Color Engineer Prints: DIY Large Art on a Budget!

| | | |

These color engineer prints make a fabulous large wall decor solution on a budget! This print cost less than $12 and I adore both the end result and the price!

When I started to brainstorm my summer mantel for this year, I knew I wanted a large dose of color to be the main attraction. I had my DIY abstract art that I could have put up there, but I wanted something more horizontal than vertical. So, I decided that I wanted some art up there, but I didn’t want to spend much money.

LOVE these tips! 5 simple ways to add summer decor to your home!

I started searching through my pictures from vacations at the beach in year’s past, but I couldn’t really find anything. And I knew that if I printed something out large enough to fill my space, then it would cost an arm and a leg to frame it.

Of course I’m a DIYer, so I could build a frame. But that didn’t sound like the right fit.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. See my full disclosure policy

LOVE these tips! 5 simple ways to add summer decor to your home!

Then I remember this post from my friend April at House by Hoff. Yes! It was the perfect solution. Well, except for the fact that it wasn’t a color print. 

I found that you can get engineer prints in black and white up to 36″ x 48″, but I didn’t find anything about color engineer prints. But I did a little more digging, refusing to give up on my dream and found that you in fact CAN print them in color for a few bucks more. Hallelujah!

So, I did just that! I couldn’t find a photo that I liked of mine, so I went to the next best place: Etsy! I found this fabulous, downloadable colorful beach scene on Etsy.

The exact print isn’t available any longer, but this one is very similar from the same photographer. Then I downloaded the photo quickly and sent it over to Staples for a next-day turn around. I couldn’t wait to get my new art up on the walls!

I purchased two large pieces of foam board, but made sure they were smaller than my print, so that I could wrap the print around all of the sides.

What You’ll Need to Make Large Color Engineer Prints

That’s all you need!

How to Make DIY Engineer Prints

Here’s how I created my large wall decor. It’s so simple.

1. Gather Your Supplies

Get a large clean work surface to work, like the kitchen table or dining table.

2.

Color Engineer Prints: DIY Large Art on a Budget

I rolled out my large engineer print on the dining room table. I made sure the table was nice and clean (and dry) since it usually has several-day-old kiddie food stuck to it. The engineer print is just regular printer paper, so if it gets wet or dirty it’ll be ruined.

Color Engineer Prints: DIY Large Art on a Budget

I cut the print down the middle and positioned my two foam boards on each section of the print, about 1-inch away from the middle cut line. I then drew a cut line about 1-2 inches around the foam boards and cut them down.

Color Engineer Prints: DIY Large Art on a Budget

Then I grabbed my double-sided tape and taped down the 1-2 inch flaps down to the backs of the foam boards, starting with the middle of the long inside edge. Once all sides were glued down, I flipped them over, attached command strips to the back and hung them over my mantel!

Get these huge prints for less tun $20!! How to Create Large Wall Art on a Budget with Color Engineer Prints!

Yay!! I love the results and that the total cost was less than $20? You can’t beat that! Now, I don’t know if I’ll save them for next summer, or hang them in another room when the season is over, but I’m OK with using them for this season and then throwing them away. Well, I’ll keep the foam board. There isn’t any reason to throw out perfectly good foam board!

Looking at my mantel right now, you’d never know that those were some cheap color engineer prints taped to foam. I love it!

What picture  would YOU print and put on your wall?

More Posts You Will Love:

Similar Posts

26 Comments

  1. Thanks for the great idea! The post says that command strips are optional. Is there another way to hang these? And which “strength” of Command did you use? Did you place the strips just along the corners? I’m planning to do this above our bed so I’d like to make sure they’ll stay up. Thanks.

    1. Hi there! I did this project a while back, but if I remember correctly, I used very light command strips for a “small picture frame.” The foam boards and paper are super lightweight, so you don’t need much hold at all. And I did put them in the corners. I hope this helps!

  2. You must have a more accommodating Staples than I do. I tried and they wouldn’t print it because it was a photo…..I’m sad. I might have to outsource to another one and have it shipped. Still cheaper than printing a poster that big

      1. Same here! The Staples site says “not suitable for photos”. I tried numerous Staples in our area and they said that their blueprint printers are not designed to print photos so I’d have to order a photo poster.

        1. I have ordered photos as engineering prints at staples.com, I wonder if in store they are more of sticklers about it. There is a note online that says not suitable for photos, but it never gets flagged as a photo or anything. It prints just fine and comes in the mail!

  3. Love, love, love this idea!! Trying to find something large enough to go over the bed that was affordable has been an issue. You’ve just solved the problem! Thank you so much for your very creative and beautiful ideas.

      1. I just tried it at Fed Ex Office store and the color turned out great, but there were very obvious lines every two inches through the prints. They definitely aren’t usable. I had to spend double for better quality. So, your Staples prints didn’t have any lines?

  4. I freaking love this!!! I am going to be such a copycat and buy the exact same image!! I’ll be sure to know when I get around to blogging about it. 😉

  5. Wow! I love this print, Laura! I’m so glad my old tutorial helped out! 🙂 I didn’t know that you could get engineer prints in color now…how exciting! xo

  6. OMGosh. Laura! What a awesome DIY idea! I recently found a canvas painting of a white heron on Ballard design. It would look fabulous on one of the large walls in my great room. However, the size I need and the framing adds up to over $300 on sale! It keeps calling my name, though! Before I make the plunge, I’m going to look into your idea, and see if I can find a similar photo. But, this girl is NOT creative like you! We will see!

    1. Nancie, you can totally do it!! 🙂 I also have seen people who’s bought inexpensive IKEA frames for cheap and framed the engineer prints for a more polished look. You could totally do that, too!

  7. These are beautiful!! Can’t wait to do some for my guest room wall!! Been struggling with that wall for ages!! Your mantle is fab!!!

  8. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve been struggling with this same issue for over my bed. Also our family has a wedding coming up, and maybe we can get large signs made for that.

  9. What a wonderful way to inexpensively decorate and display fun photos – makes it easy to think about re-doing that space for each season without worrying about the cost of updating the decor, too. Thank you for sharing such a terrific idea – and love your detailed pointers about how to get it right. Now off to figure out which photo I would use to do such a project!

    1. Yay! I’m glad you liked it. And I bet you have just the right picture for your home. Have fun decorating!

  10. Thanks for sharing Laura.
    It is lovely and gave me an idea for some cool photos I took.
    Love seeing what you’re up to.
    You are so creative and sweet too😌
    Thank you kindly!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *