Looking for an affordable way to dress up your pad? Trying to combine sophisticated with rustic? For those with, shall we say champagne taste on a beer budget, I've got great news. You know those sexy antique-style spirit advertisements that go for big bucks at the mall print stores? You can enjoy several of them in your own home for less than the average cost of a single framed print. Read on.

Campari Art Print

One of the areas my husband and I were able to find middle ground on the home decorating scene from the very beginning was with reproduction antique advertising pieces. Metal store signs, collectors tins, antique travel posters, and those gorgeous chic posters from the folks at Campari and other companies that manage to also make their way into calender form. Which is why we were easily able to afford the series of eight that's now hanging in two rows in my kitchen hallway. And that's the downsized collection. We had to give another five away to friends who also like the look because we just didn't have room at this new place. Wanna know how we did it?

  • First, buy a calender featuring a different reproduction poster page for each month. On ours, we actually ended up 13 individual unique prints, as the inside cover also came with one. Shop for a style that takes up most of the page with a border around the edge. (Most of them come that way anyway, largely I suspect because this art is so popular for framing. )
  • Remove each poster from the calender, and then trim with either an Exacto knife or scissors to fit the slots of the frames you select. One easy way to do this is to take the back insert of the frame and use it to trace lightly with a pencil the lines where you will want to cut. If you go the Exacto knife route, put anold telephone book or several pieces of cardboard underneath to protect the surface you are working on.
  • Reattach the backs to the frames and hang as desired. I think these make a more dramatic statement (at least in the calender size) when hung together as a series, which is why I picked up an entire matching set of frames for around three bucks a piece. Now, if you like them individually, and want to give some others away as gifts, you could either use one of my favorite cheapie decorating tricks (black spray paint) or snag some inexpensive clip frames from your nearest Ikea.

We picked up our calender for full price, which was in the ten – twelve dollar range at the time of purchase (a few years back). However, with the 2008 calenders about to be seriously marked down in price, it's possible you might be able to pull off this idea at less than a buck a print. Don't forget, the old-style travel poster calenders, and reproduction antique suitcase label calenders look great framed individually as well. In fact, I included an image at the top of the article that wasn't a Campari ad at all, just so you could start to envision the possibilities. The colors in these older posters are great for making a statement, especially against an accent wall in an exceptionally bold color. Of course, if all this is too much work, you can certainly truck on over to All Posters and order an affordable print. This, along with the clip frame tip will still keep this way more affordable than a custom framed poster at the mall.

For other ideas on how to live large while taking advantage of post season sales, check out these additional Wise Bread articles:

Happy decorating, everyone! As usual, if you have another phenomenal decorating suggestion, please share it in the comment section so we can all benefit. Links are welcome, so you have an online example, be sure to take an e-bow.