For nearly two years our master bathroom has sat as a boring white shell. So, when we finally agreed on a paint color I knew it was time to roll up the sleeves and get to work.
Here I am in our bathroom on moving day and no, I don’t know why I’m making such a strange face or what the heck I’m wearing. It’s like I knew intuitively that it was going to be a while before this room got a front row seat on our To Do list!
After we painted, I realized just how much we really needed to get some artwork on the walls. Sure, it was better, but it still felt bare. Our walls were naked and not in a good way! But I wanted any artwork to be affordable. Like really affordable. There are just too many pieces of furniture and summer vacation plans to budget for! That’s when I remembered our 2010 Paper Source calendar. I had purchased it thinking that I would repurpose the back side of each month, but at the time I just wasn’t sure how. The colors and patterns were prefect for the room, and even better, they were free. I then found square black frames with mattes at Michael’s. They were originally $24.99 each, but luckily I bought them on sale for $12.50 each. Knowing this a huge score I left, three frames in hand, for a mere $37.50. The rest was so simple I can hardly believe it. We narrowed it down to three patterns, cut them to fit, and then taped them to the mattes. The result is a nice polished look for less, and a far cry from those boring white walls!
After we hung our calendar art, we were motivated. So, to fill another blank bathroom space, Floyd printed out two of his photos from our favorite places. Jamaica where we were married (bottom right), and Greece where we honeymooned. The frames we had as left overs and the mattes were about $3 each at, you guessed it, Michael’s (what would I do without that store!). Now I have a gorgeous reminder of great trips to look at while I brush my teeth each morning.
Next up I’m hoping for some new bathroom accessories. So tell me, what is your low budget solution to artwork?
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Love the color you picked for your walls. Great ideas:)
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Crayons on the wall. Just kidding!
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i’m diggin the diy walls! but more, i’m diggin your bathroom!! double sinks AND double counter/cabinets/drawers?! i’m a little jealous. and when i say a little, i mean a lot.
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Wow Wow Wow, this post proves that even a simple idea can change everything! I LOVE this DIY idea, and I´m definitely going to try it at my place
Perfect!
xx Ivana
http://styleinthecityen.blogspot.com
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Those look great! Such an easy but impressive change!
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Those came out great!! Another Low budget Idea that I’ve done, is framing Fabric, You can get remnants for cheap or sometimes you can get vibrant fabric for $1/yard (you don’t need much so thats perfect).
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This is just smart!
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I LOVE your bathroom!! And the artwork, works perfectly in there.
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I love easy DIY!
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I love Paper Source! What a great way to reuse an old calendar – they really complement your wall color. I recently painted a big canvas for our living room rather than spend a lot of $ on art. Worked out great even though I’d never painted anything but a wall before!
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Looks wonderful!! Love your bathroom
Love your husband’s photography!
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Okay I am so obsessed with your bathroom. I’ve been living in a dorm since August and I had tears in my eyes when I saw that beautiful open space.
Have a fantastic day!
-Ellie
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I love it, that is so smart and the bathroom looks great!
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Love this DIY ..it looks TOTALLY professionally done.
My fam moved into a new construction house a year and a half ago…and the bathrooms (have beautiful fixtures and finishes) walls are SCREAMING for paint and some decor…It just hasn’t reached the top of the to do list yet.
Thanks for inspiring me..this is DEF a spring project.
C
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what a great idea w/ the wall art – definitely something to think about when decorating in the future!
also, in my little NYC apt, i’m totally envious of that spacious bathroom!
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your house is amazing!! what a great DIY to brighten up the space with some color!!!
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Can you come visit and help me redecorate on a shoestring budget? haha
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I love this upcycle project. I’ve had so many nice calendars that I feel bad tossing once they’re outdated. I would’ve never thought of framing photos! That’s a great idea.
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I love the art work with the paper from the calenders! I have similar pictures in my house, but usuing scrapbook paper!
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What a beautiful bathroom!
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Great job, Megan! Love to do things like that … went to a showhouse once and in the bathroom they had taken a whole wall of black and white fashion prints with white mats and black frames and they told us that the prints were just copied off of the computer.
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I love this idea! I think it looks great.
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It looks beautiful! It was a great idea for little cost, you can’t go wrong. I would love to try something like that.
Susan
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What a fun idea! Your bathroom looks fabulous, by the way!
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Framing interesting fabrics is as easy and inexpesive as framing interesting paper! I like both. Your bathroom art turned out fantastic. Great work!
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Awesome idea! It looks great! Plus, I’m completely envious of your bathroom! It’s huge! Love the color on the walls by the way.
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I LOVE your calendar art!
My low budget solution to art work is to get my super talented bestie to paint/draw me something!
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i love this idea! in college my roommate and i COVERED our dorm room with calendar photos.. granted we went a little overboard but it was still cheap/pretty art! i might do a little framing now.. thanks for the tip! xoxo jcd :: cornflake dreams
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How lovely, darling!
