My fuse box and intercom box are on the same wall and it was the first thing you would see when you walked in the door.
I had an ornate pitcure frame that was large enough to fit both. I painted a mural on the wall and framed it. I painted the breaker box (not the intercom). Attached the frame to the wall and instant art. And it hid the unattractive boxes(Although the pitcure took a long time to finish- I wasn't sure where I was going with it.)

my giant found 4'x8' piece of weathered plywood that was formerly a sign for a parking lot. some of the letters are still faintly visible but what i love is the way the paint partially wore off revealing the grain of the plywood. it takes up almost one entire wall and anchors the seating/entertainment area of my small apartment.

kitkatkasha - sounds beautiful! got a pic to share?

What I've done that was relatively inexpensive is paint some canvases a bright color and put round mirrors of different sizes all over them. I've put them side-by-side on a wall, and they really add to the space.

Fabric remnants. Whether framed under glass, stretched on bars, or scrolled on hanging rods, or even draped from a few nails.

oakjo - here's a pic: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AFv7Sc-k94j_rCRV8YladA?feat=directlink

kitkatkasha - love love love your plywood sign art piece.

I got three large, 2'x4' canvases and painted them solid colors to match my very mod drapes. They look like giant pixels, as they are green, blue, and red. I love them!

My aunt hung 3 antique cobbler's shoe forms on the wall and then hung an empty, ornate frame around them. The frame somehow takes them from corny to cool. I want to adapt her idea but I haven't found the right object yet.

kitkatkasha, wow, that is so gorgeous! It's not at all what I was picturing when I read your description. Thank you so much for sharing!

you take ornate frames and paint them all the same color and put them up all over the wall... sound familiar?
This is my next project, inspired by Patrick.

Fabric panels hung with binder clips from push pins high on the wall. You can get six yards of pretty coordinated fabric for under $30 and completely cover a wall with it.

I took a rice bag, $2.95 fake candle light from ikea, 2 pegs and a wire coathanger to make a wall-lampy-deco-thingy for my loungeroom. It's only temporary and I take terrible photos but you can see it at http://morepretty.blogspot.com/

Sorry, I'm pretty traditional. Framed original paintings (some cost $3 at flea markets, some much more from the artists), mirrors in interesting frames, architectural salvage type items (including a panel of Chinese wood latticework), photos taken by friends, shadow boxes full of collections, etc. But since the thrust of this thread is really about affordable art (and, as a former art teacher, I use the term VERY loosely), it should be said that you can find great stuff at thrift shops, flea markets, yard sales, Home Depot clearance shelves, etc. at bargain prices if you scout regularly, and then you can do something maybe more satisfying than framed gift wrap. Which I think is a bit sad.

I have handmade untraditional art all over the place. The latest is a sign made with old fence boards that hangs over the bed and says:

DREAMSINDRE
AMSYOURDREA
MSINDREAMSY
OURDREAMS

Which is a word play on "In Your Dreams".

The sign itself hangs over the black flowers painted all over the walls. I love making my place my own. In fact, my friends call my house my canvas.

that's an incredible piece kitkatkasha. well done!

Collections of vintage objects: antique printer's trays of various sizes hung on the wall; 9 or 10 small vintage USA pottery pitchers in shades of blue, green and turquoise; antique glove molds.

DIY "art" drives me insane. There is a lot to be said about getting inexpensive student art, fabric or hanging interesting found objects (like kitkatkasha, Miriam & farmhousemoderne).

DIY art could be a gateway! I bought some acrylics so I could paint some art for my apartment. Then it turned out I really liked it. So I painted some more and my friends bought some paintings, and then strangers bought some, and now I always have art for my walls and so do they!

In St. Louis, the City Museum is filled with repurposed pieces of architectural decoration salvaged from old landmarks and old-but-not-so-landmark places. One of the neatest ones is a display of various old doorknobs from years gone by--glass, brass, wood--in a large shadowbox frame. There's also one filled with keys of all sorts--including some of the "keys to the city" that were given out to visiting dignitaries. Very simple, beautiful objects elevated to art once again.

There's also a beautiful wall there made up of metal "hot type"--all sorts, ad pieces, photo blocks, sales journal pages, individual letters and filler designs--with the printers' letter cases arranged at the bottom in a sort-of beadboard fashion.

kitkatkasha your art is awesome.

Kit I'm green with envy -- your found art is GREAT!

Sam, do you have a picture of that word play over your bed? That's sounds great.

Our nine year old plays a mean guitar already (he likens himself to Angus Young), so when it came time to redo his room I decided to include some interesting and unique guitar paraphernalia. One of the nifty creations I came up with that he really adores is a faux wall amp. I simply bought a blank wall canvas (or you could use a frame stretcher) and ordered some guitar grill cloth to cover it with. Then I ordered a couple of amp tuning dials for cheap off ebay and secured them strategically to resemble a floating wall amplifier. The best part? It cost me $23 totals, though an additional $9 for S&H. Not bad. Alongside a few candy jars filled with guitar picks and his ever-present guitar, amp, cords and pedals, his room looks like a studio gone made for a tween :D http://chasingchic.blogspot.com/2009/10/tween-oasis.html