DIY Photo Frames

Hey friends! I wanted to share this fun little DIY with y’all! My mom found these beautiful yard-long photos of my great grandparents and she so graciously let me “borrow” them to display in my home.

I love these old photographs and I’m so excited to share them and how I decided to frame them. Obviously they are not a standard size. The smaller print is 7×16 (inches) and the larger is 8×28 (inches). I decided I wanted the images to have a completed look of being in a mat within the frame. I headed to my local craft store and I chose frame pieces that are 2 inches longer in each direction which would allow for a 1″ mat affect all the way around the photo. I got one set each of 9, 10, 18, and 30 inch frame sides (don’t forget the little bags of hardware that come with the frames).

I found some large watercolor art paper that has a beautiful linen texture and a thin black mat board for the back of the finished frame to add stability. I only needed 1 of each board to complete this project.

To put it all together, measure your photo and cut the mat and backing board to the desired size. For my project I added 2 inches to the length and width and cut my boards.

I placed the photo in the center of the mat paper and used photo safe glue dots to hold the image in place.

At this point you put your frame together and insert the photo, mat and backing. Use the provided clips to hold everything tightly in place. I chose to order glass off line to protect these photos from damage, but glass is not necessary.

Now hang your completed framed photos and enjoy.

History and home decor come together beautifully! Hope you find this little DIY project helpful!