Whether it's your children's precious kindergarten scribbles, a masterpiece you attempted to paint yourself, or some other form of art you've collected along the way, there are many fun and easy ways to re-use and re-purpose artwork in order to add a dash of funky style to your home.
In this article, we'll show you how you can creatively apply basic DIY crafting skills to transform old artwork into something new, fun, and vibrant.
Bathrooms at fancy restaurants often use artwork to create a sense of atmosphere, but bathrooms in homes rarely seem to have any artwork. Instead of a stodgy, boring bathroom, why not liven it up with some re-purposed artwork?
Fun ideas include applying a new frame and hanging the artwork near your medicine cabinet for a burst of artistic energy during your morning routine. Or, for a truly innovative DIY experience, consider removing the frame(s) and applying one or more canvases to the bathroom ceiling, adding a fun bit of colour and texture to a rarely noticed area of the house. Just be sure to laminate everything before you apply it to the ceiling so it won't be affected by the steam from your shower or bath.
No need to rip out the original canvas, this fun DIY idea lets you upcycle old "hotel room style" artwork and other mouldy masterpieces into something fun and new. If the frame looks dingy or isn't matching the rest of your home's decor, it's really simple to repaint the frame.
Other fun ideas include cutting wallpaper or other textured surfaces to match the dimensions of the canvas, effectively covering up the original artwork. This is a simple and afforable decor idea to update your living room! You can add a neat accessory like a homemade wreath to add warmth or glue on shells and other items to add depth.
It's said that many of the most celebrated painters in history, including Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, would paint over old canvases, so why can't you?
Simply sand off any lumps or bumps and apply a layer or two of plain white (or plain black) paint, then let your creative genius do the rest. If your artwork is painted on a rigid surface like a wood panel, you'll need to remove the paint and then sand until you've got a blank new area to work on.
In this modern age, we often think of cropping photos as something that's purely a digital experience. But old paintings can be cropped, too. If you've inherited a busy landscape or pastoral scene, why not cut out your favourite section and then re-frame it? Even better, practise cropping it on your computer first to make sure you know exactly where to cut the physical artwork.
If you've got a lot of artwork, one of the best ways to showcase it is by cutting it up and combining your favourite parts to make a collage. This idea is perfect for parents with mountains of artwork from their children, giving their colourful scribbles a new lease on life.
You can place images neatly within a collage template or go for a more abstract look. Finish your collage with a brightly coloured plastic frame, and you'll have a great way to permanently memorialize the highlights of your children's budding artistic abilities.
Whether it's a boring scene or simply an unfinished masterpiece, one of the easiest and most creative ways to upcycle old art is to use some glue and add funny things to the picture.
Simply cut out pictures from a magazine, download and print silly images, or go wild and create your own cutouts with construction paper and glue them onto your old artwork.
Add a unicorn to a fishing scene, a dinosaur to a landscape, or anything else that makes you laugh! Consider how this could be a heartfelt father's day gift for a particularly goofy dad.
Another great way to hang onto your children's early artwork is to convert it into a placemat. Not only will your child love seeing their own masterpieces at the dinner table, but it's also a great way to ensure that the original artwork lasts for a long time. This could even be a new project – set them up with the right supplies, and your kids can help you with the dêcor for your Thanksgiving table.
All you need to do is laminate!
Whether it's to help celebrate the grand opening of your first gallery exposition or for a birthday party, it's really easy to convert old artwork into banners. Cut your old artwork into circles or half circles using a stencil and then string them up in a line, a great way to add unique colours and textures to an otherwise boring piece of decoration.
If your children have already contributed a mountain of artwork, one of the best ways to display it is by challenging the other members of the household to create their own masterpieces. Each person then chooses their favourite two pieces.
Frame them and then hang them somewhere together. A family art gallery is an excellent conversation starter, especially when you challenge guests to judge who's the most talented artist in the family.
Whether you're searching for a fun way to re-purpose an old canvas picked up at a yard sale or just want to do something about the mountain of toddler scribbles you've got stuffed away in a drawer, it's really easy and simple to reuse artwork in cool and creative ways. Take a little inspiration from your little artists, and let your imagination soar!