Do I Really Need A Custom Frame?

Do I Really Need A Custom Frame? | Frame Warehouse | Charlotte, NC

Do I really need a custom frame? This is a question we hear a lot at Frame Warehouse. Honestly, the answer to that question is another question! What would you like to frame?

Ready-Made vs. Custom Framing

In order to determine whether custom framing is right for you, it’s beneficial to know the difference between ready-made and custom frames.

Ready-made frames are manufactured en masse, in standard sizes and come with basic frame, glass or acrylic, and backing. These can be a great solution for inexpensive prints, color-pops, or items you know you will change out regularly. We carry a great selection of high-quality, ready-made frames at Frame Warehouse, simply ask our experts and we can help you determine what’s right for you!

Custom framing is an option that is customized to your art piece, your décor, even size! From framing that treasured autographed jersey or military uniform to priceless works of art or your child’s handprint, we can (and have) frame it all. Custom framing involves choosing the frame, molding, matte, glass, and backing. With thousands of choices and combinations, our experts can advise you as to what will work best for your piece. For instance, will you be hanging your watercolor painting in a sunny area? You may want to choose UV protected glass to prevent fading. Are you framing an odd-sized, multi-dimensional sculpture? We can select a frame that will lend itself well to a shadow-box and build it according to your measurements. Best of all, we can turn most items around in under a week! While it’s true that custom framing can cost a little more when it comes to expensive artwork or unique memorabilia the value that custom framing provides lasts a lifetime.

Do you have a photo or piece of artwork you would like to preserve but are unsure of the best way to frame it? Drop by one of Frame Warehouse’s 12 framing locations in North and South Carolina and let our experts guide you!

Frame Worthy Art On A Budget

Are you ready to give your home an upgrade on a budget? With a little creativity and an amazing frame we’ve put together some easy and affordable ways to up your home decor game in 2020.

Framed Fabric

When it comes to fabric styles and selections the possibilities are endless. You may have a piece of custom fabric from an upholstered furniture piece or curtain tucked away in a closet. If you are the search for a new fabric piece your local fabric or craft store should have lots to choose from and the cost of a small piece of fabric is reasonable.

Framed Wallpaper Scraps

Wallpaper has made its way back in to home trends. Framing a trendy piece of wallpaper or even using scraps of your wallpaper project are affordable options to create art. Framing wallpaper cuts also takes the “commitment” out of hanging wallpaper. With so many styles and choices of wallpaper you can find a piece that shows your personality and becomes the wow factor to complete your room

Everyone loves a little DIY project and its even better when it fits into your budget. As 2020 approaches let your crafty side shine with a frame from your friends at Frame Warehouse showing off your latest project. You can shop our frames online or at any of our 12 locations. Find your perfect frame today www.framewarehouse.net

Display Graduation Keepsakes the Professional Way

Graduation Keepsake | Frame Warehouse

Graduation—from high school, college, or any program—results from a lot of determination and hard work.

With such an achievement comes tangible evidence of the accomplishment. The event itself generates many keepsakes, such as professional photographs, tassels, bulletins, and awards. Don’t let those important items end up stashed away in a box or drawer. Because of what they represent, the most cherished and symbolic of those items should receive special attention. Consider professionally mounting and framing graduation memories. That way, they will always be present as a reminder of one of the most significant rites of passage in a person’s life.

A Perfect Display
Such keepsakes look great when framed and mounted by professionals. It may be tempting to visit your nearest big box retailer and buy the first frame or shadow box that looks big enough. But it is often obvious when a frame isn’t custom-made for the exact dimensions and layout of the memory items. Plus, it’s nearly impossible to find a ready-made frame and mat to display multiple photographs or other items in a way that looks just right.

Imagine how nice a tassel or honors sash would look when tastefully mounted and arranged in a shadow box designed specifically for them. Think how special a diploma would look framed in a way that honors the graduate’s efforts.

You don’t even have to leave home to begin searching for just the right frame for the photos or other items it will display. Start browsing our photo frames online. Or visit one of our 12 convenient locations for in-person recommendations. Graduation keepsakes can offer a lifetime of pleasant memories. Therefore, trust them in the hands of framing shop professionals.

Closet Purge & Things To Frame

Closet Purge and What To Frame | Frame Warehouse | Charlotte NC

With spring cleaning comes the question as old as the tradition itself: What should you treasure and what should you toss? In some cases, discarding an old keepsake stuffed in the back of a closet feels akin to betrayal. It’s hard let go. Subsequently, a good cleaning is not as thorough as you had hoped. However, framing provides a way to hold onto some of those dusty treasures while simultaneously giving them a fresh purpose.

