How to Make Cheap Folk Art Prints Look Like Fine Art Posters

Have you ever visited someone’s house and wondered how they made a cheap poster look like a fine art print? How to achieve this is very simple and rewarding.

Display well. The secret to dressing up cheap folk art is in the way you display it. Start with an inexpensive poster that you love. Make sure you choose something that makes your heart sing to look at, not a mediocre “match-the-sofa” kind of print. This is important because how you feel about the image has a lot to do with where you choose to display it and how you accentuate it. If you have an old piece of cheap wall art at home right now, keep reading because this next part is just for you.

Mount the poster properly.

Get professional grade backing paper or board and hinge mount the art print to the backer board. That means that you must not use regular tape around the edges, but use mounting tape as a hinge at the top so the poster hangs free.

Pick a good-sized mat. Experiment with color and mat texture until you find one that accentuates the print poster.

Use frames to define fine art. At this point, you can find a frame that is ready made, make your own or get it professionally framed. Another idea is to get a simple ready made frame and embellish it yourself. This is a key element in turning a cheapo poster into a fine piece of wall art. Don’t fear, it is easier than you think.

Tips

• Here are a few suggestions on creating truly unique and beautiful frames for your prints. Mimic the theme of the poster onto the frame. For example: If you have a series of folk art prints, you can nail colorful bottle caps around the edge of the frames and hang in a cluster, or if you have a beach scene poster try adding pieces of driftwood to the frame.
• One favorite is to take a series of smaller 8” x 11” cheap botanical or animal art prints and buy 11” x 14” pre-made simple frames with mats. They are usually less than $15 each. It is easy to afford to do a series of five or seven. Buy the same size and color and disassemble so you can take out the glass. Once this is done, lay them out on a long table. Use modge podge to glue artificial leaves (but not real leaves) on the frame until you have covered the entire surface.
• Use different colored leaves for each frame or mix it up. Let dry and seal. You can also use hot glue and real twigs for a different look. Then, clean the glass really good and reassemble with prints. Hang as a grouping or in the same area.
• Fine Art print style for your wall [1]
• Turning a cheap wall art poster into a fine art print doesn’t have to be expensive. Another friend of mine had taken three cheap Japanese reproductions [2], re-matted and hung them in oversized thrift store frames. Next, she glued bamboo strips around each frame creating a simple pattern. The effect was stunning, and the cost was practically nothing.