Wanting to spruce up your home with eccentric artwork but are struggling to find that perfect piece for the perfect price?

Art is in the eye of the beholder and it pays to think outside the box when creating new pieces for your home.

Here, we share our top tips for creating totally individual but inexpensive artwork for your next DIY project.

1. Take inspiration from nature

All good things come from nature. We like to think so anyway!

Take some old palm fronds from your backyard, hang them to dry, mount the dried fronds in an inexpensive frame and (hey presto!) you have yourself a totally unique piece of art!

The same could apply to dried flowers, berries or leaves - the list is endless!

Tip – If the natural item you are wanting to frame is still bulky after the drying process, we recommend buying a shadow-box frame. This will allow for a bit of extra room between the mounting backboard and the glass cover.

2. Random market finds

While in Europe last summer, we visited the quintessential Camden Markets near London and came across some really cool eclectic prints. Regardless of the hassle of bringing them home in our backpacks, we just had to have them!

The prints were not only unique due to the location we found them in, but we also picked them up for an absolute steal at just 20 pounds for the lot!

Our prints have now been lovingly framed (in frames from Ikea for less than $15 dollars a pop) and currently adorn the entry to our home.

However, you don’t need to travel all the way to Europe (and spend all that money) to replicate this type of artwork in your own home. Local markets always have budding young artists you could support, or you could frame a poster of your favourite band, comic or movie instead!

3. Travel photo print

In keeping with the travel theme of the previous item, why not enlarge and print a particularly special image from one of your recent vacays?

The beauty of creating a piece of artwork like this in your home, means you can reminisce every day about that beautiful secluded beach, or remember the colours and sights from vibrant cities and towns you visited.

I am personally itching to print and frame this spectacular image captured by Will on our last overseas adventure. I get lost in the beauty of it and the sight transports me instantly back to my favourite tiny town of Atrani, perched on the Italian Amalfi Coast.

Disclaimer: We do not accept responsibility for the side effects of hanging this type of art which may include but is not limited to; time wasted day dreaming about the above holiday; extreme holiday blues when you realise you aren’t in the above holiday destination; and/or costs incurred when day dreams are not enough and you ‘accidentally’ (on purpose) book another trip.

4. Channel your inner Picasso

Ever seen a painting and thought, “I could do that”? Chances are if you put your mind and your brush to it, you might surprise yourself!

Your masterpiece doesn’t need to use technically advanced brushstrokes or have masterfully drawn, anatomically correct sketches that rival Da Vinci. All you need is a glass of wine, a few art supplies and a blank canvas!

If you still don’t think you have a creative bone in your body and would rather trust in a more established way of expressing of your creativity, there are plenty of places to try your hand at painting while enjoying a drink or two with friends.

Our favourite Brisbane based ones are Cork and Chroma; and Brush and Barrel.

5. Knick-knack paddy whack

Hanging knick-knacks and trinkets can be a totally ingenious way to help showcase your style. Not sure what we mean by ‘knick-knacks’? Not all ‘artwork’ has to come on a canvas or in frames!

If you have a country-style home, you could nail some old horseshoes to a timber plank. Have a beach shack? Why not hang some driftwood from fishing line or mount a piece of dried coral on a painted timber block? Or if you are after a more bohemian feel, try a macramé wall hanging instead.

You can really let your imagination run free with this one!

6. That’s kid-tastic!

Cherish your children’s kindergarten artwork by immortalising their depiction of ‘Spot, the Dog’ forever! Because, really, who ever said abstract art needed to be created by some middle-aged, French dude anyway?

There are many places you can get an image enlarged and transferred on to a canvas or printed on fine art paper and framed.

Don’t have your own kid handy to steal artwork from? No problems! Rummage around in hidey-holes at your parents place and we are sure you will be able to dig up some gold nuggets from your own kindergarten days to reminisce upon!

You might be surprised at how good that crayon drawing looks when enlarged and framed – some may even liken it to famous abstract artworks! And, at the very least, it will be a great talking point at dinner parties.

7. Photography wall of fame

If you have special photographs that you are sick of hiding away in a dusty box, why not try your hand at a photo wall to showcase those beautiful moments?

Head to your local photo store with a usb or storage drive and print out your favourite pictures. There are plenty of print options these days, our favourite is the Polaroid format and you could arrange them on your wall in a shape (diamond or heart for example).

The photos you print could have a common theme (e.g. only photos from your wedding; or photos of your family), or they could be a random collection of all the happy images that make up the framework of your life. It’s completely up to you!