Well, this one is obvious. But if you're looking for cheap art, don't forget about the pre-owned version. Pre-owned art is classy, like a pre-owned BMW, not like someone else's used Taurus trash.
Anyway: We're rounding up our last Cheap Art installment, and we're ending with the goodies from thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, and your grandmother's attic. Among these, my favorites are often homemade pieces by others. Like this small sketch of three hands spelling out MOL in American Sign Language.
No, MOL doesn't have any meaning for us. I wasn't even sure it said that when I bought it, as my ASL is that woefully underdeveloped. But I love the way this hand-drawn sketch looks. I even like the way it's framed. It cost $2.97 at a Goodwill in Pennsylvania, and I like that we gave it an extra life, beyond whomever had it first.
Oil on Canvas, via Goodwill
Similarly, these paintings appear to me to be handmade by a not-quite-pro, and lovely nonetheless. They came framed in these light pine frames for $5 apiece from the Goodwill in Brooklyn. When I bought them, I thought I might pull a John & Sherry and stencil some words over them, but I like them so much as-is, I've left them alone.
Of course, not every piece of thrifted art is homemade. I love thrifting because I so often treasure someone's trash.
Framed thrift store art. It's thrifty.
Take my Stay at Home print. I've already waxed poetic about it here, but I continue to be absolutely enamored of it. It's exactly my thing, and I got it for $10 from a local thrift shop called Housing Works. The frame is pretty beat up, so at some point, I'll replace it, maybe with more of a Shaker style (if you can describe frames that way).
So I love this stuff. It all holds a little meaning for me because it came from somewhere that's not an Ikea shelf. Not that there's anything wrong with that - I have that stuff too. But it's nice to have more in the mix. And rescuing the occasional 10th-grade art project from the dust bin of history always seems to work out for us. Check out our other cheap art ideas: gift bags, party supplies, paper store finds and homemade creations.
Thanks for checking in, have a great weekend and we'll see you next week!