Walls can be the most impactful square feet of your home. Here’s how to give your walls the creative edge they need without breaking the bank.

1. Mounted Boxes

Say goodbye to giant mismatched bookcases as your only shelving option. Instead, mount inexpensive boxes on your walls for easy floating shelves. Check out Rent.com’s blog for fresh ideas on how to customize your boxes, such as paint and wallpaper backgrounds. These work especially well to maximize space in a small room. Try them in place of night stands in a guest room, or instead of cabinets in a home office.

2. Framed Wallpaper

If you’re not ready to commit to a certain style or artist to adorn your walls, fill your frames instead with wall paper for easy abstract art. For a fun gallery wall, first spray paint ornate vintage frames to match (black always works well), or buy a set of sleek matching frames for a more modern style. Then order several wall paper samples from a home improvement center like Home Depot ($0.99 each). Frame the samples in a tight grouping above a couch or bed.

3. Canvas Art

Engage your inner artist with a blank canvas and bold paint. If your 10-year old self did it, the adult version of you can, too. Trace and paint stunning silhouettes of your family members on 10x10-inch canvasses and group side-by-side. Or memorialize an important date, like your wedding day, in black and white. Download free stencil designs in a retro font, then trace and paint the numbers on a white canvas. Both projects are super easy to do and will create a cool conversation piece for your home.

4. Living Wall Garden

Add life to your home’s walls without taking up valuable floor space by crafting a vertical garden from an upcycled wooden shipping pallet. Find free salvaged pallets at a locally owned nursery, printing shop or grocery store. Hang near a south-facing window. Alternatively, create elegant planters for succulents or herbs with repurposed wine bottles. Display the mini planters on a set of floating shelves, like these from Ikea.

5. Wine Bottle Wall Sconces

Build a pair of rustic wall sconces out of a 2x6 board, wood glue and repurposed wine bottles. Paint the wood to match your existing home decor, or give it a natural stain for a relaxed vibe. Finish the look by filling the bottles with a single branch of eucalyptus or a bunch of dried lavender.

6. Cork Monogram

Bottles aren’t the only things you can repurpose. Save the corks from your wine bottles to make a cork monogram. Simply choose a large, thin wooden letter from a craft store, paint, and glue on corks. Hang your creation on a wall or door with a wide, colorful ribbon. This craft can also be easily adapted for each season with sparkly red bulbs for Christmas, little blue robin's eggs for springtime, or sea shells for summer.

7. Escape into Books

Inspire guests and family members to escape into a good book with creative wall art made from used books. Rescue hardcover classics from a library book sale and affix to a wall using drywall screws. For a looser vibe, hot glue some pages together in different areas of the books to create the look of pages flying open. To mimic the look of a wall-to-wall built-in bookcase, paint the wall with chalkboard paint and draw shelves and books with chalk. Then stack a few of your favorite books on two or three clear floating shelves to make the chalkboard shelf look real. Or make a collage out of colorful hardcover books.