6 Cool DIY Art Projects for Less Than $50 (2024)

Step 1: Select a floral shower curtain, or any other print, as your art canvas inspiration. Newhart notes that a cloth shower curtains work the best.You can add texture by embroidering the pattern on the curtain. Use an embroidery hoop to keep the cloth taut.

Step 2: Build a large square frame for your canvas using 1-inch-by-2-inch-by-8-foot lumber. The length should be about two inches shorter than each side of the shower curtain. Place the wood on a flat surface (make sure you have some sort of liner or construction paper underneath to minimize a sticky mess). Check that each corner forms a 90 degree angle.Use wood glue to attach each piece to make a frame, secure with a staple gun. Let dry at least four hours.

Step 3: Stretch the canvas. Lay your shower curtain facedown on a flat surface, placing the frame on top. Find the center on one of the sides, then start wrapping curtain fabric around the frame, securing it with the nail gun every two to three inches to avoid loose sections. Work your way toward the edges. Once one side is complete, pull the curtain tight and repeat the process on the opposite side. Continue the process on the adjacent sides.

Step 4: To hang up the canvas, secure it to the wall by placing a two-inch finishing nail through each corner. You can also place three nails into the wall and rest the canvas atop.

Rather than placing an art piece inside a frame, why not paint the glass portion of the frame itself? DIY influencer Amara Hasham chose to liven up her space with a custom piece. “When it comes to gallery walls, my style is ever-evolving,” she says. So it’s only fitting that this hack is entirely reversible. As Hasham says, “When you get bored you can wash it off and paint a new piece. It is really that simple!”

To make your own painted glass piece, you’ll need:

Step 1: For best results, clean the glass of the frame with a streak-free glass cleaner, like Windex.

Step 2: Using painters take or masking tape, make a border so the design stays in the middle of the frame.

Step 3: Paint the design. “Watercolors give that free-flow look that I so love,” Hasham says. She also notes that the nature of watercolor paint allows you to build on your design. If you make a mistake during the painting process, simply wipe away and start over.

Step 4: Remove the masking tape. If any paint bleeds, adjust with a damp cotton swab.

Step 5: Hang the painted frame against a white wall, or place a sheet of cardstock in the hue of your choosing behind the glass to further enhance the design.

An oversized piece of pegboard can double as extraordinary artwork with a little creativity and yarn. Ashley Wilson, a DIY and decor influencer, notes that the free website FlossCross can turn any piece of art into a cross-stitch pattern. Print the pattern out for reference and get started stitching!

To make your own cross-stitch floral art, you’ll need:

Step 1: Design a pattern to stitch.

Step 2: Vacuum the pegboard. “The little holes have lots of brown dust and tiny wood pieces from manufacturing,” Wilson explains. “They make a mess if not cleaned up first.”

Step 3: Start stitching. “I found it easiest to use a dry erase marker to mark the color I’d be stitching on my peg board,” Wilson says. “Then I stitched an X over those marks.” Start in one corner and work down and over. Cut a long piece of yarn and stitch a whole section where that color belongs. When the yarn runs out, knot and cut the end.

Step 4: Add a frame to the edge of the pegboard. “I like how this finishes off the art,” Wilson says. To do so, cut the lumber to size and adhere with wood glue or finishing nails to the pegboard.

Step 5: Hang the pegboard on the wall by placing screws through the peg holes in each corner.

Writer and lifestyle blogger Heather Bien wanted to fill the empty space above her sofa with a large, graphic piece. But, she says, “I didn't want to buy something just to buy something. Creating something on my own was the best interim solution, and now it's grown on me.” Bien’s black-and-white abstract piece “looks simple and minimalist, but when you get up close, there’s a ton of detail and monochromatic textural elements that make the piece more interesting,” she says. To jazz things up further, you could add a bit of shine to the piece, perhaps with gold foil.

To create your own black-and-white abstract, you’ll need:

Step 1: Lay the foundation for your art by painting a coat of light-colored paint on the canvas.While you can go for crisp white, creamy colors give the art a worn in aesthetic.

Step 2: Sketch out a simple, minimalist design of lines and curves.

Step 4: Paint the design with black paint. Take care to apply several layers, especially in the sculptural elements of the tissue layer.

Step 5: Finish the edges of the canvas in black paint. No need for a frame.

If you’re looking for ultra-affordable, 3D art that is sure to make a statement, try your hand at a paper-chain wall hanging, as Brittany Jepsen, founder of The House that Lars Built, did. This project is simple, affordable, and works in a multitude of spaces—from a color-thirsty living room to an accent wall in a budget-friendly kid's bedroom.

To make a paper-chain wall hanging, you’ll need:

Step 1: Create a color theme and sketch out the design. Allocate the colors of your choosing and cut the paper into ½-inch-by-3-½-inch-long strips.

Step 2: Making the paper chain is easy—you probably did this in kindergarten! Overlap each paper strip by about half an inch and secure with glue to form a closed loop. Thread the next paper strip through the closed loop and secure with glue. Continue until you’ve completed a strand. Repeat the process.

Step 3: When all the chains are complete (you will probably have at least 30 or 40), slide all the strands onto a wooden dowel.