Don't Throw Out Old Wall Art! Try These DIYs To Create New Decor Pieces

Wall art trends come and go and tastes evolve, so it's not surprising if you've ended up with a piece that's no longer your style. But there's no need to throw outdated pieces in the garbage! Old wall art can be a useful DIY material, working as a sturdy base for a range of eye-catching, fresh art. It can be expensive to buy new canvases or boards, especially if they're large in size, but old wall art can serve the same function with a little prep work. That's a win for both your wallet and the environment.

These DIYs are straightforward to make and suitable for novice crafters with basic tools. This list also focuses on projects that use easy-to-source supplies, including paint, spackling, and even items you can find around the house to make extra budget-friendly art. Keep in mind that you might need to prep old wall art before using it to craft, and this process will depend on its materials and finish, as well as what you'd like to add. A primer like the U.S. Art Supply White Gesso Primer or FolkArt Clear Primer are two options to help you ready your surface. Then, get creative with these ideas to transform your old pieces into trendy wall art for every room of your home.

Moss art can bring beautiful greenery to your walls, and it's easy to make with old wall art. Use your old piece as the base, and glue on a variety of imitation moss. If needed, paint over the wall art so it doesn't show through. For example, a dark brown shade can mimic the color of soil. Use a selection of moss for crafting, for example, Duspro Green Moss and Mosser Lee Spanish Moss, which come in different hues so you can create dimension and patterns. This DIY is the perfect low-maintenance project for a biophilic living room that flawlessly brings nature indoors.

Unleash your creativity by painting over a piece of old wall art with an abstract design. Similar art pieces can cost well over $100, so this is a way to get the look for less. A coat of primer and a few coats of paint in your chosen base color will give you a clean slate. Then, create your own design by layering geometric shapes and fluid lines. Choosing contrasting colors to create a statement-making piece of art and make your design pop. However, muted colors will make your art more subtle if you just want to add some soft visual interest to your wall. 

This is another project idea that appeals to both artists and the less creative out there since it's easy to make. Black and white is minimalist, but if you play with color, you can create an image that's reminiscent of rolling waves (using blue and green shades) or blooming flowers (using red, pink, yellow, or other floral colors). Just remember that the paint will only move while it's wet, so you'll want to work quickly before it dries. For a larger piece, consider splitting your design into sections so it doesn't dry while you're working. 

Combine old wall art and a bamboo mat to bring warmth and dimension to a room. Bamboo has a natural texture and can bring an earthy element into boho or Japandi interiors. Choose mats in natural hues like this simple ZPirates Bamboo Bath Mat or the lighter-weight IDesign Bamboo Mat for an organic look. You can also find bamboo mats in colors, so opt for a white bamboo mat to fit in with coastal decor. Patterned bamboo mats, like this Marscool Bamboo Place Mat, look even more artistic with a detailed, nature-inspired design.

Textured wall art is trendy, but it can also be expensive, with many pieces running a couple of hundred dollars. Using spackling and old wall art, you can create something just as elegant, but for much less money. To "draw" in the wet spackling, use items from around the house like a wide-tooth comb or disposable chopsticks. Uniform lines can make the finished piece look clean and methodic, while freehand swirls and waves feel more fluid and organic. You can also use this spackling stencil technique to add charm to your canvas. The textured finished art will look great in minimalist and modern rooms. 

Spackling and patching plaster (both will work for this type of project) dry white and are designed to be painted over. This makes it easy to turn your plaster artwork into a different hue if white feels too plain. If you draw deeper lines into the spackling, they will show up better after you paint the project. Metallic paint can help highlight the drawn-in details, and bold paint colors can make the art look even more dramatic. For a more muted look, use calming, earthy tones that will lightly highlight the piece's texture. 

This project is an affordable way to show off a noteworthy shower curtain pattern that you love too much to relegate to the bathroom. Instead of paint, you can use a drop cloth to cover up the old wall art (it requires less work and waiting time than painting on primer, and prevents the old art from showing through the shower curtain). Not only is this idea affordable, but shower curtains are durable and water-resistant too, so the finished piece will hold up well in households with kids or pets. 

Cover old wall art with a tapestry to transform it into something new. Tapestries come in a huge range of designs, from modern and abstract, like this Miytal Art Line Sketch Tapestry, to something that looks like classic art, like this Monet-inspired Water Lilies Tapestry. This means you can find a design you love and make it look like traditional wall art. Plus, there are plenty of tapestries for about $20. So, using your current piece as a frame can give you a new, impactful piece of art at a budget-friendly cost.

Want to make something more practical than a new wall hanging? You can turn sturdy wood wall art into a wall-mounted coat rack. This DIY will work with solid wood pieces like an old sign. With the right paint and hooks, you can create a functional piece you might find in a home decor store. Use neutral paint colors and minimalist hooks for a modern or Scandinavian coat rack, or distress the paint and add rustic hooks for a farmhouse design. If you'd rather give it an industrial vibe, stain the wood a dark color and use black metal hooks. 

