Have you ever gazed at your kitchen walls and felt they were missing that personal touch of heart and home? As a long-time interior designer and DIY enthusiast in the culturally vibrant city of Austin, Texas, I believe your kitchen décor should tell your story. With creativity and these easy DIY wall decor projects, you can transform those blank canvases into an inspired display that captures your unique passions and pastimes.
In this post, I’ll guide youguide you through crafting six unique pieces that require minimal time and tools but deliver maximal impact. We’ll upcycle everyday household items like plates or utensils into original works of art. We’ll also explore simple mixed-media pieces that allow you to highlight cherished travel mementoes or recipe collections passed down from past generations.
Follow my lead, and soon your walls will come alive with textures, colors, and designs that reflect the warmth, charm, and beauty of the maker herself – you! So let’s dive into these beginner-friendly projects with innovative ways to merge modern farmhouse chic with traditional Texan elements. I can’t wait for you to share photos of your handmade creations with the Home Decor Chat community once you put your spin the ideas.
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Utensils Become Wall Sculptures
I often wander the bohemian shops and artisan markets here in Austin, admiring the creative spirit that pulses through the city. On one such visit, I spotted a collection of carved wooden spoons and forks sculpted into abstract wall hangings. Though beautiful, the $60 price tag was out of my budget. But the sight stuck with me, and I realized I could recreate a similar metal version using retired kitchen utensils likely gathering dust in a drawer or cabinet right now!
For this first project, you need only various old metal utensils, scrap wood or extra canvas, wood glue, paint if desired, and basic hanging hardware. As far as tools go, grab a glue gun or strong wood adhesive to attach the repurposed pieces and some nails or Command strips to mount your new masterpiece.
The process is simple:
- Carefully arrange your utensils on your backing surface until you find a balanced composition you love. Play around with symmetry or make it more abstract. There are no rules here – have fun!
- Once you settle on a design, attach the utensils securely using your preferred adhesive, allowing it to fully cure.
- Paint your utensils or background using acrylic craft paint adds nice contrast.
- 4.Attach nails, screws, or heavy-duty hanging strips on the back and find the perfect featured spot on your wall to display this beauty!
The DIY community so beloved this project that it earned top prize at our recent reader contest with over 500 rave reactions. I particularly love @craftingmom67’s more whimsical take on the concept with a rainbow-colored spoon floral centerpiece. The kids even helped by contributing their outgrown flatware to make it a true family keepsake. Get the whole clan involved and you will love the end result and the meaningful memories created together along the way.
Framed Sentimental Cookbooks
In my family, we pass down heirloom recipes and cherished cookbooks that read like culinary memoirs, transporting me back to Childhood summers picking fruit at my grandmother’s orchard. I wanted to honor these vintage treasures while protecting their worn covers from further handling, so I devised a way to showcase them as breathtaking focal art prints. For fellow bibliophiles or those who inherit generations worth of signature dishes, this project allows you to upcycle the old into something brilliant and new.
For this easy DIY, you will need:
- Your favorite vintage cookbooks
- Photo frames or shadowboxes slightly larger than your books’ dimensions
- Scrapbooking paper, fabric scraps, or gift wrap
- Craft glue, double-sided tape, or modge podge
Follow these steps:
- Remove the backing from your frame or shadow box, reserving the glass front if it contains it.
- Line the backing with decorative paper or fabric cut to size. This creates a nice contrast when viewed through the glass. Get creative with patterns and color pairings.
- Arrange your open cookbooks attractively before adhering the papered backing atop your creations. Ensure pages lie flat and titles are visible.
- Reattach the glass top and insert hanging hardware if needed before mounting proudly on your kitchen wall!
This project transforms humble books into extraordinary art reflecting style, legacy, and craftsmanship. Attach faux foliage, tiny wooden spoons, or terra-cotta pots with simmering potpourri using craft wire or strong adhesive for an added Durham touch. The options for customization are endless!
Now, who’s ready for appetizers…and a side of nostalgia? Let’s keep crafting!
Plate Art Mosaic Encourages Eclectic Style
Like most southern design fans, I’m a devoted collector of vintage ceramic plates patterned with everything from roosters to roses. Though I’m running out of storage solutions, I hate packing away something so cheery and nostalgic. My brilliant solution? Convert those stacks of grandma’s china into a dazzling plate art mosaic embellishing an otherwise empty kitchen wall!
For this straightforward project, you’ll need:
- An assortment of plates in varied sizes, colors, and designs
- Plate hangers or Command strip velcro dots- enough for each plate’s rear side
- Decorative touches like artificial florals, vines, or raffia to intertwine throughout the design
Follow these simple yet impactful steps:
- Clean your plates thoroughly and allow them to fully dry. You want them dust-free before handling and mounting.
- Play with different arrangements before landing on your favorite composition. Feel free to make it symmetrical or organic. Lean some vertically and others horizontally. There are no rules with mosaics!
- Adhere plate hangers or Command strips to the rear side of each plate. Ensure they align to studs or use specialized hooks for heavier stoneware.
- Embellish with ribbon, greenery, wooden beads to unify your mosaic masterpiece. Step back and admire your handiwork and artistry!
