Creating stress-free, dopamine-causing, DIY wall art
Try these eight ideas to upgrade your wall decor space
You’ve walked into your home and looked around at the walls. There’s a framed prom photo from your date, who you haven’t seen nor talked to in decades. There are some group family photos with relatives you don’t get along with. There’s the wedding photograph you’ve left up because your kid may wonder why you’d take the other half off the wall. And then there are those awkward friend pics where you tried to crop someone out.
There may be an old photo of you with 20-less pounds or a bad hair day group shot, but everyone else looks amazing. And you stand there looking at the wall, wondering why are these photos framed on your wall? And why have you never tried to create the equivalent of a dopamenu wall? Are you keeping these photographs up out of guilt, or have you just been too pooped to create a wall that makes you happy?
Here’s your chance to upgrade your wall art. Try these eight DIY wall art ideas to bring joy to your home.
Wall 1: Fill one wall with a topic that makes you cheerful 24/7.
I have a confession. I’ve walked 101 dogs (not including the three I’ve owned) and completed 630 walks, but I don’t like all 101 dogs equally. There are about 10 dogs who I have leaped to my phone on Wag! and Rover to book. They’re always a good time. I had such a fun time dogsitting one pup to the point that I cried on my way out of the door. She sat in the living room looking at me, and I just couldn’t leave her alone — even though I knew her owners would be home in about an hour. So, I sat on an ottoman and just snuggled with her. (Although I hate it when dogs lick my face, I did let her lick the tears off my face.)
I started slowly adding my favorite dogs in a collage frame, next to a poster-sized drawing of my first dog of 13 years. Before I knew it, I had an entire dog wall, filled with memories of my favorite moments with dogs I didn’t own. Then, I worked with my condo association to overturn the no-dog rule and adopted a dog of my own. She became part of the dog wall. Then, my mother got a dog, and she became part of the dog wall too when she started hanging out at my place more often.
Dogs may not be your thing. Maybe it’s cats, flowers, birds, hearts, skulls, gargoyles, anime, butterflies, astrology symbols, whatever. Find something that makes you grin from ear to ear as soon as you see it.
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Then, create a dopamenu full of appetizers, sides, entrees, desserts and sides until you completely fill that wall. You can use this menu to order photos online, sketch your own images or even post pics from an adult coloring book. Just make sure this wall is something you absolutely want to stand in front of and look around to cheer you up on the worst days.
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Wall 2: Create your own Mount Rushmore.
We know about Gutzon Borglum’s sculpture of former presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. But this is probably not your four biggest heroes. Think of four people who you absolutely admire from a social justice, political and cultural level. Use your DIY skills to add them to your wall. You can take professional photographers out of a history book (or autobiography), print online photographs or use an artificial intelligence site to create new images.
Recommended Read: “Obama keeps saying ‘s**t’ … and 9 other things I learned from ‘Renegades Podcast’ ~ Learning to understand that my favorite couple in the White House was never perfect”
Recommended Read: “Harriet Tubman’s legacy made me lose a job ~ My proudest moment of being dismissed as an editor”
Wall 3: Represent your generation via music, movies and books.
This option can start to look too much like an ‘80s bedroom full of BOP!, Teen Beat, Ebony and JET posters. If that’s what you’re going for, so be it. But instead of just taping posters to the wall, consider making it a little more artsy. Frame your favorite album covers and artists. Laminate a few pics of you and your current friends in ‘90s gear. Set up a bookshelf against the wall, full of your favorite books from a certain era (ex. Omar Tyree’s “Flyy Girl” and Sister Souljah’s “The Coldest Winter Ever”). Create a collage of your favorite movies and maybe a few movie quotes (ex. “Right now, I am the blues in your left thigh, trying to become the funk in your right”). Younger visitors will look at this wall like a museum. Visitors your age will respect the blast from the past. Older visitors may be inspired to create their own generational wall.
Wall 4: Finally tackle that wall with the water stain or chipped paint.
You can’t ignore this wall forever. You can block it with all the furniture in the world, but you know that this wall needs some touching up. You may be surprised to learn that peel-and-stick wallpaper or self-adhesive aluminum patches was all you needed.