Frugal Framing: 10 Ways to Display Artwork Without Spending a Fortune

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updated May 3, 2019

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I adore custom framing but it can be quite expensive, which got me thinking about some alternatives. After all, necessity is the mother of invention, is it not?Turns out a lot of people have had this same thought and have created some lovely options to display artwork sans framing. Check them out!

Above: This option from Deko employs wooden trouser hangers to display art. That’s it! And I love it.

(Image credit: Freshome )

I found this elegant display idea on Freshome. Using metal clips and wire, you can create a streamlined display of your artwork for under $50.

(Image credit: Chatelaine)

Oh, good old washi tape. I’m sure many of you have seen the washi tape framing idea before, but this lovely DIY featured on Chatelaine highlights how bright and modern this option can look.

(Image credit: Urban Outfitters)

These large copper bulldog clips from Urban Outfitters ($30 for set of three) make for a stylish and super easy way to showcase non-framed artwork. Mix in a few of these into your gallery wall for variety.

(Image credit: Julia Brenner)

Consider creating some of your own large-scale artwork on stretched canvas, as it doesn’t require framing and is lightweight to hang, despite being large in size.

(Image credit: East Coast Creative)

East Coast Creative has a great tutorial for creating your own woodblock prints from Instagram photos. I’ve made some of these myself and they look fantastic.

(Image credit: Artifacts Uprising)

Seen here from Artifacts Uprising is a wooden cleat ($59 including print), which is an elegant and minimalist way to secure artwork that is otherwise unframed.

(Image credit: Magnetic Photo Rope)

This magnetic photo rope ($12 each) is a colorful spin on the hanging-photos-on-wire trend. The photo ropes come in a variety of colors and allow for bright and attractive displays.

(Image credit: Dabney Frake)

Our projects editor, Dabney, created the wonderful 10-minute DIY magnetic frame project as a fast, simple and beautiful way to hang unframed artwork.

(Image credit: Parents Magazine)

I really like this idea from Parents magazine for displaying kids’ artwork using inexpensive cafe curtain rods and metal ring clips, as it allows the artwork to shine yet is secure enough to handle the small but mighty hands of children.

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