Ideas For Displaying Photos Around the Home

Hey there, Laughin' Lalo followers!  I'm Amy, and  Laura and I have been bffs (or, as my 5 year old daughter says: "best bffs forever") since high school.  I was the geeky, awkward, personal-bubble invading girl and Laura was the artistic, outgoing, (albeit still pretty geeky) theater enthusiast.  

When I went to see one of our high school plays, I saw Laura onstage and just knew we could be buds - so I followed her around until she had no choice but to accept me...and she's been accepting me (and now my family) ever since. 

I blog over here at FIG Milkshakes.  It's sort of got a mommy blog/humor blog/home/craft & DIY thing goin' on.  I'd love to see you over there, if you feel so inclined.  :)

Laura has asked me to do a blog about displaying photographs around the house. (Happy, to, Lalo!)

I'll just say, in home decor I try to consider three things:  Budget (oh my, do I consider budget), Versatility (gotta be able to personalize it with a pretty color or freshen it up by switching  out the old photos for the new), and Creativity (you know, something a little artsy - good for the soul).  I have sought to put together a collage considering these three things.  Hope you like it.

Commence Ze picture showing!

Here are some notes that explain parts of the collage I felt could use explaining:


Photo 1 -  This is a trick that has been around for a while.  Buy any ordinary wooden plaque from a craft/hobby store, paint it, and mod podge the picture on top.  Because a good bargain frame can cost anywhere from $4-$20, the price on a picture collage can add up.  This is a nice, clean, and inexpensive alternative, but also can be personalized by painting the plaques a color of your choosing.
Photo 2 -  This clever homeowner created visual interest around by securing photographs around the frame of the door.  Great thinking outside the box!  It reminds me of being a teenager and having magazine clippings of cute boys surrounding the vanity mirror.  Fun.
Photo 5 -  This is a wedding in which the happy couple displayed some photographs on embroidery hoops.  Of course, in your home, you wouldn't have to display them on a ladder, and you could use bright, cheery fabrics behind the photos or whatever best suits you. Embroidery hoops are also very inexpensive, at $1-$2 depending on the size.
Photo 7 -  This is another wedding where the betrothed clipped their photos to an old bicycle wheel.
Photo 14 -  Washi tape!  We all know about washi tape by now, yes?  This clever gal used different kinds of decorative washi tape to create frames around the pictures.  


 All right, I'm about to round it up, folks.  In the end, I would sum it up to these tips here:

***Never pass up an old empty frame you like at a price you like***.  They can be used in so many ways!
***Think outside the box***  Your photo displays can be just as colorful and personal as your photos themselves.  In this day and age where everybody is looking for new ways to brighten up their homes on a budget, just about anything goes.
***CLIP ALL THE THINGS!***  Get yourself some small clothespins, small metal clips, whatever, but those photos can be clipped onto darn near anything.  Have them around for when inspiration strikes!
***Check weddings online for inspiration***  As I was putting together this collage, I found that some of the most unique ideas for displaying pictures were from weddings.  The need to keep things simple and elegant at a wedding is just the right combination for finding a great, inexpensive way to display your photos.

Oh, I almost forgot my idea.  Well, I was going to slip this smoothly into the collage, but I forgot - so  blatantly and shamelessly sticking it at the end will have to do.  Here's another idea.  I gutted this old television to make a frame for our home.  We love it.  If you're interested you can find the tutorial here.

It's been fun visiting you all on Laura's blog.   I'll see you good folks again next time Laura invites me over (which may be a while considering how much I rambled on, laughed at my own jokes, and raided the fridge...)