If you like it, then you better put a frame on it

Today I’m channeling my inner Beyoncé…

OK, not really. But doesn’t that title have a nice ring to it?

When I was in seventh grade, an ornate silver frame hung on the wall by the dresser in my room. It originally held a drawing I had made, undoubtedly something flower- or dog-related. When I entered my ’50s-TV-loving phase, that drawing was replaced by a collectable sleeve of I Love Lucy stamps. Those stamps were then switched out for a photo of Leonardo DiCaprio that I had ripped out of Seventeen magazine (yes, Leo and I had a thing once).

Jared will happily attest to the fact that Leo no longer holds a place in my framing heart. But I do think that the history of my antique-y silver frame speaks volumes about what I cared about as a kid. Art, old TV shows, movie stars: Frames are a perfect spotlight to tell folks how totally nifty you think something (or someone) is. They can also be great conversation pieces. Speaking of which…

Here’s a look a some of our recent fun with framing. Each idea is low-cost, easy-to-do and pretty adorable, if I do say so myself.

A few Christmases ago, Jared bought me a few boxes of Crane’s stationery (give me an office supply, and I’m a happy girl). I flew through them pretty quickly writing thank-you notes and letters, but I just couldn’t let go of this little guy. Rather than leave him alone in an empty box now that all his pals have been sent away, Jared suggested I stick him in a frame. Genius! Now he sits hoppily (I couldn’t resist) on the desk in my office, a splash of color and the perfect decorative detail.

Introducing our very own puppy Picasso! This piece is 100 percent original, straight from the paws of my favorite little artist. To tap Ella’s creative genius (we knew it was in there somewhere), we covered the bottom of the bathtub with pieces of thick paper, dipped Ella’s front paws in washable black paint and then let her go to town. Getting her to go back and forth on the paper took a bit of coaxing (cookies are wonderful things), but when all was said and done, we were left with fantastic works of puppy art. And all mess was remedied by giving the furry girl a bath right afterward. Clean and artsy. She’s quite a catch.

We snagged this idea from the Young House Love bloggers. To make it, we browsed my mountain of magazines for the perfect drop cap “W” (for Jared’s last name) and landed on this sans serif letter from Vogue. We cut out a 1”-by-2” rectangle then zipped over to Kinko’s and had it blown up 300 times in black and white. Now we have a framed, graphic nod to our love of magazines, typography and, err, ourselves.

So what are you framing these days? Do you stick to photos and art, or do you push the envelope a bit? Do tell!

XO,
Katrina