One of the first things most of us want to do after moving into a new house, is put something on the walls. When you have large, blank, bare walls staring at you the house just doesn’t feel like a home yet. Unfortunately when the walls are large though, you may find yourself staring at them and wondering just what in the world you can do to decorate them beautifully.
Decorating a wall in your home does not have to be limited to painting it or hanging pictures though. There are actually many quick and creative ways you can decorate bare walls. Let’s look at just a few of these ideas…
1. Create shadow boxes. Creating shadow boxes is a wonderful way to decorate your home uniquely, and it allows you to create a memory wall of relatives who may have passed away, or family history items. You could create shadow boxes devoted to specific people if you’d like, such as your grandparents, or you can simply create shadow boxes filled with collectibles, keepsakes, or pretty things you’ve picked up yard sales and flea markets over the years.
2. Handmade Blankets & Quilts. Another wonderful way to decorate bare walls is to simply hang your handmade blankets and quilts on them. If you like to sew, you can even create custom quilt blocks in colors which match and compliment your room decor, then frame those and hang them in a wall arrangement.
If you have existing crocheted afghans, quilts, or other hand made blankets though, consider hanging those too. They’re usually quite beautiful and colorful, plus they usually have a history to go with them as well.
Blankets can be folded and framed for mounting on the wall, or you can simply hang a decorate towel or curtain rod on the wall to drap the blankets on. Alternatively, try leaning an old ladder against the wall and draping your handmade blankets and quilts from the rungs instead.
3. Create Faux Windows. This is an excellent decorating idea for walls which don’t have natural windows on them. Buy a new or old window frame in a style you like, and buy some curtains too if you don’t have any readily on hand. If your window frame is old, you may want to strip it and either paint or refinish, but you can also just leave it looking old to use in a shabby chic or country decor theme.
Mount the window on your wall like you could a picture, then hang the curtains in front of it as if it were a real window. You can even put a scenic photo behind the window too, and make it look as if you have a gorgeous view!
4. Other Great Ideas…
* Try making a collage of quotes from people you love, such as your grown children for instance, then frame that collage and hang it on the wall surrounded by family pictures.
* Frame your children’s artwork
* Mount silk flowers and vines on the wall
* Use stencil patterns and paint your own wall designs or pictures
As you can see, there is an endless variety of creative, quick, and easy ways to decorate bare walls. So start with some of the above ideas or come up with your own, and enjoy your new wall decorating!
©2007, Kathy Burns-Millyard. All Rights Reserved.