Art With Frames
If your walls are looking a little bare but you don't have the money to go out and buy someone else's art, create your own. This is your home, and it should reflect your personal style. If you're stuck for quick, cheap and fun ways to create artwork, here are some ideas using frames to get you started.
FRAMES
Bargain shop for frames at garage sales, flea markets and vintage shops. Don't worry about the artwork inside or the color of the frame, you can easily change those. You can also look for frames at dollar stores or places like Ikea if you want more of a cohesive look.
PAINT
Next you'll want to head to the hardware store to pick up some spray paint. You should buy a primer as well as a colored spray paint. Glossy black or white give a sophisticated look and you could always paint one frame out of the bunch and accent color, like red, to add some interest.
Follow the instructions on the can for painting and be sure to do it in a ventilated area and to cover anything you don't want to get paint on. If the frames surface is really slick, you may want to sand it first.
CREATE
Once the frames are dry, you can decide what you want to do with them. Here are a few options:
a) Use just the frames - remove the backing, matte and glass and hang the different styles of frames together on the wall, alternating styles, shapes and sizes.
b) Fill them with black and white photos - If you're going to use the matting, try to find frames that have the same color of matte. Gather all of your photos and take them to a photo developing shop to have them changed to black and white and the size you want. To add even more interest, you could crop the photos in the editing process.
c) Make a chalkboard - Use the piece of glass that came with the frame and use a chalkboard paint to cover it. Hang it by the door or in the kitchen and use it as a message board or to make your grocery list.
d) Use fabric, wallpaper or even wrapping paper - You can use different patterns and textures to add interest to your wall. Wrap the piece of fabric or paper around the cardboard backing of the frame. You can do some frames with matting and some without.
e) Favorite Quotes - build a wall of inspiration. Write out your favorite words or quotes on your computer and print them off on regular paper or get a little more fancy and buy some specialty paper. Use the same font for all of the frames or use a different one for each frame.
f) Make a mirror - You'll need safety glasses, gloves and a glass cutter and sealer, which you can pick up at most hardware stores. Follow the instructions that come with the glass cutter to score and break the mirror. When it's cut to size, you'll want to seal the edges of the glass to prevent the back of your mirror from turning black over time. The mirror can be adhered to the back of the frame or you can use the frames backing board to keep the mirror in place.
HANG
When it's time to hang your new art on the wall, you can arrange the frames on the floor first. Use hooks on the back of the frames to hang them or you can get a little more creative and use decorative ribbon; use a staple gun to attach each end of the ribbon to the top left and right corner of the frame. You can then hang the ribbon from the nail in the wall (keep in mind that the frame will hang lower).
FRAMES
Bargain shop for frames at garage sales, flea markets and vintage shops. Don't worry about the artwork inside or the color of the frame, you can easily change those. You can also look for frames at dollar stores or places like Ikea if you want more of a cohesive look.
PAINT
Next you'll want to head to the hardware store to pick up some spray paint. You should buy a primer as well as a colored spray paint. Glossy black or white give a sophisticated look and you could always paint one frame out of the bunch and accent color, like red, to add some interest.
Follow the instructions on the can for painting and be sure to do it in a ventilated area and to cover anything you don't want to get paint on. If the frames surface is really slick, you may want to sand it first.
CREATE
Once the frames are dry, you can decide what you want to do with them. Here are a few options:
a) Use just the frames - remove the backing, matte and glass and hang the different styles of frames together on the wall, alternating styles, shapes and sizes.
b) Fill them with black and white photos - If you're going to use the matting, try to find frames that have the same color of matte. Gather all of your photos and take them to a photo developing shop to have them changed to black and white and the size you want. To add even more interest, you could crop the photos in the editing process.
c) Make a chalkboard - Use the piece of glass that came with the frame and use a chalkboard paint to cover it. Hang it by the door or in the kitchen and use it as a message board or to make your grocery list.
d) Use fabric, wallpaper or even wrapping paper - You can use different patterns and textures to add interest to your wall. Wrap the piece of fabric or paper around the cardboard backing of the frame. You can do some frames with matting and some without.
e) Favorite Quotes - build a wall of inspiration. Write out your favorite words or quotes on your computer and print them off on regular paper or get a little more fancy and buy some specialty paper. Use the same font for all of the frames or use a different one for each frame.
f) Make a mirror - You'll need safety glasses, gloves and a glass cutter and sealer, which you can pick up at most hardware stores. Follow the instructions that come with the glass cutter to score and break the mirror. When it's cut to size, you'll want to seal the edges of the glass to prevent the back of your mirror from turning black over time. The mirror can be adhered to the back of the frame or you can use the frames backing board to keep the mirror in place.
HANG
When it's time to hang your new art on the wall, you can arrange the frames on the floor first. Use hooks on the back of the frames to hang them or you can get a little more creative and use decorative ribbon; use a staple gun to attach each end of the ribbon to the top left and right corner of the frame. You can then hang the ribbon from the nail in the wall (keep in mind that the frame will hang lower).
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