Use Found Objects for Inexpensive Artwork

 When considering artwork for your home, you may find that "the good stuff" -framed oil paintings and abstracts done in acrylic by notable artists- is a bit too pricy for your budget.

But you don't particularly like the rather cheesy works found in the home department at Wal-Mart. You could frame some prints and hang them over you couch, but somehow, that just seems like a cheap imitation of the real thing.

Take advantage of the artistic medium known as 'found objects'. This doesn't necessarily mean you frame up any bit of dross you come across, but rather, you find the beauty in an object not necessarily considered a work of art.

I once worked at an art center that hosted an annual art contest. One talented woman made a wall quilt out of socks, the kind runners wear with colored bands around the top. It was bright and fun and perfect for a hallway or a teen-age athlete's bedroom.

'Found objects' as an art medium gives you opportunity to create unusual and inexpensive artwork for your home, artwork that reflects who you are in a unique way.

Fabric remnants are the easiest of objects to turn into art. Select three to five of the remnants you have stashed in the closet that coordinate with your decor. Cut a 12-inch square of each one and frame each of them, using the same style of frame. Hang them as a grouping. Hey! You've got art!

Do you have a pile of board games that no one plays anymore because some of the pieces are missing? Select one of the game boards -one that you like for the color or pattern- and secure it to a piece of plywood. Glue the remaining pieces to the board, as if there is a game in play. Hang your new work on the wall of a game room, kitchen or family room.

Want to make a statement with your art? Consider looking to the tools of your trade for inspiration -and materials; buttons and ribbon if you sew; jar lids and rings if you can food; seed packets if you garden; nails and screws if you build things. Objects such as these can be secured to plywood, arranged on a tray and glued down, or configured into a sculptural piece.

You may still wander through galleries and high end stores searching for that one perfect piece that you'd be willing to spend a month's pay to obtain, but in the meantime, fill your home with artwork that you won't find anywhere else.