Frame Warehouse

Creating an Easel Sign from Frames

If you have a business that relies on foot traffic, you’ve probably considered an easel sign. However, they can be expensive!! Learn how to make your own easel sign from frames and a few other basic DIY materials for much less dough!

First, you’ll need to gather materials. Here’s what you’ll need:

Two 24×36 frames of the same size in the style of your choice
Four 36 in. “leg” boards, 2×1 pine works great because it’s lightweight
Four 2×1 cross boards, 20 in. each
Two 2 in. hinges and appropriate screws for applying said hinges
4 small screw-in hooks
Two lengths of light-weight chain
Chalkboards to fit in each frame
Paint to match frames
1 1/2 in. wood screws

Here’s how to put it together:

Put chalkboards in frames.
Lay out leg boards (vertically) and cross boards (horizontally) with outside edges lined up on each frame, use wood screws to secure in place. You can use wood glue before screwing into place for a tougher-duty easel sign.
Carefully paint the boards on the backside of each frame so that they blend better.
Screw one hook into each vertical board, 12 in. from the bottom.
Screw hinges to each frame to create the easel effect.
Cut chains to hold the sign’s “V” up at an appropriate angle and slip onto hooks. This keeps the sign from sliding out from under itself.
Add a catchy message and display outside your business for maximum foot traffic!

These signs are super trendy, and businesses everywhere are using them to display their specials or clever sayings to draw in their ideal customer base right off the sidewalk.

For more frame ideas for your business, follow our Frame Warehouse Facebook page and stop by the blog frequently for our newest featured projects!

Choosing the Right Frame for Your Certificate or Diploma

Whether hanging your credentials on the wall is necessary in your line of work or whether it’s optional, you definitely want to choose the perfect frame. Having your achievements surrounded well will help it to blend into its surroundings, becoming a part of the general décor. It will also help it stand out, highlighting your accomplishments in a way that is tasteful and classy.

Custom frames and mats work great for these items because they’re not necessarily standard sized. With custom frames from Frame Warehouse, you can choose the perfect frame and/or mat so that you can hang your credentials with pride.

Here are some tips to help you pick the right frame for your diploma or certificate.

Pick Something that Works with Existing Décor

Is your office or workspace posh and modern, or is it cozy and warm? Is it rugged and manly or bright and airy? Whatever it is, there’s a frame that will work with it. This helps turn your important document into an attractive focal point in the room. For a modern look, consider a metal frame. For a lounge feel, think dark, ornate frames. For a cozy space, choose a warm colored frame that will pop. For an airy, feminine space, look into minimalist white frames with beautiful, tonal mats.

To Mat or Not to Mat?

In part, this will depend on where you intend to place your credentials. Will they be hanging on the wall or will they sit in a stand-up frame on a desk or shelf? How much space do you have? If space is at a premium, you might opt for no mat.

Will it be hung amongst other items on a busy wall? If so, a mat may help your certificate to be more visible. The negative space around the item may help draw the eye where you need it to go. Generally speaking, mats make your frame job look more professional and add sophistication to the whole piece.

For More Framing Advice..

With a little forethought, your framed certificate or diploma can be more than a necessary evil, it can be a beautiful feature in your workspace. Check out the Frame Warehouse Blog or Facebook page for more framing ideas.

Fall Framing Ideas

It’s nearly that time of year. In many places, the leaves are beginning to turn and the air is growing crisp. Football, apple cider, and pumpkin everything is on the way. There’s something about fall that makes me want to decorate! Maybe it’s because the chilly air forces us into our homes where the same four walls become stale rather quickly, or maybe it’s simply the color and singular beauty of the accoutrements of the season.

This fall, you can use frames to spice up your décor. Here are some autumn trends worth following this year!

