Most people think of family photos for their walls, but I think your walls tell your story and there are so many fun things to frame beyond photos!
Think of all the tiny moments in your life when you may have saved a concert ticket stub, or a menu from a special dinner, or even your kids first pair of shoes. All of those can be framed! Whatever makes you smile should be what you surround yourself with. If it’s a memory that sparks joy in your heart, then frame whatever you have that associates your brain with that! Here are three unique things I’ve framed in our home that go beyond the “norm”.
Paper Memories
I saved the first time each of my children wrote “Mommy.” 🙂 For my daughter it was on a scratch paper as she was learning to write sitting at our kitchen table. For my son it was on a piece of notebook paper he handed to me, and my third son wrote “Mommy” at a restaurant on the back of a paper menu. I ripped it off the menu and tucked it in my purse!
Each of those sweet moments were sitting in a “save” box. I went through and found them all to frame as a collection. What Mom doesn’t want to remember that their child loves them?!
To the right of this photo is a framed dinner menu from our tenth wedding anniversary celebration. We love fancy dinners so the menu is usually special for that particular evening. It may sound silly but we think of chefs as artists – they have the same ingredients we do, it’s how they interpret them that make them stand above the crowd and we respect the craft of cooking! I always save the menu and ask the chef to sign it. We love praising the chef’s work by asking for him to autograph his menu! This particular dinner was extra special not only because of the event but because of the restaurant. It was at one of the best restaurants in the world, called Alinea in Chicago. So this menu was framed. 🙂
A treasured heirloom
Maybe you inherited your Grandmother’s scarf collection? Why not display it for all to see! You can read more about how I made this frame by using magnets to protect the piece and make it changeable. Right now my Granny’s thanksgiving apron is hanging in this frame!
Sentimental Artwork
That scribble your kids came home with that for some reason strikes you as completely representing their personality? Frame it! That homework assignment where they wrote 5 things they love about their family? Frame it!
In our home I love to frame sentimental things. In these two examples I went with two off-the-beaten-path sentimental things to frame.
The first are beautiful silhouette cutouts done by Heart Paper Scissors of our children. She made these all from cell phone pictures. I took her final product and had it matted in this gorgeous gold frame to add drama to the simplicity. You can totally tell who is who in this photo from a parents perspective!
We have children who love their loveys! Years and years ago I discovered First Friends Custom Toy Portraits who will do a super cute illustration of your child’s lovey. I had one done for each of my kids and they hang in their bedroom.
Are these illustrations theirs to keep? Heck no. These belong to ME! My halls will have these cute illustrations hanging to remind me of them as six year olds (ok, they still sleep with them who am I kidding) sitting in front of the laundry room dryer waiting for their lovey to be cleaned. 🙂
Whatever you frame, if you do it with matting and pretty framing you’ll make it standout and look just as special as the memory was. People will walk past your walls and ask – what is this? Your walls absolutely talk guys. Let them.
Sources
Heart Paper Scissors Silhouettes
Love the new format!!