Gallery Worthy Art on a Thrift Store Budget

One of my go-to items to look for at thrift stores is antique ornate frames. Recently I found several beautifully delicate frames that I'm hanging in our entryway! I chose to swap out the art for something more my style, and I've got an easy technique to make any art look more luxe!

This little trick can make any art print - even a photo - look like a vintage oil painting for a beautiful gallery inspired work of art! My favorite ways to source artwork for my home are vintage art prints I can purchase from Etsy as digital downloads and prints out of old art books I look for while I'm thrifting! For this particular project I sourced my art for FREE by doing a simple Pinterest search for free downloadable art prints.

I used my trusty Bar Keeper's Friend to polish up this old metal!

All you need is an art print or photo, Mod Podge, a paintbrush, and card or foam board.

Cut a piece of cardboard or thin foam board to match the size of your art print. Alternately, you can use the back of the picture frame for this like I did! Using Mod Podge, glue your art to your board.

Lightly brush a coat of Mod Podge over your image with small brush strokes to create texture. Let the mod podge dry and then apply more if so desired. Once your art is dry you can frame it! It's that easy!

Whether you frame your art in a vintage, ornate frame or a more modern one, insert your art WITHOUT the glass for a framed canvas look.

I used this same technique in a plaster frame that did not have a back or glass. I simply cut my print to size and glued it right on top of the original artwork. If you try this technique make sure to share it with me by tagging me @therurallegend!

xoxo, L