I have been coveting a set of botanical prints for ages. You know, like these...
Or these...
LOVE THEM! But they're way to spendy for me. Somewhere between $250-$500 for a set. GAH! Not happening!
So I thinked. And I thunked. And then it came to me. CLIP ART!
I found this set on Amazon
Then I picked out some drawings that I liked. I went with leaves because it's fall. Then I loaded the ones that I liked into my graphics program (you graphic designer-type people should look away now). I loaded them into Microsoft Word. Shhhhhhh... And resized them to fit the openings in my frames.
Then printed them off on vellum paper which looked much better than printing them on regular paper. I tried lots of different types of paper till I found a look that I liked. Then I put a piece of dark brown scrapbook paper behind the vellum to give it some depth of color and framed it.
Super cheap and super easy! The frames were a bit of a splurge but they were on clearance at Target. I think the best part is that when I get tired of the leaves, I can change them out to something else. I am just thrilled with how this project came out.
102 comments {Click here to leave a comment}:
These look awesome! Thanks for the great idea, as always!
Great job! They look great! I am totally inspired by your blog and will be borrowing some of your ideas!!! :)
So cute! You are so creative -- it's amazing!
Gorgeous!! I love how those turned out! You are so creative and resourceful.
Another great idea, yet again. How do you do it?
Those are beautiful! I love botanical prints too and I have a huge wall in my basement that has been screaming at me for something..this may fit the bill. Thanks :)
OOOH, they are so classy, and clever. Huge smile on my face here! Oh the possibilities. :)
They look absolutely wonderful! Great job.
Hum, your look just as good as any of those 500 ones I have seen. Great and you can enjoy being cleaver enough to avoid being overcharged.
I've been wanting botanical prints for ages but like you I didn't want to spend the mega buck...so you betcha I'll be copying you! :)
What a clever little missy you are! These turned out looking SO PROFESSIONAlLY done. ;-) Bo
Kimba, those botanical prints look great! What an ingeniously cheap way to make a big statement on a wall! I can't wait what you put in the frames for Christmas.
Very cute..I love yours even more..they are just wonderful!
Happy Monday!
-Sandy toes
Absolutely beautiful.
I love botanicals also - nice to know how to do it on a budget.
Great job, Kimba.
Oh my gosh, this is a wonderful idea!
These are awesome, but I kept waiting, waiting, and waiting to see your spray painted frames. :)
Who needs to spray paint when you have clearance at Target? :)
Well, you are surely wearing magic smarty pants today! LOVE this idea and I'm so gonna steal it. LOL. Thanks! NOW to find a program like that for my MAC.
That's a great idea. I used those exact same Target frames for my botanical prints. The frames themselves look expensive. BTW I got my botanical prints for a penny each on ebay.
Those are so pretty! You did such a good job on all of it!
I'm so behind in my decorating schedule...I just now got some plate hangers this past weekend. My step-mom was giving some away and she was actually going to give them to Goodwill! I swiped them along with some PRECIOUS bunny themed plates and other bunny pieces...too cute, and I didn't have to spend a dime! Woo hoo!
Now THAT's a great idea. They look fantastic.
Blessings,
Sher
Hi Kimba! These prints are beautiful! You crack me up - you're so creative and who would think of printing them out on vellum. They look so beautiful here, but I'll bet their more beautiful in person! Those frames are amazing! Good job, most thunked up one!! lol
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
Gorgeous! I love how they turned out. Great idea, as always!
Great idea! Love the brown tones.
The huge problem with all of this is the frames! You were so smart to size the work to the frame. It's so frustrating to have a great poster or picture that would cost a mortgage payment to frame!
My mother is an artist and I keep telling her to use stock-frame-sized paper!:)
I have the same frames! I love them.
Beautiful. I love botanicals too. Ah yea, another Kimba idea to copy!
This looks great Kimba! I love that you can change it out if/when you get tired of it. PS - like the change up of pillows on your denim sofa :-)
LOVE them!
Very, very clever, and they turned out great. Love the frames, too.
Thank you for the tip about the clip art. I had thought about using it for a different project, but seeing yours makes me want to give this a whirl, too.
