This easy DIY Paper Wall Art made from paper, chicken wire, and an old wood frame makes quite the statement piece for your home decor!
Once upon a time in May (don’t you love when anti-climactic stories start off this way?), we were at a Smilebooth event and met a lovely lady, Corey, who I asked to be best friends with me about 5 minutes into knowing each other.
She had made this amazingly clever backdrop with chicken wire and paper, and we were in love.
Technically, first we tried to convince her to start a blog. Then, we tried to convince her to come work with us. And then, we asked her if we could be best friends.
Alas, she has young kids and quit her corporate job to be able to be home with them so we have to wait a few years.
In the meantime, we’ve come up with a version of her project that you can use as DIY Paper Wall Art. You can hang it anywhere, the office, the living room, in the bedroom, etc.
Or make an even bigger version for your own backdrops until Corey will come to hang out with me in the studio every day and share all of her cool stuff with you…
Materials and Tools Needed For A Wall Art With Paper
Wooden art or store bought frame
White spray paint
Double sided colored paper cut into 2″ x 8″ strips
Drill and drill bit
15/16in. white standoff wall spacers and appropriate screws for your wall type
Steps To Follow To Make Wall Art With Paper
1 –- First, staple chicken wire to the back of your frame with a staple gun.
Use wire cutters to cut away the excess chicken wire. Make sure to bend over the sharp edges as you go with needle nose plier or the side of the wire cutters.
2 -– Once the wire frame is constructed, spray paint the frame white and let dry.
3 –- Measure and mark where the screw holes will be in all four corners when attaching it to the wall.
Then, use a drill bit the corresponds with the size screws you’ll be using to hang the frame to create pre-made holes for the screws and spacers
4 –- Follow the directions on installing wall spacers according the packaging, and screw the frame to the wall.
5 –- Roll up the 2″ x 8″ strips of colored paper, and insert them into the hexagon openings of the chicken wire.
6 –- Fill up the frame as much or as little as you’d like with the paper strips.
More Easy DIY’s
Originally I planned to do an ombre look from top to bottom but as it turns out I didn’t buy enough of the right colored paper, so I ended up going with color everywhere.
Story of my life.
If you enjoy making this DIY wall art with paper, Check out a few of our other DIYs in our archives below —
- Easy Succulent Wall Planter
- How to Paint an Accent Wall
- Wall Art for Under $200
- Abstract Shapes DIY Nursery Wall Decor
- DIY Rainbow Art Wall Hanging
Equipment
- Needle nose pliers
- Drill and drill bit
- Staple gun and staples
- Wire cutters
Materials
- Chicken wire
- White spray paint
- Double sided colored paper cut into 2"x8" strips
- 15/16in. white standoff wall spacers Plus appropriate screws for your wall type
Instructions
- Staple chicken wire to the back of your frame with a staple gun and use wire cutters to cut away the excess chicken wire, being sure to bend over the sharp edges as you go with needle nose plier or the side of the wire cutters.
- Once the wire frame is constructed, spray paint the frame white and let dry.
- Measure and mark where the screw holes will be in all four corners when attaching it to the wall, then use a drill bit the corresponds with the size screws you’ll be using to hang the frame to create pre made holes for the screws and spacers
- Follow the directions on installing wall spacers according the packaging, and screw the frame to the wall.
- Roll up the 2×8 in. strips of colored paper and insert them into the hexagon openings of the chicken wire.
- Fill up the frame as much or as little as you’d like with the paper strips.
If you loved this DIY project, be sure to check out our other home decor DIY ideas right here!
hello, can i ask the dimensions of the frame here?
Your article has brought great value to me.
Hello everyone :) I’m pretty new to 3d printing and I have quite a few questions on the subject, so I hope you will not get mad at me for asking here at least a few of them. I think before I’ll get seriously into sculpting I should focus on the software itself, and that’s what I’d like to ask you about. Mainly, should I look for the most simple and crudest program there is or would it be better to look for something more complicated? I’m worried that I’ll get some unwanted quirks while working with simpler software. Right now I’m using some online software called SelfCAD (I didn’t have to download anything). I’ve read some good opinions about it, but maybe you could share yours as well? Second question is about the software as well: should I look for software that would allow me design and slice it in it, or should I use a different program for each of them? The one I’m suing allows me to do both i it. Does it even make a difference? Surprisingly, I couldn’t find the answer to that, as it seems like most articles want to focus on the very basics (like what is 3d printing and so on), and while the answers to those questions are fine, it seems like no one wants to go into the details (it looks like some of them even steal from each other! I swear I’ve found the same answers to the same questions on at least 3 different sites) but I’m getting off-topic… The last question is about 3d pens. Would it be possible to somehow convert whatever I draw with a 3d pen to a 3d model in a software? For example, if I’ll draw a horse with 3d pen, would it be possible to get its outline in a software? I’m not sure how that would even work, but the very idea sounds interesting to me. Anyway, I think I’ll stop here just in case no one will ever answer me and all of this writing will go to waste. I apologise that I’m using your content to ask questions, but I hope you can relate and help a rookie like me. Anyway, thank you for posting. I did learn something from this and that’s always appreciated. Thank you, and I hope to hear back from you very soon :)
“… color everywhere. Story of my life.”
