New Year's Resolution: Frame Your Photos
12 Fun Ways to Get Those Memories Out of Your Camera and Into the Spotlight
How many of us have an item on our long-term to-do list that involves ordering prints of some of our best photos and framing a few to display around the house? In the era of digital photography, way too many of our memories are staying cooped up on tiny memory cards, never to see the the light of day or bask in the admiring stares of you, your friends and your family. Here is the thing to keep in mind: Doing this should be fun and easy. You can go as big or as minimalist as you want to. It's pretty hard to go wrong. Take a look at the ideas below for how to frame (or not frame) photos and how to display them, and maybe you'll get just the extra boost of motivation you need to liberate some of yours from your camera.
Family photos aren't the only ones deserving of attention — a single large shot of a place you've been or an outdoor scene adds extra windows to your home.
A shelf or picture rail with a large grouping of images will become one of your favorite things to look at and can be switched around anytime without the help of a hammer.
A clothesline for photos is inexpensive, versatile (you could do this kind of display in any size space) and made for an eclectic collection of images. I love this one for its simplicity. It would also be a great idea in a child's room, where you could let her hang up her newest artwork, party invitations, magazine cutouts or whatever she wants.
A display is shared by the mantel and the hearth.
Hung flat-screen TVs are great because they improve visibility without the restrictions of a TV stand or media armoire. But let's face it: they're not that pretty. Here, surrounding the screen with a symmetrical arrangement of black-and-white photos gives the whole display a certain elegance.
Likewise, a group of framed photos and artwork behind a tabletop TV helps pretty up the view.
A group of similarly scaled photos in a tight grouping on the wall becomes a kind of collage.
I love this idea. Unframed prints inside a hung window frame create a kind of shabby chic shadow box that's very personal and also easy to update anytime.
I love this look — similar but not identical frames mean the whole thing doesn't have to come together at once. This grouping can be added to and expanded as new memories are made into prints.
In rooms with high wainscoting or tons of built-ins like this one, look up up up.
This simple, subtle framed photo functions almost like an ornament.
What photos do you need to get out of your camera?
What photos do you need to get out of your camera?