DIY Ballard Designs Wall Art

Ballard Designs is one of my favorite websites/ catalogs to flip through. I often dream about one day being able to go ahead and just order everything that I want off of a page and have it delivered right to my front door! But until we hit the lottery (or my husband gets out of the Military) we are confined to bargain shopping . . . But just because you see something that you love in a catalog that will drain your bank account, doesn't mean that you can't have it! I had fallen in love with this framed floral wall art display awhile back but paying $169.00 for all nine was outrageous! You can find this product from BALLARD DESIGNS:  HERE

So of course, I set out on my own way to re-create what I fell in love with on a budget. I went to Michael's and found these plain wood frames in the wood crafting section for under $2 each. Being that my dining room has accents of blue, I chose to paint the frames in a soft robin's egg blue, but you could choose any color that you prefer.

After painting, give the frames a light sanding down with regular sand paper, scuffing up the edges and wearing it down a bit to give it a distressed look

Then, go over the frames with a stain in the color that you prefer. 

For mine I used Minwax - dark walnut

Apply the stain with a cloth or a rag. You can also apply the stain with a paint brush. Make sure to rub off all of the excess stain with a clean rag. This will give the wood a light tint over the color of paint that you choose.

The stain will set into the cracks and adhere to the spots that you previously sanded down

You can see the difference in color between the before and after here!

Next, it is time to pick your images for inside the frames. I was wanting a look like the ones from Ballard, and also wanted them to look like fabric. The cheapest way to get this look is to go on a fabric retail website and print the pattern images that you like best right off of your computer

My favorite patterns are from Waverly Fabrics & Better Homes and Gardens. Once you are ready to print, print the full sized image & select the best printing option on your printer.

The images then come out looking just like fabric!

Cut your images to fit in the frames and place down with double sided tape. 

To hang on the wall, I purchased self picture hanging hooks and nailed them into the back of the wood.

Simple as that, you now have custom artwork for your home! And it only cost less than $4 a picture. Now that is SAVINGS!!!