That is the story of MY life, too, and I’m LOVING IT!
Thanks for sharing this GOOD-LOOKING project.
Ohh, the colors I will use….
Yay! Someone else who loves colors! Thanks, Nancy!
I love this and am going to attempt to recreate it for our wedding! Question:
Where did you find the frame?
Thank you!
I’m making this! Did you spray paint the chicken wire white?
What a great idea! I love how different it looks from different areas in the room. Great idea to add some texture to a room! Thank you for sharing!
Love this idea. I knew I’d find one I would love but would also be easy to do, lol. Great ideas given above in the comments too. My first thought was making the emblem of your favorite sports team. We’re Charger fans and our son’s bedroom is decorated as such, blue ceiling and doors to boot but the one item he doesn’t have is a HUGE lighting bolt. Thanks to your blog, he will now! Bonus: this is a craft we can do together!! I can’t wait to get started on this. Thanks again….
What are the dimensions of this piece?
Dumb question – there is no glass in the frame?
If I was a teacher, I’d use it in my classroom to pass on weekly notes to children. Won’t it be great to see their anticipation as they troop in Monday morning, wondering what note to expect, and in their little corner (can be done by painting in different colours), you pass them a bit of appreciation, a little leg up…
Great Idea!. Thanks I have a picture frame…I would love to try this with. What else could you use beside the chicken wire?
Chicken wire – genius! This looks fantastic!
This is amazing!!! I have been searching for the perfect art to hang above our fireplace for 5 years and 8 months… and this is it. Bonus, I can brag that I did it myself (hopefully mine turns out as beautiful as yours). I’ll send a pic when I’m done. Thanks for sharing!
Love this idea!! Great post
ISOSCELLΔ | http://isoscella.blogspot.co.uk
gorgeous! well done.
I am so excited to try this! My husband and I are going to do it together as a new weekend family craft project tradition! Do you think the paper should be acid free like when scrap booking? Also where did you get the large wooden frame?
Thanks!
As soon as I saw this on Pinterest I knew it was by you. Killer!
Oh this is SO clever! I’ve seen (incredibly) expensive versions of this in galleries!
I Love This ……Simple …..Beautiful !!!!!
Thanks Janet!
I’m thinking a Christmas tree shape for the holidays! Love this.
Love that idea!
Love it :)
thank you! xo
What a clever way to make things like a flag, snowman, star, etc. Love this idea. Pinning.
yes, I love that!
I love the idea, it is beautiful and I’m ready to tey it myself. But whst prevents fromdust getting in all those paper rolls? It seems if you go to dust it, the paper would either bend, possibly tear or call out.
that’s a great Q! Maybe one of the aerosol dusting cans for electronics and keyboards would be best? Also, you’re a cruise planner?! We should be best friends, haha ;)
Ashley, do you cruise a lot? Friend me, would love to help you out with hiur next vacation. Linda Haber Hilson
This was my question!
Hi Betsy! You can try one of those canned air duster: https://amzn.to/3Sb1LfI
beautiful, love the textures
Thanks Marcia!
This is fantastic! Great idea and you could really customize it to any decor depending on your color palate.
xo Rachel
totally!
wow cool!
So super cute Ashley! Excellent work :D
Thanks Alyssa, hope you’ve been well! :)
I’m in love – this is super beautiful and SO clever!
thanks Stephanie!
This is so perfect!
Love, love, love! Pinning to my DIY. And hoping to tackle in coming months.
haha, awesome!
I love this idea, Ash! Such a fun, affordable way to bring color into a room.
I was thinking it would be cool to write notes and messages on the inside of the paper before it’s rolled up…happy moments and memories, accomplishments, etc…and then pull some out once time has gone by to read and kind of relive those memories. Too cheesy? Probably.
Anyway, great project!
Hooray to both these great ideas! Such stunning photos, too! Don’t ya just LOVE chicken wire?!?
It’s a love hate relationship haha ;)
Not cheesy at all. I had the same thought and at the same time knew I would procrastinate over it.
Amazing, I want to try this! I’m not a crafty person, so this maybe ambitious?!
haha, definitely not! You got this!
Who doesn’t like stories when they start out “once upon a time”? And your stories always start my day with a laugh because of your sense of humor :)
As for the wall art, MAGNIFICENT! OOOZING LOVE OVER THE COUCH TOO!