frame flipping

Once upon a time, I lived under the illusion, that for great art in your home, you had to pay a lot. And to have it framed, you paid more. At some custom framing shop with custom mats and everything was brown or black or the other extreme of over the top distressed in a weird color that didn’t match our home. We were kind of frustrated with the options that felt so limiting, so we decided to do something about it.

You probably know by now… it’s really no secret that we’re all about our walls. It’s been a fun little cathartic process of creating different things, just for us at a fraction of the {box store, mass produced} price.

Whether it’s unique, meaningful art for our home, or a great way to display photos. We love creating pieces for our home.

So whether it’s something functional, or it holds photos or it’s just a fun piece of art… making your own little creations makes for great pieces that you can change out easily for a new look. It’s personalized just for you, and reflects who you are.

Every home has a story to tell of those who dwell there… and when you create your own pieces, it tells the story for you.

But recently I started thinking about the easiest way to make fun changes to your space. The best place to get started, if you’re not too keen on power tools and are looking to dip your toes into the proverbial pool of DIY fun to get a feel for it all.

And some of the most fun we’ve had with little projects over and over again, has been in ‘flipping’ frames.

No, they’re not houses. And no, we aren’t doing it for a profit, other than the sheer benefit of something revamped for our own spaces. Because sometimes the simplest of projects are the forgotten ones. And they’re the very best ones to share.

You know those cheap frames at Ikea? Or the dusty one you’ll find shoved in the corner at your local flea market or thrift shop? Or the discount ones you can find at Target/TJMaxx/any little corner of anywhere?

Keep an eye out for those. They’re a great way to alter them into something customized and new, for pennies on the dollar.

If you’re looking for unique accessories for your home, these are the way to go.

From fresh coats of paint, great pattern, scraps of old wallpaper or textured paper… the possibilities are endless.

No profesional mat cutter needed. It’s fun to break the rules again, and again and again. In such a small, inventive way.

Throw in an inspiring quote or some fun art, and you have a customized piece on your walls.

It can be as simple as an accent color added to a classic look, or a completely new transformation.

These were old, framed stock art from Kirklands circa 2003. So I opened them from the back, and reconfigured them all… adding color and layers and fun new backdrops. Topped off with a favorite quote, they made the perfect art for Emerson’s space. 

Or an antique frame found at the flea market, that just needed a little contrast to up the ante in the modern department.

Here’s our simple take on where to start:

This little ikea frame was looking to be in a swanky new place in our studio. So we relocated the {adorable, if I do say so myself} photo to our kitchen, and gave the frame a fresh coat with some metallic spray paint.

And for the mat, we just added a little tape to tie in that hint of fabulous teal you see in the shop window.

We just eyeballed as we went, and wrapped the edges around.

And then replaced the photo for a little insta-art.

Tada! A punch of color for all those accessories.

Frame flipping: a great way to add instant character to your space. For a fraction of the price, and triple the character… one of those little accent things we don’t always think of.

Just a little something to remember, the next time you’re looking for the simplest of all DIY projects!