The Etsy Shopping Trick That Has Saved Me Hundreds

Let’s pretend you’re a baker and you’re making a cake. You whip up some batter, stick some pans in the oven with said batter, and, when the timer dings, you’ve got yourself a cake. But wait, you’re not done yet, of course. What’s a cake without frosting and decoration, right? Well, it’s boring, unfortunately, and who wants to eat that? The same can be said for a room with no art. It’s still a room, of course, but it has no flavor, no personality, nothing to distinguish it from the next space with the same IKEA sofa and Moroccan shag rug.

“But art is so expensive” you say. Yes, it can be, but it can also be quite affordable if you know where to shop. Online retailers the likes of Society6 and Minted sell wallet-friendly prints and photographs, and I’ll add one more to the mix. Allow me to introduce you to my absolute favorite source for cheap art: Etsy.

Of course, Etsy is no secret for art, vintage pieces and other decor, but their downloadable prints is where I live. Many of the artworks I’ve purchased from sellers have cost me less than $5, and only a few more bucks to print myself from places like AdoramaPix, Costco and Parabo (check them out for large-scale engineer prints). You can even use your own home printer if you’re looking for smaller dimensions (but I do recommend turning to the pros for this to make your new art at least look more expensive).

What you’ll find in the downloads section of Etsy runs the gamut, from photos of baby ducklings and a robust helping of quotables to black-and-white landscapes, vintage botanicals and modern abstracts. Basically, there’s something for everyone and every room of your home.

To get you started, I put together a helping of some of my favorite picks, but, being that there are over half a million available options, you might want to peruse the selection yourself for something that speaks to you.