For years we had our TV above our DIY electric fireplace. I know, I know, interior designers are probably cringing over this. Haha! It was fine until we decided that the placement was actually not ideal for the wall after rearranging our living room to be more toddler friendly. (Gotta keep eyes on her!)
So we moved the TV to a blank wall at a more appropriate height.
This left a big problem- the gaping hole where our cords were for the tv was stood out like a sore thumb.
I also needed something that was large scale and a bit of a statement piece.
My large scale artwork criteria:
- Don’t spend more than $100.
- Custom dimensions
- No glass. I don’t like the reflection that glass gives off- my electric fireplace is already reflective enough.
- Nothing that felt too off the shelf
- Open source art preferably
- No gallery wall. Just one single wall art
Where to Find Artwork For Free?
If you are new to open source art this is the greatest art tip ever for art lovers on a tight budget.
From Center For Art Law, open source art is any creative work made to be freely shared, copied, and changed by anyone without needing to ask the artist for permission. Instead of locking their work behind strict copyright laws, the original creators intentionally use open licenses that welcome the public to download high-resolution copies, remix the visuals, or even use them in commercial projects.
My understanding of this is that old artwork (pre-1931) loses it’s copyright and becomes available to the public for free.
That means you can get beautiful piece of art for your home from curated collections, world famous artists, or artists that aren’t as commonly recognized for free. Think Van Gough, Monet, or any of your other favorite artists.
Best places to download free digital art:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- National Gallery of Art
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Rijksmuseum
- Paris Musées
- Smithsonian Open Access
- Wikimedia Commons
- Library of Congress
- Artvee
- Your favorite Etsy Shop (PAID NOT FREE)
I used artvee.com and purchased a 1 month subscription to download the exact artwork I wanted in a higher resolution. They did have the art for free, but I was concerned it would be too grainy after blowing it up for printing.
My exact art was: Beech in Knole Park
I truly love it! It’s a timeless, neutral print that gives the exact feel I wanted in my house.
*Just a note here- I absolutely love and appreciate original works of art, but I understand that sometimes we’re on a tight budget
Where To Find Custom Frames
Finding a custom picture frame for your artwork that fits your space can be a challenge. I don’t have a much time to go thrifting with a busy toddler, so I opted for Facebook Marketplace searches for a couple of weeks before I found a frame that fit my space perfectly.
The frame I purchased was $1. (Not a typo)
My frame size is 42”x34″.
But if you find a good frames at a thrift store that is in different sizes than your preference, but you can always swap the art to save some money. Maybe you’re finding a lot of printed art that is in geometric shapes or abstract paintings and that isn’t quite your vibe or color scheme, it’s so easy to swap!
Don’t pass up old mirror frames too. You can easily remove the mirror and use for art prints instead. There are lots of budget-friendly ways to find frames that fill a large wall.
My favorite ways to find frames:
- Thrift Stores
- Online Auctions
- Estate Sales
- Facebook Marketplace
- Building your own (a bit more tedious, but an option I considered)
Where To Print Large Canvas Art
Finding a place to print canvas art for an affordable price was a bit harder than I anticipated.
I would have had an easier time if my frame fit a more standard art size, but it did not. If you decide to go with a 24×36 or something of that sort- you can print a poster size for a pretty economical price.
The normal print to a canvas wasn’t quite what I wanted either. That option usually has small pieces of wood around the canvas so you can hang it directly to your wall. For my frame- I needed canvas without the wood.
That’s when I came across Uprinting.com.
They have an option where you can print on canvas, that’s rolled and shipped right to your door. This is the move- in my opinion.
They can also accommodate custom sizes. So I remeasured the interior dimensions of the frame where the artwork would lay.
My artwork size was about 38.5”x30.5”.
I ordered that and it was shipped to me within 1 week for a total cost of $70.53
How to assemble your canvas artwork
You have a few options for assembling your canvas artwork.
You can:
- Take it to a picture framing shop for custom matting, glass, and backing
- Use spray adhesive and attach it to foam board
- Take it to Hobby Lobby or Michael to have it dry mounted onto foam board
I took my art to Hobby Lobby and had it dry mounted (secured/glued) to a piece of 1/4” foam board to give the canvas stability. This was a total cost of $18.
Super worth it!!
Once you have that done and to the right size, you just pop it into the frame and secure with a couple small nails on the side of the frame to keep the art in place.
That’s it! You’re done!
Total Cost of My Large Scale Canvas Artwork
| Art Image | $9 |
| Frame | $1 |
| Dry Mount | $18 |
| Printing on Canvas | $70.53 |
| TOTAL COST | $98.53 |
Not too shabby for a piece that is timeless, good scale and easy to dust for long term care.
If you are looking at my living room and wanting to build your own DIY fireplace, check out the post here or my budget friendly $450 living room makeover. It’s been over 10 years for the DIY electric fireplace and I still love it so much!
Good luck with your projects!
-Whitney
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