Decorating on a Dime: Ribbon Wall Art

The Topic: Sprucing up your pad for a pittance with VegNews Assistant Editor Anna Peraino

The Dish: Having a love of design and close to no money might seem like an issue (who can afford a $300 pendant lamp? Really?), but it’s really a blessing. An apartment consisting of blank walls and a mattress on the floor (been there) can turn into a unique and fabulous pad, as long as you put in the effort. Whether you’re a renter or the idea of painting your home sounds about as fun as visiting a butcher shop, livening up a big white wall can seem really daunting. I hear you. My roommates and I have been there. We can’t afford fancy art prints, but we feel like our days of hanging Led Zeppelin posters are behind us.

I came across this idea for a wall decoration while perusing weddinggawker (I can feel you judging me for spending time looking at pictures of random strangers’ weddings, and I’m totally fine with it.), and the roommates and I decided to replicate it for the big wall that our couch sits against. After one quick trip to our nearby Michael’s (Mecca for crafters and scrapbookers alike), we had everything we needed to recreate this cute ribbon wall decoration for the low, low price of $12. Here’s how to make your own!

Supplies:

A ball of twine

Craft glue

Ribbon (we went with four colors found in our living room rug to really tie the room together)

Push pins

Directions:

1. Cut ribbon into eight-inch pieces. If you want to get really fancy, you can cut out a triangle at the bottom of the pieces for some added snazziness.

2. Measure and cut a piece of twine to desired length.

3. Place a small amount of craft glue on the non-triangle end of the piece of ribbon. Wrap it around the twine and secure back onto the ribbon. Hold for about 15 seconds to set.

4. Repeat step 3 with other pieces of ribbon, alternating colors and making sure to equally space each piece of ribbon*. Additionally, be sure to face the ribbons forward so that the glued-up sides will sit against the wall.

5. Allow your ribbon-ed up twine to dry for at least an hour.

6. When glue is dried, install to wall by putting two push pins into your wall in desired location and stringing your ribbons between them.

7. Repeat as many times as you want.

8. Take a picture of your super awesome new wall art and post it on VegNews’ Facebook page so we can see!

*Or don’t! Do five blue piece all close together and then add a yellow polka dot one three feet away! This is America. It's a free country!

This decoration would also work with scraps of cloth from the fabric store, newspaper, tissue paper, different colors of twine or yarn … whatever you imagine, it can happen. Plus, despite the company's logo, all of Elmer's glue is vegan. 

The Final Word: Making your home look freaking awesome can cost either a ton or next to nothing. All you really need is a little creativity, a couple of hours, and a craft store. Need more ideas? VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen’s fabulous compendium of tips, websites, and stores to help you decorate your home for less tells you everything you need to know to up the fancy ante in your home. Good luck!