DIY Wall Art – Big impact, small cost!

Last Updated on March 3, 2022

Hey y’all! Do you have a lot of empty wall space in your home that is begging for some art, but you are working on a tight budget? I certainly did, and if you do also, then this project is for you!

Making your own DIY wall decor is an incredible way to fill your blank walls without spending a fortune. In this post, I am going to teach you how to make large scale DIY wall art for around $10.00!  And check out this post where I teach you how to frame it with a wood frame without the need for any power tools whatsoever.  Now, let’s get started.

I created my print using PicMonkey. PicMonkey is totally free, though I do pay for the upgraded membership, which gives me access to a few additional design elements. But, I created this project with the free sources and you can, too! First, you need to decide on what you what your print to say. I chose a quote from one of my favorite Eric Church songs. It’s totally appropriate since Joe and I are North Carolinians and both love the song and quote. You can choose absolutely anything you want!

It is important to size your digital image correctly. Use the chart below to determine how many pixels you need to make your digital image so that the quality of the print will be good. The chart below from urban75.org is the best one that I have found for guidance. I was working on a 36 x 48 inch print, so I used the highest suggested resolution settings of 3264 x 2448 pixels.

Next up, watch this video to learn exactly how to make your own print using PicMonkey. It’s easy to do, I promise. If you can use a computer, you can do this!

Once your print is completed, save it to a flash drive and hop in the car to go to an Office Depot or Staples. When you arrive, tell them you would like an engineer print. There are different sizes. Again, I opted for the largest size, which is 36 x 48. The price will vary from store to store and by region, but my store charged me $4.20 for this print. They will print it off for you and trim it if necessary. Be sure to ask them to do a print preview so that you can see what it looks like on the screen before they print. They will happily make adjustments for you prior to printing if necessary.

Next up… time to mount your print.

Supplies needed for DIY Wall Art

• Spray adhesive {I used Elmer’s CraftBond spray, but there are tons of options}
• White hardboard from Home Depot {you can buy pre-cut hardboard on Amazon, if you prefer. Just be sure that you do not try using a trifold foam core—I tried it and it caused a wrinkly mess}. We paid $11.00 for a HUGE 4 x 8 sheet of hardboard and used used about 1/2 of the sheet.
• Utility knife
• Straight edge

Steps to Create DIY Wall Art:

1) Cut your hardboard to the same size as your print. You can use a utility knife to do this. NOTE: If you are planning for frame your print, be sure to trim both the hardboard AND the print so that they fit into the frame properly. After it is cut, use your utility knife to clean up the edges as necessary.

2) Next, use your spray adhesive on the size you will be mounting your print to—I used the white side of our hardboard. Be sure to follow the instructions for your particular spray adhesive. For the Elmer's CraftBond spray that I used, you must allow it to dry for a couple of minutes before attaching your print. If you apply it too quickly, the bond will be too strong to reposition it if necessary. By waiting, the surface will be tacky and forgiving if you need to make adjustments.

3) Roll your print all the way up, with the image facing in {see below}. Then, line up the outer edge of the print with the backer board and SLOWLY roll the image flat onto the surface, being careful to avoid air bubbles. THIS IS A TWO PERSON JOB. Do not try to do this with only one set of hands. Sorry, it was impossible to take a photo of us placing the image since all 4 of our hands were in use :)

4) Once the entire image is in place, rub your hands over the entire surface to ensure good adhesion.

The total cost was right around $10 {$4.20 for the print + $5.50 for half a sheet of hardboard}. Talk about getting a big bang for your buck! You could prop it up on a shelf, mantle or other surface and leave it as is. But if you want to frame it and hang it on a wall like I did, check out this post to see how I framed this beautiful print for less than $20.00 without using any power tools. It’s the BEST TIP ever {if I do say so myself}.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to pin it and check out my other DIY art tutorials!

 

 

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