Any good thrift store lurker knows that the very best deals on frames are the second hand steals. So if you're up for the hunt or desire a collected-over-time look, begin your search with thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, and flea markets. If you do decided to go this route, just remember:
• you're looking for the right shape, size and detailing, not necessarily the perfect color or finish. An ugly veneer frame with awesome details and a sturdy build can be made perfect with a coat of paint.
• it's the frame, not the artwork inside or even necessarily the glass that should appeal to you. Most hardware stores will cut a new piece of glass for you for pennies compared to what it would cost for a brand new frame.
• a variety of frames in different shapes, sizes, and colors can be harmonized with a coat of paint if you desire a more unified look. Spray paint is your friend!
If the second hand stores in your area are lame or non-existent, don't forget about eBay and etsy. You may be paying slightly more, but there are still plenty of good deals to be had on vintage and second hand frames.
If, however, you're looking for a quick fix or a consistent "new and shiny" look, there are some great mass-produced options for you as well:
• picture 2. American Frame has some of the best deals on the widest variety of custom-sized frames. I learned about them from the talented Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home who used them in her stunning entry makeover. The company also allows you to upload your own photos to the site to be printed and custom framed in one fell swoop for a fairly reasonable price.
• picture 3. Ikea's Ribba frames are a consistent favorite for a reason. They are surprisingly sturdy and come with a ready cut mat for a hard-to-beat price. The thin frame and wider mat is perfect for a clean modern look. My biggest gripe is with the largest size, 27 1/2" x 39 1/2", which comes with cheapo-looking plastic cover rather than real glass. My favorite finish is the metallic silver, however it can dent easily during transportation.
• picture 4. Target's Room Essentials Wood frames are great ready-made options. I learned about them from the inspiring Jenny of Little Green Notebook who has used them in her old living room as well as many client projects. As Jenny noted, they are great for groupings and come with a decent looking mat.
• picture 5. If your greatest concerns are quick and easy with little guesswork, Urban Outfitter's set of 10 frames is an option, especially for $32. The group comes with a variety of sizes in a consistent finish in your choice of black, white, or wood. As reviewers noted, don't expect anything fancy or really expensive-looking.
• picture 6. Urban Outfitter's Snap Photo Frames are another fun and inexpensive option for a playful and youthful room. The set includes 9 plastic frames that are supposed to make ordinary snapshots look like Polaroids.
• picture 7. CB2's gallery frame set is a favorite to many. While $100 for a set of three frames isn't cheap per se, I've heard many people say that they're worth it. The thin aluminum frames make for a clean-lined look that requires little guess work.
Ready-made options are not the only way to go when it comes to new frames. Be sure to check out your local frame shops. The quality will be hard to beat, and you may be surprised by the deals the owners are willing to cut, especially if you're having multiple pieces framed at the same time.
Also, big chain craft stores like A. C. Moore, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby have periodic 50% off frames sales, so be on the look out.
I'm sure you knowledgeable readers have some great framing resources to add to the list, so let's hear them!
Image: Sarah Kaye via pink wallpaper
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Dollar store!
Walgreen's. Seriously.
I just bought several Ribba frames from IKEA, but ordered new mats online. They are much better quality than the ones that came with the Ribba. My new mats are wider and have a black core, and they really make the photos stand out.
I've purchased many frames at a local Goodwill store. Indeed, a coat of paint or sanding paper can do wonders and your dollar will go a long way if you are willing to touch things up a little.
I go to cheap home decor stores that sell "art" - like Homesense, Superstore, Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire (sorry for the Canadian retailer name-dropping) - and look around for wall art that's been marked way down. It doesn't matter that the art is ugly; I pillage these bargain bins simply to use the frame, matting and glass that come with the ugly wall art (the "art" itself is unceremoniously recycled). I framed four prints last week for $70 - matting and glass included.
Cheap Pete's and Aaron Brothers 1 cent sale.
At http://www.DAcustomframes.com you can order handmade picture frames at custom sizes and the prices are very reasonable
Michael's craft store. They have frequent sales and a wide selection.
I constantly find frames for from one to five dollars at flea markets and thrift stores with expensive and totally reusable mats already in them -- usually with some sad cheap pastel colored prints in them. Avoid the stained mats (or paint them!). but otherwise these are great bargains! And most often in standard sizes, too.
The frames with plexiglass front instead of glass are actually more expensive because plexiglass is better to preserve any type of print or picture. Glass, being non-porous, can fog up on the inside and that condensation will damage your prints, paintings, artwork.
I would highly recommend going to yard sales, thrift stores and bargain bins for the cheap frames, then replacing the glass with plexiglass yourself saving you big $$$ from the frames that come with plexiglass. That's why IKEA frames are so cheap - they're glass, not plexiglass. PLUS, glass is usually much more delicate to work with and heavier.
About 5 years ago, my friend had a really big wall in her condo that she didn't want to paint, but needed something "big" to break up the space a bit. Setting aside the angst of going to the uuuuuber Christian Hobby Lobby stores, we were able to score some really great (and some really BIG) frames and arranged themsomewhat haphazardly on that wall. When she sold it, the buyers wrote the frames into the contract and said it was one of the big reasons they loved the condo (over the other, of course identical ones in her development.)
My dog even got in on the action.
Ditto for spray-painting mats if they're stained/faded.
I've gotten some great frames buying either heavily discounted bad mass-produced art at discount home stores or buying bad art at secondhand stores.
Great post. But what about larger frames? I had a poster that I wanted framed and couldn't find anything big enough besides the terrible "poster frame" selection at target. I opted taking it to a frame shop -- which of course cost me an arm & a leg!
Also, any idea why having something framed does cost so much?
poster size: Ikea has 50x70cm frames and extremely cheap for the size
Your attic!!
Just to add to the thrift store tip, you can have frames cut down by a frame shop. If you find good-quality frames that are too large for your artwork, you can have them trimmed to size, and the result looks custom without the custom price. I've had this done for $10-20 [not including glass, mat, etc.].
As for why custom framing is expensive... Well, it's custom work so, even if your project is simple and uses inexpensive materials, it's a one-off for the store. I don't think it's the necessary route for everything, but certain pieces really benefit from custom framing.
K-Mart.
Costco--I discovered that they have packages of two black frames with fairly nice white mats with black trim in a variety of sizes for about $20, which is $10 apiece. Plus, printing two 8X10 pictures to fill the frames cost me $3, which made for some awesomely thrifty Christmas presents.
Jo-Ann Etc craft stores - they carry American made frames by North American Enclosures. The frames are of decent quality and very good price points if you hit one of the 40/50 or 60 percent off sales.
Aaron Brothers and TJMaxx. You can get a great larger size frame and discard the art for $20-30.