Making Your Home Your Own: Prep Artwork for Framing & Display

Day 6: Thursday, January 9
Assignment: Choose a piece of artwork to frame & get the process started for framing it for hanging later this month (on the 28th)

Raise your hand if you are with me on this one: you have some type of artwork around the house that you’ve been meaning to frame and hang. It just seems to be one of those tasks that feels wonderful once its complete, but is very easy to put off. Well, lets take care of it now. Several things we do during the Cure cement the idea that just getting started is half the battle and that the rewards you’ll reap from putting just a little bit of effort into your home on a regular basis will always be more than the sum of their parts. Choosing, framing and finally hanging something that you love as artwork is one of those manageable tasks that goes a long way in making your home an even more special place.

Most of us probably can very easily think of some piece of artwork we have that needs framing – It can be a painting, a drawing, a photograph, a print, a poster, a card – big or small, expensive or free – made by you, a friend, a local artist, or even your kids – from a gallery, a secondhand shop, a craft fair or found online. Non-traditional things can be wonderful as decorative art, too – when framed and elevated to an object of honor – a menu, a silk scarf, tickets, a note from a loved one.

Think about which item would truly make you happy to display in this way in your home. The origin and the artist is less important than how it makes you feel. The important part is that you should love it and really want to use it to add some warmth, beauty and individuality to your space. Now that you’ve given it some thought and made a choice it’s time to get this taken care of – don’t put it off any longer – let’s get the process underway. (Lots of helpful links below!)

If you are planning to DIY the framing, you’ll want to measure, decide if you want a mat, and figure out what size frame you’ll need. If the dimensions of the artwork allows for you to pick up a standard size mat and frame, great! Add that to your shopping list. If you need a custom size (and have DIY skills!) pick up or order your supplies. Either way, get busy and keep in mind that we’ll be hanging artwork on the 28th, so it should be ready by then.

If you are going to go pro – drop it off today (or ASAP) and be sure to let them know you’ll need it by 1/28.

If you already have a piece of framed artwork set aside that you can hang on the 28th with the rest of us, consider today a free day to catch up or put some time in on working on your project that you got started on yesterday.

Helpful Links:
• On Display: Tips for Framing Artwork
• Framing Artwork: Glass vs. Plexiglass
• Cheap Sources for Frames
• Framing Notes and Letters
• Inspiration & Ideas for Framing & Hanging Artwork
• Online Sources for Printing and Framing Photographs
• Wall Decor: Framing Scarves
• How To: Cut a Mat for Framing Artwork
• Good Questions: Suggestions for Inexpensive Framing Stores?

January Cure Calendar:
• Download our PDF to see the full upcoming schedule (and print it out if having a hard copy is helpful to you)

Join The January Cure: Click Here to Sign Up

January Cure Main Page: Click Here for the assignment posts so far

Questions? Comments? Pictures? Email us about your progress at januarycure@apartmenttherapy.com
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