April 28th, 2021 | Updated on June 27th, 2022
If you are looking for some fun things to do to add an artistic touch around your house, the sky is the limit when you use your imagination and a few things from the art supply store.
Repurpose An Old Painting
Artist Wayne White, widely known for working on the set of “Pee Wee’s Playhouse”, made a name for himself in the art world by repurposing paintings that he picked up at yard sales and second-hand stores.
You can also take kitsch art pieces like cheap framed paintings that you can pick up for a few dollars, just by painting in some unexpected elements to the existing pictures in the paintings.
Wayne White would write “Hollywood sign” style lettering into existing landscape paintings, writing unexpected phrases on the pre-painted hillsides of outdated pastoral paintings.
Other artists have since run with that idea, adding giant sea monsters into vintage nautical paintings, and pterodactyls flying in the skies of idyllic farm scenes.
By following this aesthetic, you can add any sort of unexpected elements that your imagination will allow when working with old art prints that aren’t worth much at face value.
You can paint in any variety of strange, otherworldly science fiction scenery that you can dream up. Your own DIY paintings can add a contemporary element to your house or apartment, and allow you to explore your creative side without breaking the bank.
Bottle Art
Bottle cutters are very inexpensive, and they allow you to repurpose old glass bottles into drinking glasses, planters, wind chimes, and more.
A small investment for a cutter, which is usually less than $50, some gloves, and some fine sandpaper, is enough to start making fun glass mobiles, art pieces, and household items from repurposed glass bottles and containers.
Online instructions can easily be found for bottle planters, candy dishes, candle holders, and lots of other things you can make.
Folk Art From Literal Garbage
American folk art is celebrated because of the artists’ self-taught use of repurposing found pieces of advertising, pieces of castaway items, and incorporation of inexpensive ink, paint, or adhesives to make new items from what was once garbage.
Tramp art pieces are highly collectable and were made during the hard times of the Great Depression by actual hobos. Cigar boxes were transformed into meticulously made art objects and prized family heirlooms.
Lots of inspiration for folk art crafting can be gotten from Latin American street art and folk art pieces, as well.
Bright colors and bold compositions make up for a lack of meticulously painted portraits or landscapes. Frames are decorated with old beer or soda tops, making use of the pre-printed variety of colors to add interest and texture for little or no money at all.
Folk art can be painted on found advertising signs, incorporating the existing artwork or colors on found objects with whatever you decide to add to the composition.
The people and animals of folk art are usually painted with just a few colors, very simply and without detail. The simplicity of form is what makes this kind of work universally appealing, and also fun to make yourself.
Read up on folk art online, and you will find endless inspiration from the use of found objects of all shapes and sizes. It is never boring, always vivid, and rarely costs more than a few dollars to put together yourself.
Linoleum Printing
Linoleum printing is a lot of fun for both beginners and trained artists. It involves using a cutting tool to carve into the soft surface of a piece of linoleum, and making a pattern or picture that can then be used to stamp an image onto paper or fabric.
Linoleum blocks, carving tools, and inks can be found at most art supply stores. Little kids will need some supervision to do it, only because the carving tools are really sharp.
Pictures that are carved into the linoleum can be very simple or as complex as you want them to be. Having multiple blocks of the same image, with different areas carved away on each block, allows the artist to apply multiple layers of varied colors to the final stamped project.
It is an easy-to-understand and master art form that is rewarding due to its versatility. The ability to use your stamps for months or years in the future, making new prints whenever you desire them.
