The entire time we were renovating our truck camper, I was also plotting out where I would hang art and envisioning how it would look. With the exception of the letter board in the kitchen and the succulents wall planter* by the door, I made all other artwork. I work in communications and have a little bit of a graphic design background, but I wouldn’t say that I’m artistic. I want to be, and I try, but truthfully, I could fill a Pinterest Fails board like a pro. However, with a little determination and time, it’s possible to create something that’s both inexpensive and made with your own hands, which makes it all the more special.
Paint something
I took a free watercolor class online and (accidentally) painted some mountains, which now hang in our camper bedroom. I was going for an abstract look, and when it was clear I had messed up I tried to save it by turning it into mountains. For one of my first watercolor paintings I don’t think it’s too bad!
With a little imagination and creativity (or completely by accident!), you can create your own custom piece for just the cost of some paint supplies. I used these watercolors* and bought this paper at a nearby craft store.
Printables
A quick Etsy search turns up tons of printables for less than $10. I sell this Camper Sweet Camper printable in my Etsy shop (shameless self promo), but for our camper I decided I wanted a different look, and I put it on a wood board. Another printable I offered long before we bought our camper is this More print. I thought it would be a perfect touch in the camper, because after all we’ll be taking more road trips and more adventures … more everything! Again, rather than print it I painted a board and applied my art on top. With a few fancy fonts on your computer you can create your own printable for mere pennies.
Wood art
I wanted to try something with wood beads and board and I honestly just had to wing it because I had no idea what I was doing. I took this wood playing card box, removed the latch and hinges, and drew out a sun on the horizon on one half, and some mountains on the other. It’s a little abstract and that’s mainly because like I said I’m not that artistic and was just hoping it would work. The finished version is actually the result of a ton of sanding after messing up on the first go-round. I draped the bead hanger on some thumbtacks in the bathroom and so far they haven’t fallen, but if they do it’s no big deal because they’re not fragile.
I also created this pallet art for over the bed.
Other fun things
I used to sell ring dishes in my Etsy shop, but discontinued them. I had a few blank ones left over, so I used some scraps from an old Road Atlas to make a ring dish commemorating our trip to the Badlands. It was an easy project you can do with any piece of porcelain you'd like to decorate. Choose the paper you'd like to use, cut to fit and then apply multiple coats of Mod Podge*. Once your final coat of Mod Podge is dry, paint the rim with acrylic paint in whatever color you like. I chose gold. Once the paint dried, I added a few more coats of Mod Podge to keep the paint from chipping.
Speaking of old Road Atlas paper, I also cut out some pennants to create a fun garland to hang in our camper. This is also an easy DIY--all you need are scissors, paper and string. For this one I used twine.
Our camper is small, so when decorating I have to keep the limited space in mind. For Valentine's Day I made a small, simple wreath. You can find a tutorial in this post.
Outdoor touches
As our first fall of camper ownership approached, I saw lots of garland and felt leaves and was inspired to make a garland to hang from our awning. I have never made garland or pom poms, but it was a fun project. I’m already thinking about making a patriotic one for Fourth of July.
Hanging your art
If you’re looking for an easy way to secure wall art in your camper or RV, try hook and loop fasteners.* This is one of our favorite tricks for our sticks and bricks art, and we carried that over to the camper. It’s great because it’s removable, forgiving and easy to use. Keep in mind that they come in a variety of options for how much weight they can bear.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to get crafting?
*Denotes an affiliate link. When you buy something we recommend, we may get an affiliate commission (which we donate to charity), but that doesn't affect what we post or your price. We donate all commission to our favorite autism charity. Our blog is built on a free platform and is purely for fun and to share our experience with others.
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