UNIQUE USES FOR PICTURE FRAMES

by Alyssa Davis

Picture frames come in all materials, colors, and sizes. You can find used, inexpensive ones at your local thrift store or get elegant, statement-making ones at a home décor store. The great thing about picture frames is that they don’t have to hold photographs, nor do they have to be hung on a wall. The following ideas will help to stretch your imagination and find your own unique use for these versatile items.

Frame Paper and Cloth

· Use frames to display favorite pictures cut out from magazines or old calendars. If you have a large picture frame, you can make a collage out of your collection.  · Use colorful frames to highlight cute cartoon pictures — a budget-friendly way to brighten up a kid’s room.

· To decorate a study, hang up frames that hold interesting old letters or stamped envelopes.

· For a music studio, frame sheet music; for a kitchen, display antique doilies pinned to a black matte board. 

· To add country warmth to your room, display quilt blocks or handkerchiefs in a frame. Or, accent any style – from Asian, to Southwestern or Nautical - by framing fabrics that coordinate with the colors and theme of a room. 

Frame Uses with Practical Purposes

Key Holder: Remove the glass from the frame and cover the backing with pretty paper. Use superglue to attach key hooks that can be purchased at home décor stores.

Headboard Décor: Get extra-small frames in the same color and style, remove the glass and wrap the backing with fabric or wallpaper. Glue the frames along the perimeter of the headboard, or create any design you choose.

Decorative Tray: Find an antique frame with metallic gilding and place fabric or paper under the glass that coordinates with your room décor. Place on a side table with a vase of flowers or on the bedroom dresser to hold perfumes and makeup.

Display Mementos and Collections

Picture frames are ideal for showcasing collections. 

Do you collect buttons, sea shells, stamps, dried plants and flowers? Use hot glue to attach the objects to the backing of the frame covered with black paper or a cork sheet for an interesting look. 

Consider framing your mementos as well — your wedding program and invitations, ticket stubs from a historic game or your favorite musical, or your graduation certificate.

Create Frame Artwork

Empty frames can add a nice artistic touch to your space. Select some frames of different colors, styles, and shapes that catch your eye. You may arrange them on a wall or place them on a ledge or shelf, leaning them against the wall. You may even want to fix a large, ornamental frame on the ceiling to highlight a light fixture.

Picture frames can also be used to frame a mosaic of beads, glass, or tile pieces. 

Alternatively, you can place a plate mirror inside a frame. Make several of these in the same frame and arrange them in a modernistic grid or make different sizes and create a casual asymmetrical wall arrangement.

Alyssa Davis is the senior staff writer for Metal-Wall-Art.com. She specializes in creative ways of decorating with unique tree metal wall art and abstract wall art.

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