Frame wreaths- Nothing says fall like a wreath, and frame wreaths are still all the rage this fall. You can use a simple frame with an initial in it, or hang an empty, ornate frame with a sprig of fall greenery (or maybe a few gourds) placed artfully in one corner. To hang these, simply glue on a ribbon or jute tie.
Natural elements- Use frames to highlight the natural elements of the season. Dip fall leaves in bright reds, yellows, and purples in paraffin wax to preserve their color and place your collection in a frame to showcase it. You can do the same with acorns. Glue them to a foam board and surround with a frame that is heavy enough not to be overshadowed by the 3-D nuts. You can frame vases or jars full of beautiful fall blooms, too, like sunflowers or mums.
Seasonal printables- Check out Pinterest for trendy, adorable, and relevant fall printables. Place them in frames in bold fall colors, like a deep red.

Look for other great fall frames on the Frame Warehouse website, and be sure to follow our Facebook page for more great framing ideas.

Create Vendor Displays from Frames

Have you been looking for a unique new way to display your products at craft shows, trade fairs, or other vendor events? Look no further! There’s a framed answer to that question.

Whether you’re operating solely with tables at your events or you’re able to put up “walls” from which you can hang your displays, frames can provide a beautiful way to showcase your products.

There are several ways you can hang your products in frames. Here are a few ideas.

Glue a dowel rod to the back side of a frame, going across it near the top. You can use this sort of display to hang necklaces, scarves, or other small products that you can tie to the dowel with ribbon scraps. You can use multiple rows of dowels to display shorter items like bracelets or earrings.
Staple chicken wire to the back of a rustic frame, like our Light Brown Rustic standard frames. Clip any product you like to this display, from knitwear to stationery.
Drill small holes in the foam backing of one of our frame kits and cover the board with a pretty fabric with a loose weave. Stick brooches, pins, or earrings through the holes.
Use a framed chalkboard to make sure customers know about your best deals. This is perfect for advertising a flash sale to get rid of inventory that isn’t moving very well.
Frame your logo. This is a classy, unobtrusive way to make sure potential customers see your company name. You can also include your website or social media info on this sign to make sure they can follow up after the event.

For more ways you can incorporate frames into your business, follow Frame Warehouse on Facebook or visit us in person at one our many conveniently located stores

Where to Find Stunning Printables

Over the past decade, we’ve become rather enamored as a society of digital imaging. Technology, both that of design software and that of the printers we all have in our homes, has come a long way. The combination of the two developments means that we can literally print out our own home décor from the comfort of our own homes.

Printables are all the rage in the world of DIY home décor. Put a well-designed printable into a beautiful, decorative frame and you’ve created your own amazing wall art. You can even give a printable in a frame as a lovely, personal gift. Where do you find those printables, though? Here are some suggestions!

You can find great printables available from your favorite design bloggers, oftentimes alongside tips for using these incredible printable images in your décor. Whatever your style preferences, there’s a design blogger out there creating images that will appeal to you! Check out The 36^th Avenue or Dwelling in Happiness for some great ideas!
Many mainstream home companies like Better Homes and Gardens offer free printables on their websites.
There are plenty of sites dedicated to printables, either curating them from other sources or listing many of their own designs, like Printable Decor.
Pinterest is a veritable treasure trove of printable designs. Search for whatever you need, whether it’s seasonal prints, a specific room, or a particular style.
Can’t find exactly the printable you need? Fiverr is a great place to hire a freelancer to design a digital, printable image that’s perfect for you. The best part? Services start at a mere $5. Custom art for $5!

For more ideas on what to put in your Frame Warehouse frames, keep up with us on Facebook. Check out the Frame Warehouse website for the latest in frame design.

Create a DIY Frame Mail Organizer

Mail! Despite our best efforts to curb the number of trees that are slain fated to be delivered to our mailboxes, it seems like an excruciating amount of mail makes its way into our homes every week. Because it just keeps on coming, it’s one of the toughest clutter issues most people tackle in their homes.

