Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room. You have blank walls. Maybe you just moved into a new place, or maybe you’ve been staring at the same beige expanse for years and finally snapped. You could go to a home goods store and drop a small fortune on mass-produced art that a million other people have hanging in their living rooms.
Or, you could raid your closet, hit up a thrift store, and make something way cooler yourself.
I’ve been on a serious picture frame kick lately. It started when I found a box of old frames at my mom’s house—you know, the ones with the horrific family photos from the 90s. I liberated the frames, trashed the photos (sorry, Mom), and started experimenting. Some projects turned out amazing. Some ended up in the recycling bin. These ten are the ones that actually worked.
Grab some paint, dig through your junk drawer, and let’s turn those empty frames into conversation starters.
Frames That Bring the Outdoors In
There’s something about combining natural elements with a structured frame that just works. It’s like giving nature a polished little stage to show off.
1. Pressed Flower Frames
This one requires a tiny bit of patience, but the payoff is massive. Gather some small flowers or ferns—pansies, daisies, and delicate ferns work best. Press them between the pages of a heavy book for a week or two until they’re completely flat and dry.
Once they’re ready, take a plain frame with glass. Remove the backing and the glass. Arrange your dried flowers directly on the glass, then carefully place the backing on top and flip it over. When you hang it, the flowers appear suspended in mid-air.
- Why I love it: It looks delicate and expensive, but it cost me basically nothing. Ever notice how much prettier leaves look once they’ve dried?
2. Shadow Box Nature Collage
Grab a shadow box frame—the deep kind with some space inside. Go for a walk and collect interesting bits: interesting twigs, feathers, cool rocks, seed pods, or even a abandoned bird’s nest (just make sure it’s actually abandoned).
Arrange them inside the shadow box. You can glue smaller items in place or just let them rest naturally against the backing.
- Pro-tip: Add a tiny string of battery-powered fairy lights inside for a magical glow at night.
3. Framed Pressed Leaves
Similar to the flowers, but with autumn leaves. Collect leaves with interesting shapes and colors. Press them in a book for about a week.
Arrange them in a pattern inside a large frame. I like to use a white or cream background to make the colors pop. You can do a symmetrical arrangement or just let them fall organically.
- Honest opinion: This is the classiest way to enjoy fall colors without looking like a kindergarten art project. 🙂
Upcycled & Repurposed Frame Crafts
Why buy new when you can turn trash into treasure? These projects give old frames a whole new life.
4. Framed Jewelry Organizer
This one is genius for small spaces. Remove the glass and backing from a frame. Stretch chicken wire, burlap, or even a piece of pretty fabric across the back opening and staple it in place.
Hang the frame on the wall. Use small hooks, pins, or simply poke earring posts through the wire or fabric. Now you have a beautiful, functional piece of art that holds all your necklaces and earrings.
- The result: No more tangled chains. Ever. It’s honestly life-changing.
5. Cork Board Memo Frame
Take a deep frame and remove the glass. Cut a piece of cork board to fit exactly inside the frame. Glue it to the backing. Paint the frame a fun color if you want.
Hang it in your entryway or home office. Use push pins to hold notes, photos, inspirational quotes, and reminders. It looks way more put-together than a standard cork board.
6. Chalkboard Frame
Find an old frame with an interesting shape. Remove the glass (or keep it, depending on the look). Spray paint the frame if it needs freshening up.
If you kept the glass, you can paint the back of it with chalkboard paint. If you removed it, cut a piece of masonite or thin wood to fit and paint that with chalkboard paint. Reassemble, hang it, and you have a custom chalkboard for menus, messages, or doodles.
- Sarcasm alert: Finally, a place to leave passive-aggressive notes for your roommate about the dishes. You’re welcome.
7. Fabric-Covered Mat Board
Do you have a frame where the mat board is looking yellowed or stained? Don’t toss it. Grab some scrap fabric—velvet looks amazing, but any cotton print works.
Cut the fabric a few inches larger than the mat board on all sides. Wrap it tightly like you’re wrapping a present, mitering the corners, and glue it to the back. Pop it back in the frame.
- IMO: This is the cheapest way to get a “designer” look. A velvet mat makes any print or photo look expensive.
Modern & Artistic Frame Displays
Sometimes you don’t even need a photo. The frame itself becomes the art.
8. Geometric Thread Art Frame
Remove the glass and backing from a simple frame. Hammer small nails or push pins around the inside edge of the frame in a pattern—maybe just at regular intervals.
Take embroidery floss or thin string and start wrapping it around the nails, crisscrossing to create geometric patterns. You can create a sunburst, a web, or just random abstract shapes.
- Rhetorical question: Who needs a painting when you can have a custom string sculpture that you made yourself?
9. Gallery Wall of Empty Frames
This sounds crazy, but hear me out. Hit up thrift stores and garage sales for mismatched frames of all sizes and shapes. Paint them all the same color—black, white, or a bold metallic like gold or copper work best.
Arrange them on a large wall in a cluster. The different shapes and sizes create visual interest, and the unified color ties it all together. You can leave them empty, or eventually add art, but the frames themselves become the installation.
- Why this works: It fills a big wall space for cheap and looks intentionally curated, not accidental.
10. Washi Tape Photo Display
Take a simple frame and remove the backing and glass. Stretch several strips of washi tape vertically or horizontally across the back opening, creating a grid or a set of lines.
Reinsert the backing. Now you can tuck photos, postcards, or small prints between the tape and the backing, overlapping them for a casual, layered look. It’s easily changeable, so you can swap out photos whenever you want.
- Pro-tip: Use a neutral tape like black or white for a cleaner look, or go wild with patterns for a more playful vibe.
A Few Tips Before You Start
Before you run off to raid your local thrift store, here are a few things I’ve learned the hard way:
- Check for real wood: Solid wood frames take paint and stain way better than plastic or MDF. Give them a little tap—if it sounds hollow, proceed with caution.
- Glass vs. Plastic: Real glass is heavier but looks clearer and doesn’t scratch as easily. Plastic is safer for kids’ rooms but can look cloudy over time.
- Hardware check: Make sure the frame still has its hanging hardware, or be prepared to add your own. It’s a huge bummer to finish a project and realize you can’t hang it.
- Clean thoroughly: Frames from thrift stores can be gross. Like, really gross. Give them a good wipe-down with a gentle cleaner before you start crafting.
So there you have it—ten ways to turn boring, empty frames into wall art that actually means something. The best part about these projects is that you probably already have most of the supplies lying around. And if you don’t, a quick trip to the dollar store or a rummage through a family member’s basement will set you up.
Start with one project. Maybe that jewelry organizer, because honestly, we all need that. Or maybe the pressed flowers, because they’re just so pretty it hurts.
Now go forth and cover those blank walls. Your home is waiting to feel like you. 🖼️
