With Oktoberfest kickoff closing in, we wanted to talk about decorating home bars and entertaining areas with animal art, specifically. It’s a great, subtle way to convey the feel of Old World Germany traditions year round. Of course one of the animals that should be at the center of the decorating scheme is the dachshund.

Dachshunds have been a part of German culture for centuries, and according to the American Kennel Club, their roots go back to the 1600's. At the time, many German huntsmen used the dogs to capture foxes, badgers, rabbits and feral pigs. In later years, they were entered into dachshund races during October celebrations and other competitive events, which continue around the world to this day.

On top of that, there are companies that manufacture dachshund themed wine, beer and bar supplies. Among them are Dachshund Riesling, III Dachshunds Beer and Maitland-Smith. The dog themed bar supplies include brass wine holders, shot glasses, steins, highball glasses, bottle openers, coasters and more. Thus, incorporating wiener dog themed animal art into a home bar or Oktoberfest décor scheme makes sense.

There are two pieces of animal art that must be mentioned when talking about Oktoberfest and home bar decor. One is Stephen Fowler’s Dachshund Wine print and the other is Ryan Fowler’s Dachshund Brewing Co. print. They both resemble vintage advertising signs and prominently feature the dog's image. Because they do have the appearance of commercial art, they could be paired with artist Brian Rubenacker's Dachshund Wieners.

 For a more whimsical look, there is also Tracy Flickinger’s Hot Dog. It features a cartoon image of a female dachshund enjoying a cocktail while dressed in a pink feather boa. Additional decorating options include actual photos of wiener dogs and work by artists like Dean Russo and Serena Bowman. A combination of these prints will make the perfect décor for Oktoberfest as well as everyday décor for your home bar.

One of the hottest decorating trends right now is creating a gallery wall filled with personal photos on canvas. When they are done right, the pictures are vibrant and resemble fantastic, realistic paintings. And perhaps best of all, creating photos on canvas is fun and easy. Here’s a lens cap full of information to help you get started:

Go through your family photo album and select your favorite pictures. Choose wedding photos, pictures of the kids or whatever else strikes your fancy. Just keep in mind that no matter which ones you choose, they’ll need to be converted into JPG, PNG, TIF, BMP or GIF format and sport an optimal DPI of 250. If you absolutely can’t get the photo to have a 250 DPI, you could try using one with a DPI that falls in the 249 to 100 range. We would not recommend going lower than that. Otherwise, the photo’s clarity will decrease.

Consider using photos that show progression through time or panoramic ones that may be stretched out over more than one canvas. They tend to make a heck of a visual impact, especially if the photos on canvas, do not have a frame, and feature wrap around sides. Speaking of which, after settling on a series of photos, you’ll need to decide if you want to frame your photos on canvas or leave them just on canvas.

If you decide to go with a framed one, be sure to choose regular stretcher bars. They tend to be less than an inch thick, which allows for the use of a high quality frame, acid free mat and glazing. There are a handful of glazing options to choose from, including those designed to reduce glare. They are perfect in areas that get a lot of natural sunlight or are illuminated using harsh, overhead lighting.

Thicker bars are best when you want to go with a museum wrap or a very large gallery wrapped picture.When deciding to do a gallery wrap or museum wrap, consider the color of sides that would look best. In our experience, either option will give a gallery wall display a contemporary feel. The colored sides, however, can provide nice contrast between the wall and the frame. So they are a good choice if you want to create a particular pattern to tie into an overall theme.