Some of your junk may be hidden art. If you have saved magazines for nostalgic reasons, for instance, take a fresh look at the covers. You may discover one that would look great in a frame. Another example: Every car compartment used to be stuffed with road maps. And National Geographic printed beautiful wall maps from across the globe. If you still have a few that evoke happy travel memories, imagine how they would look in your den.

A few more ideas to get your mind thinking creatively about framing possibilities:

  • Artistic book jackets
  • Songbook covers or song sheets
  • Vinyl records and album covers
  • Photocopied and enlarged stamps
  • Old handwritten letters
  • A child’s first grade progress report

Frame worthy pieces are not limited to flat objects. Consider any items stuck in the back of a drawer that, if framed, would add a nice touch to a den or bedroom.

  • Scout and hiking patches
  • Sea shells
  • Race t-shirts and medals
  • Buttons of every size and color
  • Vintage tableware like silver knives and forks

As you encounter items during your cleaning effort, look at them in a different light. Are they serving any purpose packed in a storage bin? See them as what they are: potential items brought back to life in an ideal frame.

Frame Warehouse has 12 locations in North and South Carolina with endless options for your framing needs.  You can shop us in-store or online.

 

Source:

https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/8-things-you-never-thought-to-frame-but-should-48463#shell-decor

Frames, The History Behind Them

History Behind Frames | Frame Warehouse | Charlotte NC

Art frames are a relatively recent introduction into civilization. Among the earliest evidence of framed artwork was discovered in Egypt. A mummy’s tomb dating to the second century included a framed portrait of the dearly departed. It’s believed the portrait hung in the person’s house and was transported to the tomb when its owner died.

Scant other evidence of art frames exists until the late Middle Ages. Until then, most artwork was reserved for the very rich or for institutions like churches. Art was applied directly to a wooden panel covered with linen and a liquid binding agent. Pieces were massive, heavy, and hung in a prominent location. Therefore, they were rarely moved from their original spot.

Then, in fifteenth century Florence, Italy, a rich banker commissioned a painting in which the art was separate from the frame. Other Florentine painters followed suit, and the practice of using art frames grew. Frame makers never became as famous as painters like Rembrandt, but they were considered artists as well. They commanded the respect of painters, who saw them as an integral part of the creative process. Two styles of frames—tabernacle and cassetta, were most common. Tabernacle frames looked like the outlines of buildings with very ornate “roofs.” Cassetta frames were also ornate, but they were rectangular and thus more like frames we see today.

Frame styles have evolved along with other art trends. They are no longer as ornate or cumbersome as they were 500 years ago. Yet, frames come in a wide variety of styles and materials to complement any artwork. Most significant of all, framed art is not just for the very wealthy. It is accessible to everyone, providing a cost-effective way to appreciate any art or treasure. You can frame almost anything, for next to nothing with the Frame Warehouse.

Source:

https://lauramorelli.com/history-of-picture-frames/

https://theframeblog.com/about/

Home Decorating Trends Using Picture Frames

Picture-Frame-Trends

When you’re looking for ways to spruce up your home, there are several fun ways to do so with the use of picture frames. Whether you want to display photos in these frames or leave them empty, keep the following decorating ideas in mind for your home.

Wall Collage

Dress up a plain wall with a collage made of picture frames. Use frames of all different sizes to make an eye-catching arrangement on your wall. If you’re leaving them empty, you can put smaller frames inside larger ones for an even more visually interesting effect.

Oversized Frames

Oversized picture frames that are left empty can be a great way to draw attention to large vases or other oversized decor items in your home. Lean the frame against the wall around the item as a way to highlight it. You can also accentuate a smaller frame, painting or other work of art on walls by placing an oversized empty photo frame around it.

Color-Themed Frames

Choose frames in a specific color theme, such as frames that are different shades of a certain color or frames in warm or cool color tones. You can also do a black and white theme or a gold and silver one. Whether you leave the frames empty or put photos in them, you’ll add instant visual appeal to this part of your home.

Art Gallery 

Turn a plain hallway in your home into an art gallery with some carefully placed photo frames. Fill these frames with art pieces rather than photos, and hang them in a row along the walls of your hallway.

Need help finding the perfect picture frame?  The Frame Warehouse has years of experience and frame experts to help you with your framing needs.  Shop our high quality frames online or visit one of our 12 locations in North and South Carolina.

What You Should Know About Hanging Picture Frames

what-you-need-to-know-when-hanging-your-picture-frames

You’ve got a big, blank expanse of plastered wall and a picture frame that would look perfect there. But everyone knows what a hassle it is to hang art, so that poor wall might stay empty.

Fortunately, hanging picture frames is easier than it looks. Start by answering these basic questions.

What’s your creative strategy? Are you simply trying to find a place for a solo picture frame? Or do you have several decorative or thematic pieces you’d like to work into a grouping?

