This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in June 2013.
Easy art: sometimes that’s the mission when you’re on a budget and looking to make your place feel all warm and cozy. Use that leftover wall paint to your advantage: Make easy (and complementary!) art for your home in a snap.
Making DIY art is nothing new, especially when you need something to coordinate with a hard-to-match paint palette. Blank canvases are readily available for both amateur and professional artists at craft stores, but if your intent is to frame your artwork, you can get away using basic paper.
Step 1: Start with your canvas. Is it paper? Is it fabric? Is it a piece of scrap wood with a beautiful grain? Cut it to size with your utility knife (or saw, if it’s wood) and gather your materials for painting.
Step 2: The joy in using leftover latex paint that’s the same as what you used on your home’s walls is that you’re guaranteed to produce art that coordinates with your existing palette. I even chose to duplicate a hand-painted Ikat pattern that I used in a bedroom closet. The use of painter’s tape helped me stay within a certain area of my canvas and leave a crisp border.
Step 3: I gravitate towards the more abstract artwork naturally, and fortunately, with little patience, it’s one of the easiest techniques for an amateur like myself to mimic. I made a piece for my bathroom when we remodeled and wanted to add artwork to it, and I found myself following a similar style with one of my prints for this project.
Step 4: Allow the paint to dry completely, and remove any painter’s tape you’ve used in your project. The finished piece, wrapped in either a new frame or maybe a favorite that you had around the house, will add a nice touch to any room.
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