Sheila
Those look great Kimba!
That was so smart to use the vellum paper with the brown paper behind it. I love how they turned out. Good idea!
Love it! What a great idea!
Fantastic! I also have a difficult time spending the money on wall art. This way you get something unique. Kids' artwork would also look fantastic in nice frames.
They look great! "Clip Art" brings back memories. I used to work at a "Pressure Graphics" counter when rub-on letters were what we used for fonts and clip art was literally art that you clipped out of a book and photocopied. Wow how things have changed huh? So much easier now.
Thanks for sharing your great idea!
You are a genious!! Do you know how long I have been ogling botanical prints for my bathroom? And I absolutely refused to spend the money for them because I felt they were grosely overpriced!!
You made my day! :)
Those look great! What a smart idea.
Kimba...looks great!! Way to think creatively on this one! I love botanical prints, and have some we found inexpensively. I have those same frames, just a larger size...my kids' photos are in them going up our stairwell!
Great project :)!!!
Blessings,
Stacey
OMGosh...those turned out FABULOUS! I am wanting to re-do a bathroom and use some botanical prints....now I know exactly what to do!!!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Those look great...you never cease to amaze me! Beautiful!
Lordy, how did you know I'm pretty much working on the EXACT same project right now!!!?
OH, magnifique!!! Those look sooooooooooo good! Great job, Kimba!
Suzanne
Impressive as always!! I agree this is the root to go! Especially if you like change!
Hugs Giggles
They turned out great...& look high $$!
Hi Kimba, I just found your blog through Sheila. I love the botanical prints you made. What a great idea! I'll be adding you to my blog list. Glad I found you! Kristen
Those are awesome! What a wonderful idea. I always look at those groopings too and they are so expensive!
Looks incredible!
Super idea.
Will you come to Jersey & be my new bff?
Puh-leeze?
That way I, too, can have a lovely decorated home.
Just beautiful!
Can't wait to see your other 500 ideas! ;)
Gorgeous, as usual!
Great project!! I might have to try this!1
what a great idea! I would have never thought to go and find a cd with clip art!!!
So, I am assuming that you will change it up for christmas? Can't wait to see what you come up with.
Great idea about the advertising. I have been playing around with the idea of an etsy. I think that this might just put me over the edge!! Now, if I can only get rid of this stupid headache. I will be good to go!!! Thanks again for always sharing your ideas!
wow those looked great.. you did a wonderful job.. :0)
itsallaboutlovedeanandfrancine.blogspot.com/
These are awesome!! I'm going to try and copy--oops, borrow this idea! Thanks so much!!
Blessings,
Susan
These are beautiful! What a great idea! :0} Diane
LOVE IT! I may copy you again! Oh, and can I just tell you how much all of my friends loved the willow bundles! We had my little guy's 1st b'day party on Saturday and I received a ton of compliments all thanks to you!
What an awesome idea. They look great! Deana
Hi Kimba!
I just love your blog! you are so so creative and you did a fabulous Job on the pics! and I love how you grouped them close, that always make a bigger impact! great tips!! Thanks for sharing your talents!
~ Cynthia ~
Just would like to know when we are gonna appear on the blog? and can we be e-mailed we we are on?
Those look amazing. I am all about being lazy. And if I can throw money at it to make my life easier...I will do that. See what you have missed out on by not moving to Georgia to be my neighbor? :-)
love it!! would be even better with more space between frames - or add another couple columns of them. Seems just a tad too squished for the size of the sofa. But seriously it is awesome.
That really looks great! Don't you just love clipart?!
Anon,
Thanks for your perspective...I agree with you. I have plans for something to go on either side of the picture arrangement but haven't managed to get it done yet.
I do think that one of the biggest mistakes that people make when they are hanging a picture grouping is to put them too far apart. Perhaps I overcompensate a bit. :-)
Kimba
OK, you're smart!
Very Very cute!! I have three frames similar to that, that I have not used, so I am half way there. :)
I LOVE these...I hate how expensive artwork is, I will be looking for some clip art!