So, what do we do with it all? First off, shred unneeded mail with personal information on it, or just toss “Current Resident” mail directly into the recycling bin. Once you’re down to mailers you actually need, it’s time to organize it!

Here’s how you can create a custom mail organizer to hang over your mail drop zone so that it’s easy to keep mail up until you toss it or file it away.

Pick out a frame that suits your décor. You’ll need one that’s fairly large for this project, say 18×24 or larger. I’ll be basing measurements upon standard-sized 18×24 Frame Warehouse frames, but you can absolutely adjust this to suit your space!
Next, you’ll need to prepare your fabric pockets. A heavier fabric is ideal; nothing sheer or too gauzy. Burlap or canvas, both of which are available in many colors and prints, are inexpensive and popular choices. You’ll need six pieces of fabric, each piece 13 inches long by about 22 inches across (half the width of a normal roll of fabric). Use 3/8 in. iron on hem tape to create neat edges at either end of each piece. To do this, simply fold over ½ inch of the fabric with the wrong sides together, right sides out, iron to create a neat fold, and then follow the directions on the hem tape to stick down the folds. Fold each hemmed piece in half, right sides out, and iron for a neat pocket bottom. Repeat with each of the six pieces of fabric.
Now you’ll need to attach the pockets to a board. You can use sturdy foam board, scrap paneling, or tough cardboard cut to the size of the frame. Glue down your first pocket with the open end at the top of the board, centered, using a hot glue gun or other craft adhesive. Wrap the extra length around the back of the board and glue it down as well. Be careful that it’s not too tight! Measure three inches down from the top and set up the next pocket, taking care to make sure it’s level all the way across. Repeat with the next four pockets, making sure the bottom pocket fold sits right along the bottom of the board.
Place the board in the frame and hang however you choose. A wire hanging kit will help ensure that your frame mail organizer stays straight.

Label each pocket with a family member’s name, the day of the week, or based on the type of mail you would like the pocket to hold. This organizer keeps mail off surfaces to reduce clutter. For more frame projects, watch Frame Warehouse’s Facebook page!

Custom Terrariums: You Can DIY These Ideal Plant Homes

Succulents are huge in home décor right now. They’ve put house plants at the top of many decorator’s must-have lists, and there is a type of succulent that will likely appeal to every taste. They can be tough to grow depending on which variety you choose, though. A terrarium can help you keep your precious plants alive indoors year round.

A terrarium is a sort of indoor greenhouse used for housing plants indoors. Certain types of plants grow very well in them, like succulents, due to the fact that they hold moisture in and stay warmer than the air around them. They are usually enclosed glass structures, but you can make one of your very own out of frames fitted with glass. You’ll need to think about a few things before you order frames to put together a terrarium, namely:

How big is the plant/pot you’re hoping to house?
Would you prefer a three or four sided structure?
What style and color of frame would look good with both your plant and your décor?

To create your custom terrarium, simply hot glue the glass into the frame all the way around to create a seal. Then, set up your frames upright at the necessary angles to create a square or triangle structure, like walls, and glue along those joints, too. To close off the top, you can glue on a piece of sheet metal or glass cut to size. Then simply set the terrarium over top of the plant you want to house where you want to display it!

For more unique frame ideas, check out the Frame Warehouse Facebook page!

How to Make an Accent Table from a Frame

Maybe you’ve never considered making your own furniture before. Even if you’re not much of a DIY-er, it’s totally possible, especially when you consider how many elements you’d need come ready to put together.

For a first-timer, an accent table is a great way to start off your furniture-building endeavors. They’re small, can be very simple in design, and they don’t need to be sturdy enough to hold a whole human being. The best part about making your own accent table, aside from the money saved of course, is that you can make a table that matches your décor and space perfectly. Here’s how you can make an accent table from a frame.

