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Kids love to express their creativity! That sketch of a family portrait, first attempt to write their own name or adorable drawing of their imaginary world can be so hard to throw away! And while you can’t keep EVERY doodle they’ve ever created, you can certainly pick out a few favorites. We’re sharing a few ideas on how to use these physical pieces of your child’s imagination as keepsakes, gifts, and home décor with tips to frame kids’ art.

First, sift through the pile of artwork you’ve no doubt collected. Grab your favorites and decide what can be framed easily. Don’t be afraid to crop it down to a smaller size to fit into a frame.  Too small? Mat the art with patterned paper behind it.

Tip: If any art is too bumpy or wrinkled, lay heavy books on top to flatten them out first.

If the pieces if too dimensional, consider omitting the acrylic front and frame it as is with the dimensional pieces hanging out slightly.

If your child ever attends one of those “paint your own canvas” parties then you are now the proud owner of a painted canvas that needs a frame. Use a canvas frame that attaches with some canvas clips on the back.

When it comes to the arrangement or color choices, consider matching their existing room palette or create a unique one on the wall, like a rainbow design for a little girl!

Looking for more ways to use children’s artwork and not throw them all in the trash? Try these ideas:

• Use artwork as a card. Fold that paper in half and write your message inside. Drop it in the mail or pass it straight to the recipient.
• Photograph their art and turn it into a photo book. Create them by year and watch their artist talents grow, page by page.
• Turn them into a puzzle. If the piece of art is a recognizable character or shape, cut it up into a few pieces and turn it into a game. It’s the perfect thing to play at a restaurant while waiting for food.
• Decoupage something with them. If the artwork is made by very tiny hands and is more abstract than literal, you can rip up pieces of it and turn it into a mosaic or decoupage an item with it.
• Gift it to grandma. She’ll love it!

Frames featured in this rainbow room setup:

Red- Gannon
Orange – Ginger
Blue – Tallulah
Green – Harlan

About The Author

Tara Nehil is author of SpotOfTeaDesigns.com, a lifestyle blog sharing home décor, crafts, party inspiration and parenting lessons learned the hard way. Her graphic design background is evident in the home she lives in and styles with her husband of 8 years and 2 young daughters. Follow her creative journey for photo tutorials, printables, budget-friendly decorating tips and ways to celebrate occasions big and small.

Gallery walls tend to add so much character, and statement to a room. I’ve always loved them for that reason alone, but they can also be so meaningful when you’re adding family photos to them.

I have always wanted to have a gallery wall but the task always seemed a little daunting. What size frames? Mating? Photo size? It all seemed overwhelming. I was so excited when I found Custom Photo Frames because they took all of those worries right away! I shared my vision, and they helped me through every step with ordering. I wanted my frames to make a statement and have a timeless look. They helped me bring that to life. I had never actually had any family photos printed before, so these were going to be so special to me. We usually moved around a good bit so I never felt like hanging a bunch of photos. Now I wish I had!

I had a photo of a friend’s gallery wall I loved so I used that as an idea, so that is how I picked my sizes. For my moulding, I chose a wood color that would blend well with the rest of my decor, and next I picked the hardware for the back. I chose hanging wire since I figured that would be the easiest in the hanging process.

When the frames arrived I got to work with the help of my family. I ordered a hanging tool which was a huge help in hanging them. Ahead of time, I had cut out pieces of paper that were the same size as my frames so I could get an idea of how I wanted them positioned so there was less work. I left the pieces of paper up on the wall until we measured the space to make sure they were all even in terms of spacing. I used a level to ensure all the photos were straight once they were hung. 

This gallery wall pulls my entire living space together in such a special way. Not only are they a design statement, but they have such special memories displayed in them. I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out! 

About The Author

Meet Cari or @lovinglittlehalls on Instagram —She lives in Middle Georgia with her sweet family of 4! She is married to her husband JJ of 5 years and is mama to Lilah Grey (2) & Rowan Thane (1). She is a lover of home decor, photography, and wellness. On her blog, you’ll get glimpses into her crazy life raising two babies less than two years apart. They aren’t perfect but they love Jesus, they are full of love, and a whole lotta coffee!

Finding the decor style that best fits your life can be challenging. Some trends can look great in model homes. However, until you live in it, you may love it or hate it. This happened to me with our dining room decor. I went with a contemporary style for the dining room. I ended up hating it!

Read along how Custom Picture Frames transformed our dining room.

I initially had blue abstract art for our dining room. It was too cool with our grey walls. The abstract art wasn’t big enough to cover the large wall. I looked around for ideas to take up more wall space. Many sometimes opt for a mirror when they don’t know what to do with a wall. I considered this as well but I wasn’t sold on it. I love how pictures add a special touch to a home. I chose my daughter’s headshots because to me, home is where she is. Seeing my daughter’s pictures makes me happy and that’s what decor is all about. To me, art decor creates the ambiance and sets the mood similar to color.

I went with their Noir Classique moulding and created 30” x 30” oversized picture frames to add a luxury feel to the dining room. I have watched YouTube videos on how to make your home decor look like a million-dollar home. From this, I learned that oversized pieces add more of a statement versus smaller decor pieces. I also saw this when we went to open houses. Sometimes we would stop by million-dollar listings for fun and inspiration.

We are still in transition to a more modern farmhouse style for the dining area. I went with linen colored tufted chairs. The colors of the chairs and rug add a touch of warmth to our cooler wall color.

I have received many compliments on the dining gallery wall from Custom Picture Frames. I love decorating for the holidays. The dining room is currently decked out for Valentine’s Day! I love that I can change the pictures to decorate for every holiday. This benefit makes it an inexpensive large decor piece. I DIY painted Valentine’s Day art myself for the frames!

Custom Picture Frames now offers prints. I was shocked at how good my pictures came out. I'm not the best photographer, I use my camera in auto mode. My daughter's photos came out amazingly enlarged in 13" in X 13" in prints.

When the house is at rest (non-holiday decorated) I have the words: eat, laugh, love in half the frames to give it a dining room theme.

You can't go wrong with Custom Picture Frames to decorate your space. They have so many frame options to select from. They are hands down the best selection in sizes anywhere online.

About The Author

Connie Barnhart is a San Diego native and full-time lifestyle influencer. She shares about home decor, San Diego, motherhood, and style on her blog and Instagram. Her husband is a cyber security engineer and they have been happily married two years!