Personalize Your Picture Frames

Use Your Imagination to Dress Up Old or Plain Frames

Having photos of our loved ones around the house is comforting, and such captured moments add warmth to the décor.

Sometimes it's just hard to find the perfect frame. Plus custom frames can be awfully expensive, especially if special mounting is required for larger sized photos.

However, perfection and price are not obstacles for crafters and creative folks. If you have an eye for spotting potential and a little imagination, you can take any old frame and personalize it to suit your needs.

When you can't find exactly what you're looking for, either make it from scratch, or find something close to what you want and re-create it to make it uniquely yours.

Imagine What Could Be

When shopping for picture frames, let your imagination wander. One of the tricks behind re-creation is seeing every item's potential. Color becomes irrelevant because a fresh coat of paint or decoupage can make it match your décor. Flat boring surfaces are nothing more than a blank space that needs renovating.

Spray paint is available for just about every surface imaginable, from metal to plastic to wood. So don't let the wrong color frame hinder you. If it's the right size, style, and price, pick it up and grab a can of spray paint.

Boring frames can be dolled up with hand-painted designs. Don't worry if you're not an artist. Your local craft store has plenty of stencils and decals in stock. You can also cut out little wooden shapes to attach to the frame. You'll find these in the wood crafting aisle. Paint them the same color, or use contrast for punch.

In fact, any of your favorite crafty embellishments or collections of bits and pieces can spice up a picture frame that needs a little help. So go "shopping" in your stash.

Pretty tissue paper, wrapping paper ... even scrap paper can be decoupaged onto the frame. Just take care not to upstage the photo. You can find lots of tips in The Artful Crafter Decoupage section.

Frame Finders

You don't have to go a high priced frame shop to get a good deal on picture frames. Some of the best finds may be in grandma's attic. Ask family and friends if they have old frames they want to discard. Check out garage sales in your area, and hit the discount stores and junk shops. Pretty soon, you'll build a decent stack of frames to supply your new craft.

For flashy and fashionable frames, try covering some with your favorite fabrics, perhaps even padding them to add extra dimension. Once again, your craft stash can be a gold mine!

A Few Final Tips and Bits of Inspiration

• Photo-in-Photo: Glue a small frame to the corner of a larger frame for a picture-in-picture effect, and to create dimension as well as interest.
• Get Just the Look: For a vintage look, add a bit of antiquing using ink or wood stain wiped on and then lightly rubbed off. For a grungy look, distress it with hammer and nail or just about any tool you have on hand. For elegance, add a bit of gold or silver leaf, as I did in this Découpage Project
• The Finishing Touch: Consider whether you want a matte or glossy finish, maybe even a UV protectant finish if the frame will be in direct sunlight. Make sure media you add at this point is compatible with what will be beneath it. Read How to Determine if Media are Compatible here.
• Gift-ability: Is that a word? In any case, customized frames with a favorite photo inserted make wonderful gifts for even those hard-to-buy-for loved ones.