1. Gather supplies- You’ll need a frame that is the size you’re hoping the table top to be, something to act as the table top itself (this could be a piece of bead board, a metal photo print, anything relatively sturdy and smooth that you can attach to the underside of the frame), a wood base cut to the size of the frame, store-bought table legs (you can find wood or metal hairpin legs at most home improvement stores), hardware glue and hardware, sandpaper, finish (such as paint or clear coat), and a few basic tools.

2. Create table top. Sandwich your table top between your frame and base, making sure that the right side of the table top surface is visible in the frame. Use clamps to hold it together after gluing each layer to the one next to it, then use self-tapping screws that are long enough to go through all layers but not so long that they go through the frame along the edges. Wait until glue is completely dry to move on.

3. Sand down the edges of the table top, avoiding sanding the frame if it’s prefinished.

4. Attach legs per the directions they came with, or find a video showing you how to attach them if not.

5. Apply finish carefully, taping any areas that you don’t want painted. Let it dry completely.

With a can-do attitude and a little imagination, you can create the side table of your dreams! For more DIY frame projects, check out the Frame Warehouse Facebook Page!

Dress Up the Ugly Necessities in Your Home with Frames

For whatever reason, many of the items that the modern home requires, like thermostats and light switches, are sorely lacking in pleasing aesthetics. To put it plainly, they’re oftentimes ugly, and they can really kill the vibe you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Your sophisticated, sleek entryway is seriously marred by the gigantic security system console that, out of necessity, is right there in the open.

There are absolutely fancier, better designed units out there. However, if even the tiniest hint of design was considered in the creation of an electronic product like that, they tend to cost an arm and a leg. The proposed solution to this ugly problem? Frame them!

With custom frames, you can simply frame these eye sores. Choose frames that are wider and therefore serve as the focal point rather than the offending item. Thermostats, security systems, and light switches could all benefit from this treatment. Word to the wise: be careful of wires in the wall when you hang frames around these implements. A stud finder that can show you the location of wiring in the wall would come in handy for this.

If you have a monstrosity so ugly that a simple frame job won’t help, consider creating a complete cover from a framed picture. Create a box around the hideous element from wood, and then attach the framed picture with hinges on one side so you can still get inside when you need to use it.

For more clever framed home hacks like this one, check out our Facebook page, and don’t forget to check back in to the Frame Warehouse blog for the latest frame info.

How to Create the Perfect Gallery Wall

If you’ve scoped out the internet for the latest in home décor, you’ve likely come across some amazing images of gallery walls. These beautiful displays include nearly anything you could possibly hang on a wall in unique formations that incorporate flawlessly into the décor. You’ll find everything from neat and tidy sparse displays like above to the eclectic, junk shop look that’s become very popular in farmhouse and Bohemian design trends.

Here are some aspects of gallery wall design that you can use to customize this look for any style, along with tips to do just that:

Frames– For a sleek modern look, or a mid-century mod feel, aim for matching frames in similar sizes so that you can easily create a tidy, geometric design. Use even numbers of same size/shape frames to fill the available space. Smooth, sparse designs in neutral colors that contrast well with the wall color work best here.For a more eclectic feel, use frames of varied sizes, shapes, and textures. An intricately designed or brightly colored frame can even be hung with no picture to add a flair without making the space feel cluttered.
Mats– Use wide, neutral mats around images that are small but impactful for a modern look, and try to keep a sense of sameness throughout. Use narrow or colorful mats with large, bright images for a livelier look. Change up the mat styling per the image.
Non-Frame Elements– If you desire a clean feel, you probably want to avoid non-framed pieces. Frames give the wall a sense of conformity and sameness, and they can turn a group of unrelated images into a cohesive, symmetrical gallery. Use anything that strikes your fancy for a less structured gallery. Items like small shelves with knick-knacks, hanging votives, and painted wood initials are popular choices.

Essentially, designing a gallery wall is all about choosing what moves you. Check out the Frame Warehouse Facebook page for more gallery wall ideas!