I have been wanting to do something like that with music notes or instruments - because I too had seen a $200 set. I want them over my piano. Im going to give this a try. Thanks Kimba! Your a super cool, artsy, homey chick!
Hi Kimba
I can't believe how easy you made this look, I'd like to have a go...you have some wonderful ideas, and it does make you realise just how much we are all paying over the top for things we can make ourselves
great inspiration as usual
Sarah
Great idea! they turned out great, love it when you get an idea and it works! way to go
They are beautiful! You did a great job:)
Kimba, brilliant! ABsolutely brilliant, it looks wonderful, and you got to choose what you wanted. Sometimes in a set there's ONE that you don't care for!!! Wow.
Blessings,
Debbie
Gorgeous! You can re-use those frames forever so their an investment!
Manuela
That is a great idea! I think I will definately try that out.
Thanks a bunch:)
That turned out so well! How creative and budget friendly. You should be proud of yourself because it looks super expensive!
Oh you are such an inspiration! I love these pictures! They turned out lovely!
You are so creative! I have loved this looked for a long time and wanted to buy a few for my newly done over living room but the prices made them out of reach until now thanks to you...
You are so nifty! Love that idea! If I could only work Microsoft word...................lol
Great idea!!
Smart, smart, smart idea!! I love it!
look at you and your savy self with 78 comments! great project!
Wow! Great idea! I'd never guess you created those prints with clip art! Fabulous thinking on printing on the vellum. That really does give the prints an even more finished look. I will definitely have to remember this idea!
You seriously ROCK!! And you are a girl after my own heart!! I love, love, love it. Did I mention I LOVE it??? Just perfect. And just what you wanted, which is even more perfect.
Those are BEAUTIFUL! Great noodle ya got sittin' up there to come up with this great idea! YAY YOU! =0) I just may have to borrow this idea for our new house! Have a giggly night and sweet dreams!
These are a GREAT idea! I have been wanting to try this for a VERY long time. I would have never thought of using the velum over the SB paper! You are a genius! I will be trying these this week for sure!!
What a great idea! I've seen these at Pottery Barn and thought they were so pretty but I didn't want to pay the price. I heard a new term today that cracks me up and it definitely applies to you on this project-- you are a Recessionista-A-list taste on a budget!
Those came out beautiful! Dover books are my favorite ever since I was a little girl. I grew up down the road from their warehouse and my neighbor, who worked there always brought us paper doll and coloring books. Aren't they great!
Not only are you creative, but a smart saver. These are fantastic!!!!
I love this idea! They look fantastic and its something that we can actually do. I love botanical prints as well but like you said, much too much money. Thanks for the great idea!
Those look awesome!!
Wow! What a beautiful collection of "art" work for not a lot of cash!
Stephanie
You did such an amazing job!
Your leaf prints are beautiful! To change the look, you could even simply change the colour of the paper behind the vellum.
Those look AMAZING. Good solution and one that can be changed out every season, or everytime you feel like it. Wanna explain some time how you lined those up perfectly spaced on your wall?
That is AMAZING!! Wow. I love it! I'm going to add you to my blogroll, because this is too good to just pass by. ;)
Just gorgeous!!!
What a fabulous idea! I think this is totally a craft project I could handle.
Wow! You're so talented. They look beautiful.
fabulous idea (I did something similar last year!)
they look fantastic!
xo~K
What a great idea. I might have to give this a try and write about it. I will be sure to link to you.
Wow, those are so beautiful! It really gives such a classy look to the walls.
That is such a wonderful idea. I am always looking out for ways to decorate on the cheap especially as I live in a rented flat and don´t want to spend much money doing it up.
Oh my gosh - you're a genius! I think that I'm going to do this project with different types of seashells! Thanks for the tip!
You can also find them for super cheap on ebay. I found a ton of beautiful, 100 year old prints of insects for my son's room, and I paid maybe $5 a piece for them.
We are hopefully selling our house soon (please! God!) and I will be redoing my kids' rooms - well, a whole house, right? - and oh my goodness, you have inspired me!!!
These are awesome. They look great, you saved money and made them yourself, but I think the best part is the fact that you can transition them with the seasons.
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