Affordable framing

**peanut** · 01-09-2009, 08:43 PM

I have some children's artwork (my girls are now 21 and 24) I'd like to frame. One is a huge pastel of a fish that is 23" x 28". It's done on something akin to posterboard...a cardstock of some sort. Is there any way to frame it affordably? I'd like to put it on the wall somewhere...maybe in a bedroom...

I tried to have it scanned to disc, but the people who did it must have used a program I don't have. I can't open the file. I was originally going to use this colourful piece of artwork in an art quilt.

Jean

**peanut** · 01-09-2009, 09:02 PM

I got the file open! I'm going to try and upload photos so you know what I'm talking about...

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...danger/Cat.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...anger/Fish.jpg

[edited to add: oh well, I got links to work!]

The top one was done my my youngest when she was six. The bottom by my eldest at eight. They are so lively I thought they'd make great artwork on the wall, or perhaps a great central piece for an art quilt... what do you think???

Jean

**LastDragonfly** · 01-09-2009, 09:12 PM

Jean, I bet you can find a frame at Dollar General. they have all sorts of sizes there.

there are some places that you can email your photo to and they will print it on archival photo paper. That way you will always have those photos.

My college diploma was floated between two pieces of glass. It looks cool.

I wouldn't laminate the original, but I might spray it with some acid free spray that will keep the acid from eating it up.

**fixer** · 01-09-2009, 11:54 PM

I would try to find a frame at a discount store. If it isn't the right size, you can use a mat to take up space. I am getting glass cut at a local hardware store. Two pieces you need would be around eight bucks total. This is just regular glass, not anti-glare. Finally, I am making frames for Dw's cross stitch. She had thirty five so having it done was out of the question. I figure I can frame a piece for ten dollars that would cost one hundred and twenty dollars to have done. Making frames from scrap lumber is really not all that hard.

**LastDragonfly** · 01-10-2009, 01:54 AM

wow, 35 at one time? wow she's a smokin! I need to get a whole cross stitch shop stitched (it's what I had left over when I sold my store 15 years ago) I've moved it so many times. I told dh to bring it all in. I'm going to a major purge. He also asked are you going to frame them all?

I'm really going to try to be creative to find ways to make them into a wall hanging/quilt/pillow/afghan/ something I don't have to frame. I already have about 5K in frame work here. OI

**Momto2Boyz** · 01-10-2009, 09:00 AM

Depending on your decorating style, you could use old wooden window frames. I did this when I had my used furniture store and I sold them really quickly! I found old single pane wood frame windows in someone's garbage, I quietly snatched them. Then I got brown craft paper, and made a "matte" for them, so they would fit the frame. I used spray adhesive and adhered the frame right to the glass. Then I taped the artwork to the back of the matte.

It turned out really cool, but it gave a kind of country look. So if you don't like that type of flea market style it wouldn't work, and it also depends on the availability of old windows, but it looks really cool when you do it. I kind of wish now, that I had kept some for my own house!

**peanut** · 01-10-2009, 09:21 AM

Thanks everyone. DH and I are out on errands today. I'm going to keep my eyes open and see what I can find. I think Micheal's has a big sale on right now. The cat piece is about half the size of the fish.

Jean