When my daughter was born, I didn't want to spend a ton on artwork for her nursery, but I definitely wanted her living space to be colorful and inviting. Here are four easy ideas I had to fill her walls without breaking the bank:



1. Frame a tea towel. There are so many adorable tea towels out there, and how sad that they while away in drawers where no one can see them. I adore this animal silhouette design, and I actually think it's more interesting printed on fabric then it would be as a poster--the texture of the raw linen adds a whole beautiful dimension. Amassed tea towel, $22, Enormous Champion.

2. Pillage an art book. This groovy diptych is made of pages from The Art of Peter Max, and I actually smuggled them home after we created them for a Cookie photo shoot. If you don't have an artist in mind, a little browsing at your local bookstore should provide quick inspiration. This idea lends itself to multiples, but a single image would be lovely too.

3. Make art, no talent required. I am excited about the recent word-art phenomenon (I'm sure you've seen the Keep Calm and Carry On and For Like Ever posters, I also like theloveshop), and while I don't think my version compares to those compelling designs, I'm quite pleased with the results. I just laid out the words to one of my daughter's favorite songs (Skinamarinky Dinky Dink) using adhesive vinyl letters on poster board. The letters are very forgiving, too, allowing for easy and repeated repositioning, so you can get it just right. Chartpak 2" Red letters, $8, Rapid Supplies.

4. Frame notecards. The least expensive artwork out there is sold at your local stationary shop--beautifully printed cards for a few bucks a pop! Sure they are small, but framed and clustered together they feel anything but dinky. I mixed a couple of letterpress cards with other artwork to fill a narrow wall. A to Z alphabet cards, $30 for set of 26, Sugarcube Press. Sperm Whale notecard, $5, Enormous Champion.