p[art]nership - creating personal art for your home

I'd like to give a warm welcome to Kelly to the p[art]nership series.  Kelly is the author of the blog JAX does design and has a fun eye for interior spaces.  The p[art]nership series is all about how art relates to interior design and fashion. 

Thanks Bethany for asking me to participate in your p[art]nership blog series.


I think every home needs art. It adds colour and character, and often reflects the homeowner’s interests and likes. Because art is a personal thing, why not create art from pictures and images that have personal meaning to you. It’s easy and inexpensive to have a photograph enlarged, and there lots of places where you can pick up frames at a great price (Ikea, for example). Creating your own art is fun, and really makes a statement in your home. And it pretty much guarantees that your art will be unique and different from everyone else’s.

Here are some examples of how you can create your own art gallery wall using your photos and pictures that are important to you. 

Vanessa at Décor Happy created this gallery wall in her living room. It includes photos, a painting, and a drawing all by Vanessa, as well as original artwork by artists that she admires.

Here’s a black and white take on a similar theme. Lisa at Lisa Goulet Design framed architectural photos that she took on some of her vacations.

I created my own art gallery wall with close-up pictures of all my pets from the last 15 years. Each photo only cost a few dollars to print at Costco, and the frames are from Ikea.

Carissa at The Fabulous Design File created this gallery wall at the bottom of her staircase. It includes photos of her kids, artwork by her kids, and art that Carissa created herself.

Which brings up another great way to create personal art – framing your child’s art. Adding a frame to a child’s painting gives it a whole new level of importance. Here are some examples of how children’s art can become true works of art.

Image from Echoes of Laughter

Image via June Cleaver Nirvana

Here’s another fun idea – hang kid’s art from a curtain rod. This kind of display makes it easy to change up the artwork any time the mood hits or your child brings home a new masterpiece.

Image via Ohdeedoh

Image via Project Nursery via Frills Fluffs and Trucks

And this is a great idea – wallpaper that’s meant to be used as a canvas for kids to draw and colour on. Just make sure you explain to your kids that this is the ONLY wall they’re allowed to draw and colour on! (“Frames” wallpaper from Land of Nod)

Art is personal, so get creative and display your own personal art! 

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