28 Creative DIY Wall Decor Ideas for Your Blank Walls
A round-up of 28 of the best DIY wall decor ideas plus tutorials and tips to pull off the look easily and get the designer look for less.
Decorator’s block. I swear it’s a real thing.
Like writer’s block when you stare at a blank screen and that blinking cursor just mocks you while you try to rattle around in your brain for words to spill out on a page?
But instead of a blank screen, it’s a large blank wall. And what’s worse is there are soooooo many blank walls in a house that it’s really easy to give up.
To heck with it! Call it minimalist style.
But what’s the fun in that? (I mean I like the idea of minimalist style, but I need something.)
28 Creative DIY Wall Decor Ideas for Your Blank Walls
Whenever I ask the question, “What is one thing about decorating that you struggle with?” I always get a flood of the exact same answer, “I need help decorating my bare wall!”
So just for fun, I rounded up 28 GREAT DIY wall decor ideas to get your creative juices flowing and discover a fun project so that you can fill those blank walls with tons of personality.
1. Gallery Wall Frames
Yes, they’re still in. And no, they don’t have to look like a mish-mash of random clutter nailed to your sheetrock. There are so many possibilities for different arrangements of your frames.
I love sticking to black and white photographs to keep it simple. Or hang art groupings with a similar color scheme. If you love being eclectic, vary your color palette to a wider array for visual interest. They’re perfect for a large empty wall in a stairway, hallway, or living room.
And if you need a few great hacks, this is my method for making it perfect every time. And this is my trick for putting the nail in the perfect spot every time without making a million small holes in your wall.
Here are a few gallery wall decorating ideas for arranging layouts that could help. The general rule is keep your frames between 2-6 inches of each other so they look like an intentional grouping.
Choose multiple different sizes of frames on the entire wall for an eclectic look or hang same sized frames together for uniformity.
2. Mirrors
Make a gallery wall from several mirrors or hang/lean one large mirror to make a big statement in a room. It’s a great way to bounce light around in a small room to make it appear larger.
For a modern, funky look, apply acrylic paint your mirror frames in different colors for a pop.
Source: Shabbyfufu
3. Oversized Map
Make it extra sentimental by choosing a map of where you live, the city/state you grew up in, the country of your heritage, etc. It’s a sweet, easy way to honor your past.
Etsy has tons of them or you can find free ones by Google searching public domain images.
4. Hats
I loooooove hats as wall decor ideas for adding texture and warmth to a space. Keep your eyes peeled at the thrift store and you’ll be able to pull it off for super cheap.
Source – Wildflower Home
5. Wallpaper
No art is necessary when you have pretty wallpaper stealing the spotlight. Some of my favorite wallpaper patterns are here and here.
6. Plates
Another great “thrift store hunt” kind of wall decor project, especially for a kitchen or dining room.
Source: Design Sponge
7. Molding
When you have chunky molding with plenty of character, it’s beautiful all on its own. Wall decor optional. Find tutorials for several different wall moldings here:
8. Floating Shelves
I love the way floating shelves can make an accent wall feel laid back and allows opportunity for lots of texture. Check out tips for styling shelves here.
Source: McGee & Co.
9. An Oversized Painting
Sometimes just one simple but statement-making focal point piece of art is all you need. Bonus: It helps make a small space appear larger. Or you can DIY large scale art yourself using this trick and a poster / engineer print.
Tutorial: DIY Large Scale Art Using Engineer Prints
10. Brushstrokes
If you want to save a few bucks but still get a wallpaper effect, this project is so simple and inexpensive to do.
Source: Curbly
11. Command Center
Might as well put your walls to work and make them functional for the day-to-day.
Tutorial: Easy Tips to Create an Organized Family Command Center
12. Pressed Flowers & Feathers
Go foraging through your yard for flowers, leaves, and feathers you can press to put into a float frame. It’s totally free and a fun little project.
13. Hooks
They don’t seem like much but hooks totally count as wall decor. Their functionality is a perk. 😉
14. Stencil
If wallpaper intimidates you, stencils are a great alternative. Can you believe this is from a stencil?!
Source – In My Own Style
15. Engineer Typography Prints
Type up your favorite song lyrics, quotes, or lines from literature, print on engineering paper, and make a statement on bare walls.
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16. Chalkboard
You don’t even have to write anything on it, unless you just want to.
Source: Amber Interiors
17. Old Windows
This one is so clever for a window-less room to take the feeling of having a window.
Source: Kate Marker Interiors
18. Baskets
Another good one to add texture and pull off wall hangings on empty walls for just a few bucks from thrift store finds.
20. Framed Recipes & Letters
If you have any handwritten treasures from loved ones or ancestors, preserve them using a UV film method and stick them in a frame to remember always.
Tutorial: How to Preserve and Frame Letters and Handwritten Recipes
21. Peel and Stick Mural
If you’re not that great of an artist, try a peel-and-stick mural. For extra pizzaz and a feeling of formality, add box molding around it.
Resource: Scenic Wall Mural Wallpaper
22. Tapestry
There are all kinds of beautiful vintage tapestry out there on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Etsy, and other secondhand spots. They might need a little bit of TLC, but they add such gorgeous texture to a room.
If you need to add a focal point to a big blank wall, a tapestry can add a lot of personality.
Tutorial: How to Hang a Wall Tapestry Easily 7 Easy Ways
23. Textile Art
If you have an old rug, cut it up and frame it in a shadowbox to create easy, repurposed textile art!
Tutorial: DIY Designer Knock-Off Textile Art from a Recycled Rug
24. DIY TV Art
You don’t have to own a Samsung Frame TV specifically designed to display art in order to recreate the look on your basic smart TV.
Tutorial: Follow these steps to turn any basic smart television into a piece of art.
25. Magnetic Art Memo Board
The best kind of art is functional art! Make this DIY wall art yourself on a metal sheet so that it doubles as a memo board your entire family can use. When it’s not in use, it simply looks like framed art.
Tutorial: DIY Large Wall Art Magnetic Memo Board
26. Shower Curtain Art
Make an oversized piece of wall art by using a shower curtain stretched over a wooden frame. It’s super inexpensive to make and creates a huge statement in any room.
Tutorial: DIY Large Scale Wall Art from a Shower Curtain
27. DIY House Portraits
Upload a photo of your home into a painting app like Brushstroke or Waterlogue to create a portrait with a painted look. It’s an extra special way to capture your home and frame it on your wall.
Tutorial: How to Turn Photos Into Paintings
28. Framed Sheet Music
If you have a book of sheet music, tear out a few pages to frame into a gallery wall. It’s a simple but sophisticated look. I created this gallery wall using Christmas sheet music for the holidays, but it works well for any season as well.
Tutorial: Sheet Music Art Gallery Wall
Whew! That’s all I can come up with. I’m sure there’s more.
But if that’s not a great starting point to fight some wall decorating woes in interior design, I don’t know what is. 😉
Hope it helps anyway! Be gone, decorator’s block.
Frequently Asked Questions
The general “rule” is to hang pictures at eye level approximately 60″ to 63″ above the floor to the center of the picture. Use that measurement as a starting point to adjust as needed for your ceiling height or if the picture needs to hang above a piece of furniture.
When hanging two or more artworks together in a grouping, it’s best to position them 3″ to 6″ apart.
