art frames

How to Frame Art on a Budget

I’m perennially on a budget (not that I want to be, but such is life), so I’m constantly searching Google and Pinterest for budget-friendly decorating tips for my apartment. Just FYI, the amount of information out there on decorating with mason jars is pretty unreal.

One decorating basic that tends to stump frugal people, though, is framing. Custom framing is notoriously expensive, but for people looking to frame art and photos inexpensively, it is absolutely possible.

Here are my top six ideas for framing art on a budget:

1. Leave Out the Glass

If you’re okay with being a little untraditional, try a frame without glass. It may sound strange at first, but art is often hung without glass, especially if it’s made with oil or acrylic paints. So if you’re not set on glass, you can absolutely save money while framing artwork because it’s one less thing to buy.

2. Go Thrifting

​Shopping at thrift stores is an excellent way to frame art on a budget because they’re cheap and full of vintage goodies. Many thrift shops have at least one shelf or tub of old frames to choose from, so it’s possible you’ll find something you love right away.

If you’re a crafty thrifter, don’t worry about finding a frame you love, just find one that’s the size you need, take it home and customize it. Acrylic and spray paints are easy ways to revamp frames, but even wood stains don’t cost much. Plus, you’ll be able to proudly tell everyone who walks into your apartment that you made them yourself. Nailed it!

3. Customize the Mat

If your artwork is a strange shape or size, you might want to consider customizing the matting first so your art will fit in a standard frame. Standard frames aren’t dirt cheap, but they’re a lot more budget-friendly than an entire custom frame job.

Often if the artwork is thin, people simply attach the art to the front of an uncut mat so they don’t have to deal with the hassle of getting it cut or cutting it themselves. Use artist tape to attach the art to the mat so it doesn’t leave any sticky residue if you ever want to take the art off the mat.

4. Use a Window

Old windows with square or rectangular panes are a genius way to frame art, especially if you’re looking for options to display photos other than a pre-made collage frame. You can simply center photos and attach them behind the glass panes so the wall will show behind them, or you can cut matting or stock paper to fit inside the panes and attach the photos to that.

5. Make Your Own Frame

A very cheap option for small art is to make frames using kraft paper tape, matting, glass or Plexiglas and a piece of cardboard. Set up the art with the cardboard on the bottom and the glass on top; then carefully wrap the edges with the paper tape. For this method, the art should be very small and thin, since the tape likely won’t be able to hold a heavy piece of glass.

6. Get Out-of-the-Box

There are very inexpensive options for displaying art on a budget that don’t involve framing it at all. Attaching art to wooden hangers or clipboards, or using clothespins to hang art from wire or string are just a couple of out-of-the-box ideas I’ve seen, so get creative with it!

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