Btw, your bathroom is huge!
xoxox,
CC
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So i know I should be focusing on the artwork… but I am obsessed with your bathroom!!!!
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Oh my God it look so well! Go Megan x
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Your bathroom looks great! The Paper Source paper in frames is a fantastic idea. I shop at Michael’s, too, and try to remember to clip their 40% off coupon in the Sunday paper. Nice that you have a cute little furry helper there.
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I want your bathroom to be my bathroom.
IT’S HUGE.
And gorgeous.
http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88
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You guys did a fabulous, and almost FREE job! I love it. And I am with you…I have framed old calendars before. Kudos and cheers!!!
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Looks great!
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So well done! I actually purchased the Paper Source calendar with the same intention…although it seems that I’ve not been as motivated as yourself.
: p
XO
Carly
All This Grace and Charm
http://allthisgraceandcharm.blogspot.com
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Great DIYs! I also subscribe to the travel photography idea. Pretty reminders of good times!
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This is such a great diy for decorating on a budget! I love the idea of having large photos printed from favorite vacations, it’s very personal but still looks trendy! I sort of have a thing for buying plain picture frames and decorating them
Bisous,
Rachel
http://lovealamode.wordpress.com
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collaging some artwork from fashion mags and framing it too is clever
KeepItFvncy,
M.E.
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Great DIY! I need to try it
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looks fab!
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What a beautiful idea and effect! I’m thinking maybe doing the same but with scrapbooking paper. So inspiring!
xoxo
Lia
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Wow that looks great. I love your husbands images they are so pretty.
Write it in Lipstick
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The use of calendars is BRILLIANT (so pretty and colorful) and of course Floyd’s photos are fantastic. And I’m jealous of your huge bathroom!
xo Josie
http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com
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Great wall colors and love that calendar DIY project.
Lovely art.
https://fashiondivamommy.blogspot.com
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Great job! Love the pops of color! xo
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WOW! Such a great job! You have amazing taste … so pretty. Now you just need a tiny bathtub giraffe to complement the scene …
(see below)
http://motherlawyercrazywoman.blogspot.com/2011/04/bathtub-giraffes.html
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Hi Megan! Just wanted to say that you posted a wonderful idea that’s so chic looking, yet hardly expensive… Lovely idea! Can’t wait to read more!!
xx Sarah Ashley
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How funny….I had a feeling our bathrooms would look pretty similar seeing our kitchens do…and I was right, lol…..almost identical!! Too funny!!
Love the wall color and your super sweet designs…..I have many pieces on my walls as well….:)
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Such a great idea about the calendar. And I’m insanely jealous you honeymooned in Greece! That’s my dream spot!
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That is some pretty pretty GREEN art!
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WOW!!! That is a HUGE bathroom, I’m so jealous! You guys did an amazing job decorating it. Beautiful
The-Loudmouth.com
Twitter @theloudermouth
Birthday Blog Event
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Your bathroom looks amazing! I want to go to the exacts spots where those photos were taken too!
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I have heard of this kind of budget artwork before. I heard too that taking cloth/fabric and stretch it over canvas and pin it in the back. Then arrange on the wall accordingly.
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Umm, wow! You have a gorgeous bathroom! You could almost live in it.
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The best home decor is when you get creative and do things that are inexpensive but look like you spent a lot. I did something very similar, only I used scrapbook paper. It was easy to switch out if I wanted a change too…
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Whoa, I could actually DO this. Summer project, here I come. Soon. Thanks for this great idea!
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Wow you gave that bathroom a great makeover!!! Love it… I love Michael’s too (and get my frames there as well). The color on the walls are so warm and inviting. You have transformed the room and I love it how you are resourceful (using the calendar as art was fantastic and just the right touch). <3 H
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Love it! The art looks awesome and your house and master bathroom are gorgeous!!!!
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Love this! I like using photography around the house as a cheaper alternative to art.
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wow, i really love your bathroom.
looks so beautiful. so elegant!
the wall colour is gorgeous!
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WOW your bathroom is huge, and the artwork looks great.
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your bathrrom came out beautifully! I have always hated wasting lovely calender photos at the end of the year, SUCH a good idea to reuse them!!!
I recently found some good frame deals at Micheals as well.
you look so cute and happy in the photo of you sitting on the floor, i also LOVE how your kitty joined in to help!
Happy weekend!
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It does look great! My sister and I did some DIY artwork for our bathroom, too. We bought canvases, duct-taped a geometric-ish design on them, spray paint bright colors on them, and removed the duct tape–easy and it looks great!
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Great idea for DIY Artwork. My bathroom looks similar to yours on your moving day, and I need to add some life to it. Thanks for the inspiration, now I’m all a buzz with ideas!
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