How To Create a Visual Display on a Low Budget

updated May 7, 2019
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Being a huge fan of visual display in stores and galleries, I make sure to try and always come up with unique display ideas for my own home. Sometimes I have a secret competition with myself to do things for the lowest price possible — this display was no exception!

(Image credit: Meg Lewis)

I saw this post a while back and became enamored by the interesting use of pant hangers. I wanted to create the same look without building a structural platform for the hangers. Here’s how I created this look in a few short steps:

Step 1: Find Artwork
• The artwork in our apartment is a mix of pieces we’ve found from independent artists over the years. A few were purchased at the Renegade Craft Fair here in Chicago. Two other prints are from my boyfriend’s design idol, Scott Hansen of ISO50. The rest of the prints were created by students in a Letterpress class of mine and were completely free.

Step 2: Get Hangers
• If you are fortunate to find some vintage pant/skirt hangers on the cheap from a thrift store, good for you! Unfortunately, we didn’t have such luck. We purchased our pant hangers from IKEA for $.99 each.

Step 3: Buy Shelving
• We purchased two wall shelves and four brackets from IKEA totaling $22.

Step 4: Fill It Up
• For the most interesting display, we chose to use our most colorful and design oriented books. Most of our favorite recent reads are featured. We also added some excitement with a couple of plushies and a bud vase.

More on pant hangers as decor:
• Look! Skirt Hangers as Poster Frame
• Hanging Art from Hangers
Roundup: Favorite Re-Uses for Old Hangers

Images: Meg Lewis