Art on the Cheap

You know those clip frames you can find at craft stores that you may have used in your college apartment? I had my old ones in storage, thinking that their price tag (less than $5 each!) made them LOOK cheap. But the frameless look is in…especially in updated, less stuffy-type decors. So I dusted my old ones off, took out the mats, cut some scrapbooking paper to size, and stuck my favorite 4 x6 photos of Olivia in them as art for her new room. I can easily switch out the photos as she gets older or as I acquire new favorite pictures of her. This “craft” is so easy, no additional instructions are needed. Instead, below you’ll find some other ideas for how to use the humble, oh-so-affordable, and Euro-chic clip frame.

• Clip frame(s)
• Scrapbooking paper
• Scissors
• Photograph(s)

More Ideas

• Frame black and white photographs or postcards of Paris on French toile paper or fabric
• Frame botanical or bird prints
• Frame your child’s first drawing or outlines of his/her hands
• Hang several clip frames containing the same theme in a grid pattern in a breakfast nook or den–at less than $5 each, you could fill a wall for under $100 (20 frames)
• Go on a nature walk with your baby in a carrier or stroller; take extreme close-up pictures of your baby looking at trees or holding flowers and then crop them using photo-editing software (which usually comes with your digital camera). Print these out in sepia tones, color, or black and white–your choice–then sandwich in clip frames with nature-inspired paper.
• Frame flowers or leaves that have been dried and pressed
• Enlarge and print out letters in elaborate fonts (clip art books from the library are great for this project), then spell out words using one clip frame for each letter.
• Take pictures of your house, neighborhood or favorite spot all year long. As the seasons change, just swap out the photos for decor that matches the weather outside.
• If you like to travel, use old maps as the background for photographs of your travels, or postcards of where you’ve been.