Eleven Striking Ways to Display Your Favorite Photographs

Mirror frame
Really easy and quickly made this makes an awesome gift for that special someone.

Materials:
Mirrored glass [hand mirrors and wall mirrors will work as long as you can access its back.]
If without, a favorite frame to fit.
Sharp edged object, such as a knife or blade
Photo or photos of choice
Tape or photo stickers

Instructions:
Take your sharp edged object and scrap away at the mirrors black backing until it can be seen through. It will take some work to clear it all away but is worth it. You could even leave it 'messy' and it would look neat. Make just one or several 'openings.' Shape them into hearts, ovals, squares, circles, etc. and leave a messy edge for a tapered look or give it a straight clean edge. Once your finished you can tape your picture to the back so that the image can be seen through the mirror with regular tape or those photo corner-pockets found in the craft section. Frame it or re-attach its back and you're all done.

Hand Colored Photographs
Though this isn't truly a 'display' for pictures the finished product is well worth being displayed. Before the invention of color film and color printing, black and white photograph were colored by hand. It is truly a lost art that demands exploring for the beauty and creativity of the finished image.

What You Will Need:
A Black and White Matte Photograph
Masking or Painters Tape [optional]
Marshall's Photo Oils and/or Colored Pencils
Cotton tipped makeup appliers and cotton balls

Instructions:
First you need to choose your photograph. A good choice for beginners would be something simple that doesn't have a lot of little details, such as a big nature scene. It's also important to remember that photographic oils only work on a matte finish. So, if your printing a picture from your computer be sure to pick the matte paper, or be sure to let your processor know that you need a matte finish. Once you have all your supplies and picture ready, 'paint' away. For the best results follow the directions and techniques from the photo coloring set you choose. The main idea is to apply your oils heavy and wipe away at them with cotton swabs until you receive the desired shade; the paint dries slowly, and even then it can be removed with the solvent supplied in your set. To keep the paint 'between the lines' you can use some masking or painters tape.

Mural Wall Hanging
In the spirit of displaying your photographic works of art... or paintings, or sketches, and so on...

What you will need:
4-24 or more images; all sized the same
A long curtain rod
String
Hole punch [optional]
Tape
Scissors

Instructions:
Lay out all your images face down on the floor or table side by side and one above the other in length, measure about one inch between each image and lay your string down on top from top to bottom. Then tape the string securely in place. If you would prefer, you could make two holes with a hole punch at each corner of the top of the image and string them up this way by passing the string through the holes two or three times. Cut all the strings, length-ways, evenly so that when each 'mural' is held up they all match up going across, but leave enough so that you can tie them around the rod. Then use the hanging devices that came with the curtain rod, or buy some decorative ones, to hang it up on your wall.

Painting with photo inset
Your own painting makes a unique backdrop for a special photograph, and it's a fun project for anyone, child or adult, who likes to experiment with art materials.

What You Will Need:
Photograph of choice
A blank canvas; larger than the photo
Acrylic or oil paints and appropriate varnish
Paint brushes
Clear plastic or painters tape
Frame [optional]

Instructions:
For this fun project, all you need to do is lay your canvas, or simple paper for the kids, on a flat surface. You can use an easel if you have one. Place your photo on the canvas, in the middle or try off-center for a different look, with double sided tape or non-acidic spray adhesive. Then cover your picture with plastic or use painters tape to protect the edges. Paint your backdrop, pull of the protective covering from your photograph, then cover with the appropriate varnish. Let it sit until it is thoroughly dry and hang as is or frame it for a grand finish.

CD Case Display
Don't throw out your old CD cases, re-use them for an inexpensive gallery display! CD cases give your photos that clean-cut, unique 3-D look seen in art galleries. Bunch them together in groups of four or more for a flashy collage.

What You Will Need:
Photo shop and printer [optional]
Photo's of choice trimmed or sized to fit CD case
An empty clear or opaque CD case for each photo
Two or three strips of sticky back hook and loop fasteners for each case
Scissors

Instructions:
All you need to do is replace your old CD cases cover with your own pictures. Carefully pop out the inner shell from the cover, take out the old paper and replace with your picture, then pop the pieces back in place or throw them away and replace them with a foam or cardboard back. You can hang them on the wall with strips of 3 inch sticky back hook and loop fasteners, like Velcro, bought from your local craft store.