If hanging a single picture frame, its center should be positioned about 57 inches off the ground, on eye level with many. But if you’ve got a grouping in mind, get creative with formation. Use butcher paper or newspaper pages cut to the dimensions of your art and lay them on the floor or tape them to the wall until you like what you see.

How heavy is your artwork? Generally, you can get by with a nail or picture hanger if your art only weighs a few pounds. If it weights over 20 lbs, you’ll need a threaded anchor for extra wall grip.

What fasteners are you using. Most picture frames will come with a wire hanger attached horizontally to the back. Use picture hangers or a lone nail with this approach. Other frames might have saw tooth hangers for use with nails.

How are your math skills? Have a tape measure handy for finding the horizontal center point on your artwork to catch the nail or picture hanger in the right place. Or cheat with a tube of gel toothpaste. Dab a little on the back of your artwork where the wire will be extended or where you saw tooth hangers are affixed. Then press your picture frame against the wall and the smudges will indicate nail positions.

Keep in mind, it can be a perfectly legit design solution to prop your art against a wall or on a shelf and leave your wall unmarked.

Find the frame that will accent your blank wall perfectly here at Frame Warehouse.

Reasons Why You Should Frame Your Wedding Dress

Did you wear a traditional wedding dress on your wedding day, or did you take the road less traveled and opt for something a little different than the average white gown? Either way, I’m here to tell you why framing your wedding dress is a great idea. Here are several reasons why you might want to consider it, and some tips for executing the perfect framed wedding dress.
Reasons You Should Frame Your Wedding Dress

  1. It probably cost you a fortune, so repurposing it as décor is financially savvy.
  2. It’ll remind you every day of how beautiful your wedding day was.
  3. It’s a great way to preserve your dress. Posterity, folks!
  4. It’s a great conversation piece.
  5. You spent a lot of time stressing about this dress to not be able to look at it every day.

Tips for Framing Your Wedding Dress
Here are a couple pointers if you’re thinking of framing your dress.

  • Be sure you have your dress dry cleaned first. Even if it looks clean, invisible trace particulates like food, pollen, or saliva could cause mold if you’re not careful.
  • Hang your framed dress in a place that is well climate controlled to help preserve it.
    Be sure to use acid-free materials in framing.
  • If you have it professionally framed, you won’t have to worry about this part.
  • One of the best parts about using a custom framing outfit like Frame Warehouse to frame your wedding dress is that you can get the perfect sized frame to fit your gown. You’ll want the dress carefully pressed so that it’s arranged appropriately in the frame.

If you’re planning on framing your wedding dress, contact the lovely staff at Frame Warehouse either in store, by phone, through their website, or on their Facebook page to get some help and advice.

Using Frames in Your Nursery Design

Almost nothing makes us want to improve our homes more than a new baby coming along. It’s in our biology to want to create a nice, safe, comfy space for our new little bundles of joy, and it’s a literal compulsion for many women later on in their pregnancies. From the crib to the bedding to the wall décor, there are plenty of nursery components to think about. Here are some of our best framed décor tips for adding that extra-special touch to your new little sprite’s nursery.

  1. Don’t be afraid to frame unconventional objects. Teddy bears and other toys, dried (or silk) plants you received as a pregnant mum, and heirloom baby clothing make fantastic wall décor with a little added dimension, not to mention sentimental.
  2. Nursery colors aren’t limited to “baby colors”. You may be thinking a dark or barn wood frame just won’t do for a nursery, but there’s no need to limit yourself to traditional baby colors. Modern nurseries are often done in far more neutral and adult color schemes, and those neutral frames will carry over as you update the room as your child grows.
  3. Add a photo of Mom and Dad. Keeping a photo of baby’s caregivers close at hand where they can see it from their crib is a wonderful idea. It can be comforting to both parents and baby.

Whatever your nursery theme, there’s a brilliant piece of décor to frame that will complete your
little one’s new nest. For more custom framing advice, check in at our Facebook page, and follow along so you don’t miss a thing.

A DIY Approach to Tax Organization

Nobody likes filing taxes (well, maybe a select few people who get plenty of money back). It’s tedious, there’s a ton of paperwork to keep track of, and the horrifying prospect that if you or your tax professional somehow overlook something it could be a federal crime makes it a generally unpleasant task. Organization is the key to keeping your taxes straight, though. There’s no better time to start planning how to better organize your tax paperwork than when the IRS’s April 17th deadline is breathing down your neck. At least you can make sure you’re prepared next year!!

Here’s how you can make a hanging framed tax organizer to give you the perfect place to offload all your tax paperwork throughout the year and keep it handy for filing in 2019.

1. Get a large frame. Personally, I love Frame Warehouse’s

Customize your tax organizer however you need to so that your paperwork is all in one place for next year, but easy to access in the meantime. For additional frame ideas to help keep your home organized, check out Frame Warehouse’s Facebook page.