I got (picture) framed!

Frames are a go to for decorating the walls of the happy home.  Whether it be loaded with photos of family or self made art, often the perfect frame and matting make the overall appearance 'fit' nicely with the room.  Problem is, you can spend upwards of $150 for large frames and as much in the matting.  Not having that kind of money, I have assembled my basic how-to for wall decor for the real-life home.

1.  Do some math.

•       Figure out the budget, or at least how much money you willing to spend - if you only have $10 bucks, stick to that!  It will take more time and effort, but it can (and will!) be done!  My budget was $25 total.  I turned down framed mirrors, cool frames and a few neat images because I didn't love them and while cheap were too high priced for my budget.  
•      Measure the area you want to decorate, or get an idea of what size frames/items you are going to need to fill the space in question.  Sometimes, the not-quite-perfect item is chosen because of its size and then made to work great, while a perfect frame is useless because it's 2" too big.  



Image from http://www.todayshomeowner.com/ -
check out their cost analysis and testing of them!

•      Use post it notes to mark out where the studs are in the walls you are decorating are (use the 1- 3/4 wide ones or cut them to that size, so where the post it note is shows the width of the stud.  Studs should be 16" from each other, sometimes 24" apart in pre-1940's/older homes)  If you have ideas of hanging any but the lightest items between studs, make sure you add in the cost of a proper drywall anchor system.  Check out this great site that priced and tested the different kind of anchors available.  

2.  Know where to find affordable frames/art:

•     Rummage sales are the cheapest, as people are looking at moving it that day and usually price it accordingly.  Also, if you are on a budget, you can always try negotiate to make something in your price budget.  If you have cash, let it help you negotiate.  
•      Thrift stores are the second best for affordable wall art, though can be hit or miss with pricing.  If you are on a low budget, make sure to visit these stores on their sale days, or have your coupons in hand when you go.  
•      Department stores often clearance out or sale item their wall hangings in a predictable schedule - during or just after 'back to school' days, just after holidays, and at the end of 'seasons'.  Keep an eye out for wall art at the 'discount' department stores like Family Dollar and Big Lots, as they go through large amounts of 'mass made' wall art that for their size are decent priced, and occasionally go on sales of 25% off or more.    

3.  Keep an open mind when you look.

•      Try find wood frames, as these (in my opinion) hold up better over time.  Also, wood frames always take paint well after a quick sanding, so you can stain, paint, or spray paint the color you want.  Plastic frames are okay, though as larger frames will tend to warp or crack if there are constant environment changes or direct sun.  You can only spray paint plastic, as other paints won't stick well.  Metal has similar issues, and though hold up better than plastic they are heavier and the hanging method needs to be double checked. 
•       Don't base final decisions on color, but the condition of the frame.  Miscellaneous frames can be made to go together by painting/staining them all the same color, and different material frames can be matched with paint.  Over at The Broken Plow, she has a nice blog post about converting small frames into a wall o art. However, they need to be in good condition.  Tight corners, straight un-warped sides and well fitted non-scratched glass are essential.  Small divets or dings can be filled in and painted over, and scratches smoothed and painted over, but you need the corner biscuits or metal cleatings to be holding those corners together tight, tight, tight. 

Photo from The Broken Plow, who posted a nice step-by-step
show of her making a wall-of-art with these frames.

•     Check the back- make sure the back is easily opened if you are making any changes to the artwork, as those that are 'papered' at the back can be messy to try open up and change.  Also, check what kind of hanging system the piece is made for, and if you think it strong enough for what you want to do with it.  Sometimes, a frame is worth the extra buck or two if it has a heavy duty hanging system already present.  Plastic frames are harder to hang because you can't drill into or use the plastic in any way besides how it was built to hang.  You already should have thought about wall anchors, but to keep it cheap, consider lighter weight hanging kits bought at a dollar store or heavy style hanging items pieced together from found items.  I've made makeshift hangers from popcan tabs, thumbtacks, ribbons, command hooks, Popsicle sticks and belt buckles before.  Just figure out where you want it to hang, how heavy it is, and be creative/do your homework.   
•      Consider the matting - it really makes an image pop, but often will not be the color you'd choose.  You can paint matting (use flat coat spray paint or acrylic paints with a smooth brush) and either tape the angled edge before painting or go over afterward with a silver/gold/color sharpie marker to make the beveled edge stand out.  You can try cutting your own matting, as sheets of matting can be found in the discount bin of framers shops/departments or random discount/overflow stores, or made from chipboard/cereal box cardboard.  It is hard to make that bevel, but you can get creative with layers this way, which sometimes makes more impact that a perfect bevel, anyway.  Also, you can custom mat a large picture frame to fit two or more different images if that's what you have to show off,  making them different sizes if that's what you need.

4.  Go beyond frames if it's fitting:

•      Shelves can be decorated to be more dimensional and just as artistic as a hanging pictures.  Show off your collection of whatever, or just use it for interesting found items, or as a rack for smaller picture frames you can swap out.
•      Go to Pinterest.com or do an image search in Google and search 'DIY wall art' for ideas of using 'something else' to decorate that wall.  Various materials can be converted to wall art - toilet paper tubes, rugs, placemats, cloth material scraps, plates, beans, leaves, sticks, shopping bags, magazines, trivets, corks, strings, tacks - the list is endless. 
•      Blank canvases are like, well, a blank canvas for your artistic notions.  Buy them on sale at craft stores or with 40-50% off coupons and go to town with your medium of choice.  You can paint over old canvases you may find for a few dollars at rummage or thrift stores.  Also, cut pieces of wood that are sanded and gessoed/painted or stained can be a clean canvas and give added appeal to the right art style.  
•      Really big pieces of styrofoam or chipboard or pink foam can be covered in fabric of choice and become giant pin-up boards for whatever catches your eye.  I had one as a kid, and often made my own 'pin' images with colored push pins, aside from sticking up my latest school art projects.  

A few other notes to consider during your wall-decorating adventure --

•        If at a thrift store/rummage sale and you LOVE it, I mean, just can't stop staring at it, BUY IT THEN.  It will likely not be there later, and it is not often you find things that catch and hold your attention so well.  Creativity will make it fit in with the house, because if you love it, it will be reflected in other things.  
•        If you DON'T love it, DON'T buy it right away.  Wait for a sale, or a coupon, or at least until you have shopped enough to verify that it is an awesome price for what it is.  
•       Take your time, and if the white walls drive you crazy, just tape up some images from magazines in a fun collage until you find the perfect items to hang. 
•       Use your time wisely and perform actions on a lot of items at the same time - save up items and spray paint them all at the same time, or color them all on the same day.  This way, you aren't trying to remember what paint or pencil or etc. you were using a week later.  Wait until you have all the items gathered and painted, then get them on the wall.  When you are hanging, map out with brown bag paper the where and plan the how to hang for each item, and do each one by one until they are all up.