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10 Inexpensive DIY Art & Picture Frame Ideas

by on Apr 19, 2013

A great piece of art doesn’t always need an expensive frame. Cheap picture frames are easy to come by, and there are lots of great ways to make them yourself. Framing your artworks can become quite costly when you add it all up, but take a peek at these inexpensive options that won’t break the bank AND provide attractive ways of displaying your prized pieces.

Matt Allison

Multiple photo frame on wall beside couch.A Dollop Of My Life

1. DIY Antique Window Picture Frame via A Dollop Of My Life

Tape Picture FramesDesign Sponge
2. Tape Picture Frames via Design Sponge

DIY Circuit Board Photo FrameChris Gardner

3. DIY Circuit Board Photo Frame via Curbly

DIY Picture FramesOh Happy Day

4. DIY Picture Frames via Oh Happy Day (see below for more on this one: it’s one of my favorite ways of making cheap picture frames)…

DIY Art Frames For KidsThe Golden Jelly Bean

5. DIY Art Frames For Kids via The Golden Jelly Bean

DIYJewel Case FramesPhotoJoJo

6. DIY Jewel Case Frames via Photojojo

Tove MauritzsonMix & Chic

7. While not strictly a DIY tutorial, I love the creative reuse of this old frame in artist, Tove Mauritzson’s home via Mix and Chic

Old Book FramesPaper & Stitch

8. How to Make a Book Picture Frame via Paper & Stitch

5 minute DIY frameMinted / Julep

9. DIY 5 Minute Frame via Minted

DIY frame wallpaperArtful Parent

10. DIY Frame Wallpaper via Artful Parent

Happy framing!

How To Make Your Own Picture Frames for $5 a Pop!

created at: 09/20/2011

When I spotted this simple DIY framing solution that brings the price to around $5 a piece, I kid you not, I could hear my long-neglected stack of unframed artworks rejoicing.  Their time has finally come!

All those unhung prints have Jordan Ferney to thank for their rescue.  The queen of clever DIY ideas (like this affordable potato print art) and the blogger behind Oh Happy Day, Jordan shares this super inexpensive approach to making your own cheap picture frames.  I love the clean, modern lines of the thin frames, which would compliment just about any piece of art.  The other thing I love about this project?  You can easily customize the colors of the frame to suit your decor.

DIY cheap picture frame idea

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • glass or plexiglass
  • mat board cut to size
  • mat board cutter
  • cardboard cut to size
  • ruler
  • paper tape
  • x-acto knife
  • framing hardware
  • super glue

When you’re ready to start building your own custom frames and finally cover those walls with art, check out Jordan’s beautifully photographed how-to right here.

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