELRY CORD

Memorialize a vacation, hiking excursion, rowing adventure, or road trip by outlining the route traversed with ribbon or twine on a new or vintage map. Hold both options in place on the map with hot-glue.

Start by collecting leaves and thin-stemmed branches. Lay them on 11-by-14-inch canvas boards. Use a round foam stencil brush to paint around the leaves with acrylic paint, covering the canvas. Remove leaves, and allow boards to dry. Use white paint for any touch-ups. Frame as desired.

SHOP WOODEN FRAMES

Keep everyone in the loop with an entryway wall calendar. Use painter’s tape (we used a 1/2-inch-wide roll) to tape off a 35-square grid to desired size, as well as two rectangles, as shown. Paint with acrylic chalkboard paint (we used Behr’s Interior Chalk Decorative Paint). Once dry, remove tape, and touch up any rough edges. Tie a length of twine around a piece of chalk, knot end, and hang on wall with a pushpin.

SHOP PAINTER'S TAPE

String art is not just for summer camp! Gussy up the laundry room or a kids’ bath with appropriate words like “wash” or “splash.” Start by cutting out letters from craft paper. Mark nail holes with a pencil on the wall using the letters as a guide. Hammer copper nails into the wall, and wrap nails with lengths of assorted-colored thick yarn.

SHOP COPPER NAILS

Transform wallpaper remnants into floating flowers. Trace and cut out 8 to 12 (depending on sizes) petals on backs of wallpaper remnants. Pinch together one end of each petal, and secure with hot-glue. Once dry, glue petals together in a circle. Secure to wall with pushpins.

Get the step-by-step how-to: How to Make Wallpaper Flowers

A collection of colorful vintage Bundt pans in assorted shapes lends retro flair to a kitchen or pantry wall. Bonus: You can take ’em down and use them as needed. For another take on this graphic idea, try it with a tray or plate collection.

Make wall art interactive in a play room by hanging a vintage or new nine-pane window frame. Add galvanized X’s and O’s, and let the games begin.

SHOP GALVANIZED LETTERS

Arrange books in a fun, slightly haphazard pattern, putting heavy-duty nails or staples through the back covers to secure. For extra texture, hold some pages open with string or fishing line.

Looking as if it’s jumped right out of the 1970s, this incredibly cheerful rainbow wall art is guaranteed to make you smile. All it requires is a canvas, some painter’s tape, and a kaleidoscope of paint colors.

Get the tutorial at At Home with Ashley.

SHOP PAINTBRUSHES

With a tutorial like this one, you really can whip up your own abstract art to display in your home, no previous painting experience required. It’s sure to be a conversation starter as soon as your guests walk in the door.

Get the tutorial at Delineate Your Dwelling.

SHOP ACRYLIC PAINT

We're fully aware of the silhouette trend sweeping the flea markets nowadays. Beloved for their old-school flair, you can make silhouettes of your very own family members with this beginner how-to.

Get the tutorial at Sincerely, Sara D.

SHOP OVAL FRAMES

Using a woven panel and a frame you make yourself, there are no embroidery skills needed to craft this bee-utiful wall art.

Get the tutorial at Shrimp Salad Circus.

SHOP STAPLE GUNS

Starting with free printable flowers, card stock, a large poster board, and frame, this colorful floral wall art will cost you only $5—and only an hour of time!—to make.

Get the tutorial at A Piece of Rainbow.

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While we love the vibrant green hues of ferns, we can’t help but gravitate toward these faux fern fronds covered in a layer of glam gold. They particularly pop against a black canvas.

Get the tutorial at Just a Little Creativity.

SHOP BLACK CANVASES

So, maybe you don’t fancy yourself a painter. That’s okay! Instead, follow this tutorial to frame a piece of artful fabric that looks just as creative.

Get the tutorial at RemodelaCasa.

SHOP SCISSORS

For something on the modern side, paint simple black and white blocks onto a cream background, frame, and admire on your wall.

Get the tutorial at Nadine Stay.

SHOP T-SQUARES

You love the scent of lavender—so why not paint some lovely lavender flowers for your wall? Although it looks complicated, this tutorial will have you feeling like a flower-painting Picasso in a flash.

Get the tutorial at Feeling Nifty.

SHOP SQUARE CANVASES

We're loving all the stunning bohemian wall art we’re seeing on Etsy these days. And guess what? You can make one of those masterpieces yourself, using wallet-friendly wood shims and your favorite power tools.

Get the tutorial at Amber Oliver.

SHOP WOOD GLUE

Let’s say that you’ve spotted a canvas at the thrift store, but you’re not exactly over the moon about the artwork on it. If the size is perfect for your wall, transform it into an abstract treasure you’ll adore.

Get the tutorial at Savvy Apron.

SHOP GOLD CRAFT PAINT

Believe it or not, you can take your fave vacation pictures and turn them into full-color, large-scale engineer prints, which we guarantee will look perfect on your mantel.

Get the tutorial at The Turquoise Home.

SHOP FOAM BOARDS

Layering a mix of navy blues, creams, and grays, you can turn some of your top paint colors and into a dreamy piece to proudly display in your home.

Get the tutorial at City Farmhouse.

SHOP FOAM BRUSHES

For a touch of global flair, you can make this stenciled wall art which looks a lot like batik patterning. The blue and white hues make it look fresh and distinctive for any space.

Get the tutorial at Brepurposed.

SHOP WHITE PAINT

If you can’t get enough of gold, we highly suggest that you make this abstract wall art that incorporates pinks, grays, and mesmerizing liquid gold foil.

Get the tutorial at The Sweetest Digs.

SHOP GOLD LEAFING PAINT

You’ll be pleased to know that you can make these absolutely adorable farmhouse signs for your laundry room with artist panels scored at the dollar store.

Get the tutorial at Robyn Johanna.

SHOP WOOD STAIN

We all have them—those vintage paintings gathering dust in our basements that haven’t seen the light of day in years. Whether they’ve been passed down in your family or you changed your mind about them after buying them at a flea market, you can give them a modern look by dipping them in paint.

Get the tutorial at Simple Stylings.

SHOP PAINTER’S TAPE

Marbled-anything can be hypnotic, from countertops to cake to those pages inside antique books, but a marbled piece of wall art? Sign us up, especially when it showcases touches of gold.

Get the tutorial at Made in a Day.

SHOP CLEAR ACRYLIC SEALERS

Oversized and ideal to hang over a couch, this geometric wall art can be made using plywood and spray paint. It’s just the contemporary accent a living room needs.

Get the tutorial at Making Home Base.

SHOP SANDPAPER

Whether you collect sea glass or if you’ve picked up a bag or two at the craft store, you can make this coastal creation. Spotlighted in a float frame and forming the shape of a wave, you’ll be instantly transported to the ocean every time you look at it.

Get the tutorial at The House House.

SHOP GLUE GUNS

With a stencil and spray paint in hand, you can create this beautiful wall art showing off a grove of birch trees. We think it’s an incredibly soothing, nature-inspired addition to any home.

Get the tutorial at Dans le Lakehouse.

SHOP BLUE SPRAY PAINT

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