Home Improvements: Affordable art

Some affordable and easy ideas to help you fill those blank spaces on your wall.

You need not spend a fortune if you're looking for something original to put on your walls. There's a host of inexpensive items that can be used to create quirky, customised art.

Why not transform your love of books into a decorative feature? Frame the covers of some of your favourite titles and hang them up. Alternatively, frame certain passages within those books, or poems that strike a chord. With your average paperback costing about Dh50, it's a cheap, easy and personal way to fill those spaces.

Fun greeting cards can also look great framed and hung. We love the stylish Tokyo Milk cards from Bloomingdale's Home, with their old-school illustrations and tongue-in-cheek taglines.

For an extremely cost-effective wall filler, buy some high-quality wrapping paper that you love. Create a triptych by framing three equal-sized pieces and hanging them alongside each other. Paperchase has a great selection - and no one will know they aren't expensive prints.

Similarly, patterned fabric swatches or cool tea towels can be framed and strung up. The secret is choosing the right frames. Mix and match colours and styles for a feature wall that is both eye-catching and unique.