How To Reuse Thrift Store Wall Art as Picture Frames

Turn any thrift store wall art into the picture frame of your dreams with this easy, DIY tutorial!

Have you ever priced large, golden, oval picture frames? I have. They are not cheap. When I wanted to reframe one of our wedding pictures, I had a large, golden, oval frame in my mind. The problem is, I’m cheap. Spending $50 for a picture I printed on our printer didn’t make sense to me. I did what any sensible thrifty girl would do and searched my favorite thrift store. Wouldn’t you know I found the exact frame I had in mind, and all for $1.99. I turned this inexpensive thrift store wall art into the picture frame of my dreams.

The very first place I go in a thrift store is the wall art section. There is loads of untapped potential back there. If there’s a way to remove the back from the frame, and I’m positive there is on most of them, then you can turn any inexpensive wall art into a beautiful picture frame.

This post may contain affiliate links. Which means I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. For my full disclosure click here.

What I used…

• Philips’ Head Screw Driver
• Poster Board
• Ruler
• Scissors

How I did it…

I was VERY fortunate to find this picture frame. The back of it is attached with Philips head screws. All I had to do to remove the back was to unfasten four little screws. Once I had the screws off I discovered the “art” was printed on cardboard. I removed that, and used it as a template.

I laid the printed cardboard piece down on my poster board, and traced the oval. This is the beginning of my photo mat.

Once I had the oval traced and cut out, I needed to cut the center out to make the mat. To do this I printed off a 10″ oval, and centered it in the poster board oval I cut out. I traced it, and cut the smaller oval out of the middle of the larger oval. It made the perfect mat!

All I had to do was insert my DIY mat, lay my photo in the middle of the mat, and attach the back with the four little screws. Voila! A custom $1.99 wedding photo frame.

Tips for buying thrift store wall art for picture frames

• Ignore the finish. If you find the shape and size frame you want, snatch it up. The finish is so easy to change with some spray paint, chalk paint, or rub n buff!
• Check the backing. This isn’t a make or break deal for me, but the less work I have to do the better. If the back comes off easily, and I love the shape, I will almost always buy it.
• Check for damage. There are a few things that I always look for, and one is smoke or water damage to the frame itself. The picture in the frame I’m not too concerned with, but if the frame is damaged there’s not much good in repurposing it. I’ve learned that a lot of times water and smoke damage doesn’t cover well with most paint.

My friend Madi is sharing a thrift store makeover today, too! Be sure to hop on over to her blog to see what she’s been up to.

You may notice a few changes in the blog coming up soon. Nick and I were unfortunate enough to contract Covid, and we have both completely lost our taste and smell. Since I can’t taste anything I decided it’s probably not a great idea to be creating recipes to share. I’ve heard from several their taste came back after a few weeks, and a few have said months and months. Either way, I plan to shift focus to more DIY and décor for the next little while. I’m thankful that you’re here, and that you’re always so supportive. You really are the best blogging family a girl could have.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and spending a tiny part of your day with me.

Here’s an image to pin for later…