What to look for in a Secondhand Frame

I’ve been in the crafting mood lately. I had a yard sale about a month ago and really got a feel for all the decor I had. I got rid of the items that no longer suited my style… and the art.

Art and frames are a great item to get secondhand, and if you know what to look for they make great gifts and projects!

First of all, when thrifting a frame, pay attention to the weight.

The heavier, the better quality (most likely) but the lighter, the more versatile when it comes to hanging and crafting.

For example, these two frames have complimentary coloring and conveniently, the smaller one fits directly into the larger one’s picture space. The larger one is a medium weight with a solid hook on the back for hanging. The smaller is very light and cheap, but doesn’t look it. Together they are BEAUTIFUL and possibly my new favorite art in my house.

I layered some cardboard with hot glue until it was flush with the outer rim of the bottom frame. Then, I slapped a command strip and more hot glue onto the cardboard and stuck the smaller frame on top. WAH-LAH. MAGIC.

 

 

 

This brings me to my next point. Color. Pay attention to the coloring of your frames and at the very least, whether or not it can be changed. If there are a lot of nooks and crannies it will be more difficult to paint but nothing that some spray paint can’t most likely fix.

This little set of frames is a great project, easily painted and the pictures easily replaced. For example- creating silhouettes for these would be the cutest art for a hallway or gifts for grandparents!

 

 

 

Pro-tip: Take a picture of your kiddos profile and then trace it on top of your laptop or tablet rather than setting up a station in a dark room and expecting them to set still!

 

 

Lastly- don’t leave small mirrors behind! Even if you don’t need a mirror, if you love the frame, it has great potential! Print out a landscape scene from your last vacation or purchase inexpensive digital art on sites like Etsy and print it out in the size of the mirror for an instant work of art!

 

Hope this gets your creative juices flowing for your next art project!

XOXO ~ Taylor