This one is going to be a bit tongue in cheek, because it is Halloween after all.
Make your own Minimalist Artwork
- Grab a blank canvas. Paint it white. Hang it.
- Grab a blank canvas. Paint a stripe in any colour you choose in any direction. Hang it
- Grab a blank canvas. Paint a hollow circle in the middle. Hang it.
Are we getting the hang of this yet? This is the true essence of minimalism!
Just kidding.
Okay, okay. On to serious matters.
Ideas for Cheap & Chic Minimalist Decorations
My ideas above weren’t bad, but there are other ways to make Minimalist Artwork for decoration that don’t involve a blank canvas with 2 minutes of work, as tempting as that sounds.
Take a piece of wallpaper or fabric that you really love, and frame it
This is a very cheap and chic way to make some quick artwork that looks great.
For example,
If you have different coloured stripes, grab three squares of it, and frame them.
Then, when you hang the frames, play with the configuration and layout, until you find something that works.
Hang a the pattern on its side, or upside down.
Check out some of the combinations of fabrics you could combine in frames as artwork:
Via daisyjanie on Etsy.
Take photographs and make it work
Crocosmia - by James Read - $22
The best thing about minimalist photography, is you can just take a picture of DIRT and it looks good.
It’s all about being minimalist, after all, and it’s the angle in which you take the picture, or the modifications you do to it, to make it your own.
After you have a great photograph, frame it.
Or better yet, float mount it.
It gives it an extra panache and guaranteed, people will ask you who the photographer was.
Think about doing it in black & white for an added mystery, or in a sepia tone for a wistful feeling.
The last option would be if you are adventurous is to take 3 pictures in a triptych (where it looks like one whole picture, but is actually 3 pictures separated).
An easier way to create a triptych would be to take one very large image, and just simply chop it into thirds, and frame each third separately.
Or in quarters for another look, to frame them into squares.
White decorations are safe and your best bet
If you buy items in a pure white, it tends to look more calming and neutral than something with a lot of colours or patterns.
Dark wood items are also good choices. Anything with a kind of earthy, feel good nature are good picks.
The only thing I’d suggest is if you are not a neutral-type of person, keep the entire palette neutral and calm, but put a single item that will stand out in the sea of neutrals.
Something like a bright red lacquered vase with dark brown branches as decoration.
Don’t overcrowd surfaces
Keep the surfaces and shelves free of any decoration except a single item, or a small grouping of 3 items.
A huge bouquet of flowers arranged on the mantlepiece in a vase can also be minimalist. As long as there’s nothing else around it, like a ring of candles, or extra knick knacks.
Less is really more in this case.
Allow for space and blank spots
Blank walls are okay.
Blank spots on shelves are okay.
Blank spaces on the floor are okay.
Display & Re-use your blank CD jewel cases
Here are all of the instructions from Photojojo.
They also have a video tutorial you can watch!
- Remove the plastic insides of your jewel case. Take out the paper insert and remove the perforated edges. Use this as a template from which to cut your cardboard.
- Cut out cardboard pieces. (To use as backing for your photographs to prevent them from buckling.)
- Trim your photographs to size. Your images should be exactly 5 3/8×4 5/8 to fit snugly in the back of the jewel cases. We cropped our images down from 5 x 7 prints.
- Attach cardboard pieces to your cropped photographs using double-sided tape.
- Plop your photo into the back of your jewel case, facing out. Close the jewelcase.
- Affix a piece of one side of the Velcro tape to the backs of your finished case, and the other side of the tape to the spots on the wall where you’ll hang your frames.
- Put on some music and have fun hanging your awesome new frames!
Well I hope that’s given you some ideas for minimalist, chic decorations.
You can also do cool things with CD covers by turning them into a memory game for kids.
I know the link says to use wooden slats or something similar, but why not CD cases?
Wooden Memory Game, but why not use CD jewel cases with matching pictures?
Please chime in if you have any other ideas!
Christine Simiriglia
on Oct 31st, 2009
@ 10:23 am:
I love the idea of white… but, unfortunately my cats love it to so it doesn’t stay white very long. We have had to go with color to keep the “clean” look a little longer. You can apply the same principals with color as you do with white. Keep the color in the same tone, accent with one other color that is completely different but complimentary. Still minimal… just brighter.
I really love the CD case art. I’ve been looking for an idea on how to group some smaller photos and traditional frames weren’t doing it for me. Thanks bunches for this!!!
Christine Simiriglia´s last blog ..You have the Power to Save Your Local Economy
Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord
on Oct 31st, 2009
@ 12:19 pm:
Ohh, these ideas are great! I saw something in West Elm one time that inspired me with regard to framing wall paper squares and hanging them. I love the cheap black wood frames with white mattes that IKEA sells, and anything looks good in them.
Another idea for minimalist and fairly cheap decorations are fresh flowers that last, like carnations, mums or daisies. I don’t know what it is about those flowers, but I can keep a vase full of carnations and mums for ten days without them wilting or turning brown. Figuring they cost about $7 a bunch at the grocery story, 10 days of fresh flowers once a month isn’t bad! Plus, they make me happy. (smile)
Megan “JoyGirl!” Bord´s last blog ..Love Leaves Again
lynda
on Oct 31st, 2009
@ 12:23 pm:
I love the cd case art.. now I find myself thinking I wish I had not eliminated ALL of my cd cases! Oh well– they accumulate!
I love the white idea – I’m debating on taking a shade of white and covering over some of this paneling my house is covered in though I don’t feel froggy enough to paint the whole house
Once I took a canvas, painted half black / half white (kinda rolling demarcation between the two) then plopped a gray peace sign in the middle and hung it in my living room! My family and friends all thought I spent a fortune and asked where I bought it LOL!
Keep up the great posts!
lynda´s last blog ..Friendship
Heather - Dollar Store Crafts
on Nov 1st, 2009
@ 12:59 am:
Ooh, I love the idea of using jewel cases for a memory game — NICE!
Heather – Dollar Store Crafts´s last blog ..Recycled Sweater Owl Hat Cuteness
Brunilda Sosinsky
on Jan 13th, 2010
@ 9:14 pm:
you taught me how? to make my first arrangement.and it came out beautifull..thank you for posting..!!