Make Your Own Masterpiece: Releasing Your Reasonably Priced Warhol

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WHEN THE EMPTY walls of your pad beg for decoration — but your wallet is as empty as van Gogh's after a bender — trade your winning-a-Sotheby's-auction fantasies for a trip to the art supply store. Because making your digs a one-person gallery can be as easy as playing Jackson Pollock for an afternoon, no MFA required.

Arlington interior designer Sara Tuttle's (Saratuttle.com) clients often dole out thousands of dollars for oversized Pop-Art canvases or rococo pastorals to accent their homes. But Tuttle's personal budget isn't quite so generous. So, when she has a wall to fill, she scours art-history books, design magazines and blogs for ideas and then grabs a canvas and paints her own Rothko- or Miro-esque masterpiece.

Aspiring artists might also prowl local art galleries and museums for inspiration. (Hey, if you're going to say, "I could do that," put your paintbrush where your mouth is.) Tuttle is drawn to the drama of abstract expressionism, a style that the still life-impaired might find more approachable than, say, a detailed landscape depicting the Rosslyn skyline or a portrait of your Uncle Alvarez.

"Art can transform the look of a room," she says. "You don't have to be particularly artistic. You're just drawing shapes. Go into it with a sense of humor, and you'll usually be pleasantly surprised by what you can accomplish."

Even if your adventures in acrylic don't unleash an inner Rembrandt, at least you won't run into your masterpiece's mass-produced twin out at a dinner party. "Your home is your biggest reflection of who you are. Don't put up anything your neighbor could have," says Kristan Cunningham, "Design Buddy" to Rachael Ray and former host of HGTV's now-defunct "Design on a Dime."

After all, DIY art adds more than just a splash of color — it's a sophisticated way to inject personality onto a blank slate, whether your creative strokes are sure or shaky.

"There is such an emphasis on decorating in ways that are deemed tasteful and stylish that the individuality of the owner can get lost," says Gerard Smith, author of "Artful Spaces: DIY Wall Art for the Home" (North Light, $19), which details projects for newbie artists. "The best thing about DIY art? You get to express yourself in your own environment."

Using advice from Smith and others, we created projects that are part grade-school art class, part stylish decoration. Whether you tell friends how you got such gallery-quality wall bling is up to you.

1. GEOMETRIC PAINTING (above)
Masking tape shrugs off its utilitarian job description to moonlight in the art world. Guided by taped stripes, plot a paint-by-numbers masterpiece.
» Total: $72
» Inspiration: An artwork by abstract artist Sarah Morris, spotted in a recent issue of Elle Decor
» Materials: Masking tape ($1.39, Utrecht), an array of student-quality acrylic paint ($5.69 for each 8-oz. tube, Utrecht), 24-by-24-inch pre-stretched canvas ($19, Utrecht)
» Lessons learned: Make up for those failed geometry tests from years past: Use a straightedge to meticulously lay straight tape tracks. Otherwise, tape can easily warp.

2. BUTTERFLY STENCILS
Butterfly cutouts plus permanent markers equals an easy flight of (tracing) fancy.
» Total: $31
» Inspiration: Adapted step-by-step instructions from Gerard Smith's book "Artful Spaces"
» Materials: Yellow-orange acrylic paint ($6.99 for 2-oz. tube, Utrecht); butterfly-shaped cardboard cards ($3.95, Paper Source); turquoise, purple and brown permanent markers ($1.09 each, Utrecht); 15-by-30-inch pre-stretched canvas ($16.99, Utrecht)
» Lessons learned: Large craft stores and online emporiums (like Craftsetc.com) are the best bet for a variety of stencil options. Stencil 1 (Stencil1.com) sells spray paint stencils, from Eames chairs to lotus flowers. Or peruse your place for traceable objects (think small bottles, Warholian bananas).

3. PHOTO ART
You, too, can star in an indie romance flick! Transform a candid snapshot into quirky art with the press of a photocopier's "enlarge" button and a few well-placed crayon scribbles and black outlines.
» Total: $24
» Inspiration: Loosely based on the hand-doodled style featured in the movie poster for "Away We Go."
» Materials: Photocopied snapshot enlarged at 250 percent (22 cents, FedEx Office), 9-by-12-inch frame ($14.49, Utrecht), pastels ($6.69, Utrecht), construction paper ($2.59, Utrecht)
» Lessons learned: Less is more when you're coloring with neon tones, lest a groom's tux devolves into a clown suit.

4. POTATO CHERRY BLOSSOMS
Go ahead: Play with your food. Here, potato slices act as cherry blossom stamps for a messy-yet-mod take on D.C.'s annual rite of spring. Bonus: Enjoy year-round blossoms sans the fanny-packed throngs.
» Total: $40
» Inspiration: Adapted step-by-step instructions from Gerard Smith's book "Artful Spaces"
» Materials: Black, gray and white acrylic paint ($5.69 for each 8-oz. tube, Utrecht), magenta acrylic paint ($5.19 for 2-oz. tube, Utrecht), 18-by-24-inch pre-stretched canvas ($16.99, Utrecht), potato (50 cents, Whole Foods)
» Lessons learned: Spuds make imperfect prints. Generally, that's a good thing. Even so, follow these steps for better dipping: Cut the potato at its roundest spot. Use a finger or paintbrush to spread the paint evenly on the smooth surface. Skewer the tater with a fork, stamp onto the canvas, then carefully twist and lift.

5. TWINKLE BOARD
Sending a message in a bottle is sweet — if you're a sailor. Chic homebodies can spread the word via light-up wall art, handmade from a salvaged plank that glows like a design-forward Lite-Brite.
» Total: $12
» Inspiration: A project featured on crafty decor blog Design*Sponge (Designspongeonline.com)
» Materials: Scrap wood ($1, Logan Hardware), rosewood varnish ($4.99 for half-pint, Logan Hardware), string of white mini-lights ($5.99, Christmas-light-source.com)
» Lessons learned: Hardware stores will often give you a scrap of wood for little or nothing, but it's worth your time to buff and polish it with varnish or paint. Choose a drill bit as close to the light bulb size as possible, and drill into the front side to minimize signs of cracking (an inevitable occurrence with cheap plywood).

Written for Express by contributor Katie Knorovsky
Photos by Marge Ely/Express