Artwork can be expensive!! Did you know there are online resources to download FREE images?? Let me show you where I find free art to print at home!!
Finding Free Art
OK, I’m going to let you in on a little-known way to find really beautiful artwork that won’t cost you a dime!! You do need to print it yourself though.
SO many pieces of art are considered public domain and are available for you to download for free but need to know where to look.
For this month’s Thrifty Style Team we all have great decorating ideas and DIYs for our readers! Every month a group of my blogging friends organized by Julie of Redhead Can Decorate come together to share thrifty and budget-friendly decorating ideas with you. At the end of my post, you will see what everyone else is sharing today.
This post may include affiliate links; you can read my disclosure policy here.
National Gallery of Art
You will find an enormous collection of artwork on the National Gallery of Art. You can search through the collection (there are thousands!) and my advice is to narrow down the search categories to the style of artwork you are searching for.
I like to search through Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings.
For my kitchen, I wanted to add a small piece of artwork to add a pop of color near my sink area. I picked Renoir’s “Peaches on a Plate”.
One trick that I love to use for my DIY artwork is to use cotton canvas printer sheets to give the artwork an authentic look.
Remember that printer sheets are 8 1/2 x 11 so are larger than an 8 x10 frame. Just make sure you adjust your printer picture settings to the proper size of what you want to print..everyone’s printers are different so you will have to figure this part out on your own.
Another option if you don’t have a home printer is to go to Staples and have them print it out for you.
After I printed out the Peaches picture I used spray adhesive to attach it to a wood frame that I had in my craft stash.
Another still life painting that I loved for my kitchen was this Manet “Pears”
If you don’t have a computer to download the images to you can save them to your phone’s camera roll and print them from there too.
I screenshotted some of the pages so I could remember the artist and name of the paintings.
Project Idea
Another project that I did was to upcycle an old picture that I had. This one was pulled from my Fall storage bin…I can’t even remember the last time that I displayed it!!
This time I printed out the image on a sheet of watercolor paper which is textured.
Because the sheet of watercolor paper is larger than a sheet of copy paper I needed to trim off the excess so it would go through the copy machine.
Then I had to trim the edged to fit in the picture frame that I am going to use today.
For this picture upcycle I am going to use Mod Podge to adhere the picture to the frame and Rub ‘n Buff to give the frame a different look.
Rub ‘n Buff works like magic!! It takes just a few seconds to completely change the look of something and you only need a tiny dab to do it!!
Using a sponge brush I covered the old picture with Mod Podge to adhere the print to it. Another option would be to use a spray adhesive.
The Graphics Fairy
The Graphics Fairy website has thousands of free images and clipart available to you. If you are looking for vintage-looking artwork this is your place!
For Fall, I printed out this vintage-looking mushroom painting. to use in my entryway.
I tucked it into the back pocket of an old picnic basket that I had styled with lots of Fall items. I decorated my entryway with lots of thrifted and vintage items.
Last Christmas, I printed out 9 different vintage Santa and Christmas images from The Graphics Fairy and made a gallery wall in my kitchen. Take a tour of my green & red Christmas kitchen here.
Old Book Illustrations
The Old Book Illustrations website has lots of different subjects to choose from.
I loved the animal and plant categories! Especially the bird pictures.
Free Botanical Prints
This is a reader favorite on Cottage on Bunker Hill! How about creating a botanical gallery wall??
There is no need to pay for botanical print downloads on Etsy, seriously!! You can find hundreds of pretty options for free on Botanicus.org.
You will need to scroll down the column on the left side of the page until you see “plate” instead of “text” and that will be the botanical images.
If you want to save some time just go to my Botanical Print Gallery Wall and I have a curated group of the images already in a folder for you to download.
USDA
The USDA has a digital library with free downloads.
My pick is the watercolor collection. Perfect if you are looking for something to use in your kitchen!
So instead of thinking that you have to run out and buy new artwork for your home try doing it on your own and saving some money too!!
Plus you will have so many more options to curate your own style for your home.
Thrifty Style Team
here are a few of my past projects…
Thrifty style team
Redhead Can Decorate –Cozy Fall Corner
Our Crafty Mom –Ghost Mug Pottery Barn Dupe
I Should Be Mopping the Floor – Fall Simmer Pot Recipe
The How to Home –Dollar Store Halloween Apothecary Jars
DIY Beautify –Anthro Minka Pot Dupe for Under $5
2 Bees in a Pod –Olive Topiary Ballard’s Dupe
The Tattered Pew –Simple DIY Halloween Ghost Pillow
Cottage on Bunker Hill –Where I Find Free Art to Print at Home
My Family Thyme – How to Make a Dried Hydrangea Wreath
Amy Sadler Designs –Felt Bookmark with Embroidered Initial
Songbird –Decorating Lanterns for Fall
So many great tips! I’m saving this so I can remember them all. And, I’ve never used the cotton canvas print paper. I’m going to have to order some soon (and get some vintage Christmas prints from one of your sources) for holiday decorating! xoxo
Yes, definitely has a cool look when you print on that canvas!
Wow! You are a wealth of fabulous resources. Loving the paper tips, too! xoxo, kristi
Awww thanks, Kristi!!
This is a wonderful resource for art prints, Jen! Thank you for sharing it all. I finished the clay leaves and will hopefully be posting tomorrow if the sun shows up today. They turned out beautiful thanks to your tutorial last month!
That’s amazing!! Can’t wait to check them out!!
Wow, wow wow! Game change for affordable art. Thank you friend. I love the tip on using different textures of paper. They looks so real!!! Excited to try this.
Yes, we love free!! I love how the watercolor paper looks…even more than the canvas sheets.
Thank you so much for these tips! I have these websites bookmarked now. I am sure I’ll have lots of uses for them.
Oh good!! I’m so glad!
Jennifer – your post is so timely, as I am updating a few spaces in my home. I love all of your artwork and ideas. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks!! Yes, good things to know!! Especially when we tend to change our decor out so much!
I love this post and have been wanting to change my other prints out for the Christmas season. Thanks for sharing, friend!
Yes, have Al warm up the printer and get going!!
Ok, I love all of these! I need to remember to do this more bc it’s such a great way to get thrifty decor at a fraction! Thanks for the inspo Jen! xx
Yes and you always print them out larger at Staples or whatever you have around you too!
What a great post, Jennifer!! This is such a great resource for beautiful, free artwork. I love the idea of using cotton canvas printer sheets to make it look more authentic. So clever!! Pinned!!
Thanks Lynne…if it’s free it’s for me!!