Telling a Story with Shabby Chic Wall Art

Decorating a room with shabby chic style is not only beautiful, but often a very economical way to decorate. With its emphasis on well-worn and vintage items, shopping in second-hand stores and flea markets can often provide a treasure trove of decorating items and wall art and decor that will look lovely on the walls. Whether you are decorating a living room, bedroom, bathroom or family room, there are plenty of items you can use to add a cozy and homespun look and feel.

Using Quilts and Blankets as Wall Art

Beautiful vintage quilts of all kinds can be used effectively as wall art in a shabby chic room. If the quilt has been handed down to you over generations, this can be an especially nice way of adding a personal touch to a room, allowing the handiwork of your ancestors to add beauty to the room. Large quilts can be hung on wall-mounted quilt racks to save space, while smaller quilts can be hung on bar racks to display their full beauty, just as you would do with a tapestry wall hanging. If the quilt has sentimental value to you, try displaying the quilt along with other family mementos, such as hanging a wall shelf close by to display vintage family photos, to help tell the story of your family and their ancestry.

Using Table Linens as Wall Art

You can often find beautiful table linens and embroidered napkins at yard sales, tag sales, second-hand shops and online. Although sometimes you can't find a matching set, individual napkins can be beautiful when framed and displayed as wall part. Especially if the items have beautiful lace work or intricate hand-embroidered patterns, they can add a look of charm and grace to your room that will coordinate beautifully with your overall shabby chic decorating style.

Pieces of vintage fabric can also be framed and combined with other types of wall art to make a unique statement. For example, in a shabby chic sunroom, frame pieces of retro Florida palm tree fabric in white shabby chic frames and combine them on the wall with a dimensional palm tree wall art that has the same stylistic overtones.

Shabby Chic Wall Art in the Bedroom

One interesting way to add a shabby chic touch to your bedroom is to make your own custom headboard. Not only will this serve a functional purpose in the room, but it will also double as a beautiful piece of wall art. As a foundation for your headboard, use a piece of wood or an old door that has been cut to whatever size and shape is needed to make a nicely sized headboard for your bed. Then, use a staple gun to attach sheet batting to the framework on the front side of the headboard for padding. Since you will be stapling the fabric to the back of the headboard, make sure you choose a quilt or piece of vintage fabric that doesn't have sentimental or financial value to you. To cover the headboard, simply lay the quilt or fabric over the front, and tuck the edges around to the back, fastening it to the back of the wooden headboard with a staple gun. Use screws to attach the headboard to your bed frame, or simply lean it against the wall behind the bed.