This low-effort project requires no art skills and adds lusciously cozy texture to your walls. A similar textile art piece can cost hundreds of dollars, so you can keep more money in your wallet. You can use any fabric you like, from a patterned bath towel to an old rug (if you use old wall art, fabric, and glue you already have, this DIY is free!). This project is a great way to repurpose old textiles that are no longer fit for use. For example, if you have a stained rug, you can cut out an unblemished section and make it into this wall art to keep the design in your space. 

Peel-and-stick tile is a savior for rental upgrades, but it turns out, you can use it to update your old wall art too. It just involves choosing a design you love (consider a product from one of the top-rated brands for reliable peel-and-stick tiles) and then adhering it over your art piece. This is a fabulous way to take advantage of peel-and-stick tiles, but without going through the effort or cost of covering an entire wall or floor. Plus, the finished piece will fit right into a kitchen area or bathroom, where you expect to see sleek tile.

A simple swipe of paint appeals to many when creating modern artwork. However, if you want to add even more visual interest, consider breaking the line up across a few canvases. This project is a good way to take up more area if you're decorating a large wall. Oversized wall art can come with a high price tag, easily breaking the $100 mark. But this triptych idea is a good way to fill a big empty wall space without breaking the bank. And unlike a gallery wall, the continuation of the design ties all the canvases together as one cohesive piece. 

You can glue a variety of materials onto your old wall art to make a new unique piece that doesn't require painting or drawing ability. This DIYer uses a large diameter rod, like this 1-inch Woodpeckers Wooden Dowel, cut to size and then glued onto the base into a pattern. If you don't have offcuts you want to use up, you can save yourself the time and labor involved in cutting whole dowels to size and pick up a pack of pre-cut wooden rounds, like these Ultechnovo Wooden Blocks. For a similar look, you can also use that collection of old corks (this is just one way to repurpose wine corks around the house). Of course, don't be afraid to get creative with this ideal; you can place them in a grid formation like in this example or create a design of your own.

Flexible rope is an excellent material for tracing out designs, especially if you want to incorporate texture. After covering up the wall art with your choice of paint color, you can glue on lengths of rope. A material like this rustic Tenn Well Jute Rope suits rustic and bohemian interiors. However, white cotton rope might better suit coastal living spaces. You can also use a dyed option like McFanBe's 16 Roll Multicolored Set to add more dimension and boldness to your design. 

This rustic DIY looks impressive, and it will be hard for houseguests to tell that you made it with an old piece of art and some jute twine. Use a thinner and more flexible material like the PerkHomy Natural Jute Twine. You'll want to weave the twine to create the finished pattern in a thick enough layer that there are no gaps, so you can't see the old wall art underneath. This means there's no need to paint over the existing art, which is appealing to those who don't want to damage their old decor.

A plain, single-color piece of fabric can make a big statement as a modern piece of wall art, especially if you choose an eye-catching color and texture. This DIY demonstrates how to make the finished project even more distinctive. It uses lightweight satin fabric and a heavy-duty adhesive to stick it to the old wall art in a rumpled pattern. The finished piece looks alluring and could be fantastic for a luxurious bedroom. Plus this project is custom, so you can use different fabric types to get your desired look. For example, flowy chiffon fabric looks romantic, while velvet will look extra sumptuous and cozy. 

Use old wall art as the base for impressive-looking 3D art that's perfect for farmhouse and cottagecore homes. A mix of greenery and florals makes the finished project look like a snapshot of a flower field using low-cost imitation plants. For example, you can take apart the stems in the KIRIFLY Artificial Flowers and the Winlyn Mixed Artificial Oval Eucalyptus Leaves to create an art piece with variety. There are a few ways you can personalize this project to your style. Choose artificial blooms according to a favorite color scheme or season, lean more into the greenery for an earthier look, or add dried stems or pampas grass for a bohemian feel. 

This easy dipped art DIY can take an old piece of wall art and make it feel playful and modern while showing part of the old artwork. It looks particularly creative if you do multiple pieces (and you can choose several colors too) to make a dipped paint gallery wall. If needed, you can start with a layer of white primer before jumping into your paint color as it will do a better job of covering up the old design and make the finished color look bolder. If you don't own a paint sprayer, simple pick up a couple of cans of spray paint that will adhere to a variety of surfaces, such as the Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint.

This project idea is a good way to add dimension and personality to an old art piece you love, but want to update. Use old jewelry and gems to create a border with lots of ornate old-timey charm. This is one of many fun ways to repurpose thrifted jewelry around your home, but you can also use other items to achieve different styles. Use metal "junk" like bottle caps and old keys to create an eclectic steampunk piece. Or opt for seashells and pieces of driftwood to create art that's perfect for a beachy home.