The result is dazzling dimensional art brimming with nostalgia, color and your unique personality reflected in every chosen plate. I love when clients gift us decorative dishware inherited over generations to repurpose during a kitchen redesign. What better way to freshen a space than with heirlooms imbued with memories?
Chalkboard Wall Menu
Few materials represent DIY-friendly versatility better that trusty chalkboard paint. From furniture to accent walls, this rich ebony black surface welcomes spur-of-the-moment doodles, essential grocery lists, or menu planning. I often recommend clients create an oversized chalkboard spanning an entire wall as an alternative to traditional art prints. It also helps corrall those post-its scattered everywhere!
To recreate this customized focal point, gather these supplies:
- Chalkboard paint and primer
- Painter’s tape
- Angled paint brush
- Roller and paint tray
- Chalk
Then, let your inner Matisse take over with these uncomplicated steps:
- Prep your wall by lightly sanding then applying painter’s tape to outline clean edges for your chalkboard rectangle.
- Apply 2-3 thin coats of chalkboard primer followed by paint, allowing ample drying time between layers as indicated per manufacturer instructions. less is more with application to prevent drips.
- Carefully peel away masking tape to reveal neat borders. Write an inspiring quote in varying fonts or draw funny caricatures of family members! Don’t be shy with your chalkboard canvas.
- Outfit the surrounding wall with ledges to hold essentials like chalk and erasers or mount a shelving above to store cookbooks and decorative ceramics. Now your customized art pulls double duty as both focal feature and organizational asset!
Pro Tip: When not drafting menus, try displaying photos or mementos using chalkboard paint picture frames for cohesive design.
I love this black backdrop contrasts clea anly against all-white cabinetry in modern farmhouse kitchens. Time to grIt’s timehat chalk and start creating!
Hanging Planter Herb Gardens
Few sights are more charming than row after row of terra cotta planters bursting with fresh basil, mint, and other sun-loving kitchen herbs on weathered windowsills. But without proper ventilation, indoor herb gardening often results in sad, soggy sprigs. My solution? Create a vertical garden display along your backsplash using hanging mason jars attached to a mounted plank. This method allows greenery to thrive while adding organic texture to your walls!
Gather these materials:
- Slotted wooden plank, 12″ x 20”
- Galvanized wire or jute rope
- 6 mason jars with lids
- Assorted herb plants like parsley, rosemary thyme
- Small gravel or stones
- Salad tongs for harvesting
Then follow these simple cultivation steps:
- Drill evenly spaced holes matching the jar lids’ diameter along the wooden plank.
- Thread wire or rope through holes and tightly knot each mason jar lid at both neck and base. Ensure secured.
- Add drainage rocks, soil and herbs of choice to each jar. Hang plank and water plants as needed!
- Use salad tongs to pinch and harvest herbs for easy kitchen access once mature. So fresh!
I recommend a strategic spot near a window but not directly touching glass for optimal sun absorption. South-facing exposures work well! Mist jars daily fertilize bi-weekly with all-natural plant food spikes pushed into the soil.
If whole-plant hanging isn’t for you, try single stems or herb bouquet examples in tiny medicine vials, test tubes or spice jars sealed with wax. The aromatic possibilities are endless! Which will you harvest first?
Display Meaningful Sentimental Kitchenware
Surrounding oneself with nostalgic mementos, antique dishware, and repurposed relics unique to your lineage infuses homes with legacy and meaning far exceeding temporary trends. In my kitchen, I display my great grandmother’s scratched yet beloved rolling pin and battered handwritten recipe cards documenting generations of family traditions.
For this sentimental project, acquire any kitchenware holding special significance – perhaps an old-fashioned eggbeater, your mom’s vintage Pyrex mixing bowls, or your children’s first solid spoon sets. Compose an artful yet organic arrangement against a pretty tapestry backdrop adhered to a wood plank or canvas. Hang proudly and enjoy as a symbolic reminder of previous eras and endless love shared around the table.
While perusing local Austin antique shops last month, I discovered a sets of 1950s rose decal baking sheets priced affordably at $15. Though outdated, I imagined them arranged in diamond formation against burlap-brown barnwood planks found on clearance for $10. Add grandmother’s antique rolling pin plus the kids’ “World’s Best Chef” apron hooks, and suddenly a $35 project honors past and present with heartwarming whimsy!
What obsolete kitchenware have you spotting gathering dust? Transform these forgotten pieces into an eclectic conglomerate exploding with nostalgia. It makes the tastiest conversation piece!
I don’t know about you, but I already envisionafter reading through these six endearing projects, the DIY possibilities! And I have just enough antique wooden spoons leftover to attempt that showstopping utensil sculpture. Which project will you begin first? Once completed, I’d love to see photos of your handcrafted creations posted on the Home Decor Chat blog. Maybe yours will inspire our next reader contest!
In parting, I’ll leave you with this closing heartfelt thought: You are the secret ingredient making any home taste like love and warmth. Through DIY projects stitching scraps of your beautiful story into the backdrop, you season spaces with nostalgia, celebrate heritage, and garnish walls with your signature flare.
So pick up that paintbrush, raid grandma’s china cabinet, and indulge your inner artist! Create an extraordinary designer focal point that reflects your distinctive flavor. Our home’s heart beats a little brighter when its rooms capture our soul.