'Invisible' Family tree
Display you're favorite old photographs of great-grandparents in a family tree wall hanging. Each individual photo is framed with a place card containing a title (mom, grand-dad, etc.) name, and dates. Frame each individual picture and hang them on your wall with 'invisible branches' for a contemporary family tree display. There are lots of places on-line that will pre-print a large tree with all your pics and information, but they can get pricey and overbearing in a 'fashionable ' home.

What You'll need:
A photo of each person you want in the tree [usually three or four generations]
A frame for each photograph
Decorative paper or place cards and pen or printer
Photo stickers [optional]
Scissors

Instructions:
The first thing you will want to do is gather the pictures and all the information you want to show for each person. I recommend using re-prints, this way you can touch them up, depending on if you are using photo shop or not, and keep the originals safely tucked away in archival albums and boxes. The kind of details you choose are up to you. I would think that the standard would be a title, name, and dates/places of birth and death (if applicable), but you could put anything; such as a quote or saying by the person, etc. Write or print your 'details' onto your place cards and cut them out. Place them in the frame against the glass and place the photo over top, or use those photo display stickers (corner pouches) found in the craft section at your local shopping center. Once you have all them together and done you can hang them up. In the form of a family tree you can hang the first person, usually yourself, first, then the parents above or beside the first person, then the grandparents directly above or beside the parents, and so on.

Flee market display
Encourage browsing by displaying your photographs in a flee market display. Dozens of unframed photographs fill the racks of a standing rotating display case that once held paperback books or postcards. Look for stores going out of business, at your local flee market and second hand shops.

What You Will Need:
Standing, or short, revolving display case
All your favorite photographs
Paint [if needed]
Non-acidic Label's, for the back of your photo's. [optional]

Instructions:
You will want to look the stand over for any defects and fix or replace where needed. Then antique or paint it if needed, or you could leave it as is to keep the authenticity of a flee market display. Then gather all your favorite photographs, get re-prints of any really special ones, and place a label on the back of each with a short description or names and dates. This way you wont have to keep explaining, or try to remember, what pictures are from where. Depending on your personal style you could organize them and label the slots according to the pictures found within, or you could shuffle them for a 'disarrayed' feel. Keep people wondering what they'll find next!

Coffee/Side table collage
A really neat way to show off a bunch of pictures in a collage where you can see them anytime you want.

What you will need:
A side table, coffee table, or stand.
Re-prints of photo's, cut and shaped for desired look.
Glass to fit table top or waterproof sealer

Instructions:
All you need to do is re-arrange your pictures on top of your table until you find the layout you want, then cover with a piece of transparent glass, or coat with some waterproof sealer.

Decoupage Suitcase or Hope Chest
Cover an old suitcase or bland hope chest with photos and mementos to give it the look of one that's seen the grand tour. Use your old ticket stubs, postcards, snapshots, whatever you decide....

What You will need:
An old suitcase or Hope Chest
Photos and mementos of choice
Decoupage medium or multipurpose sealer
Glue [optional]
Scissors

Instructions:
First, you will want to cut out all your photos and mementos and lay them out the way you want the finished placement to look. Then, carefully adhere them to the surface with decoupage or glue. Once you have that done, go over the entire object with your decoupage; often multiple times, until the "stuck on" appearance disappears and the result looks like painting or inlay work. Sit and let dry.

Slide Mount Pins
My mother in law hangs those pins you get with high school photo packages on the drapes of her kitchen window, which is a cool idea. Then I seen a project that reminded me of this called Slide Mounts. It' sort of reminiscent of taking a shot from a slide show movie. You can pin them up all around your house, or car, or purse, or backpack, or make up a new one each year for the grandparents to collect.

What You'll Need:
A Photo; trimmed, or sized with photo shop, to measure about 1 1/3 x 7/8 in.
Snap together slide mounts
Clear plastic [optional] for photo protection; cut and sized to fit over photo
Cardboard for finishing reverse side
Decorative scrap paper for covering the slide mounts
Ribbon for hanging
Pins for hanging; diaper pins, blanket pins, or safety pins.
Embellishments; stickers, beads, letters, etc. [optional]
Spray adhesive and Craft or x-acto knife

Instructions:
First, cut you're decorative paper into a 3 in. square to fit over the slide mount and pop open the slide mount. Spray the paper with your adhesive and press the front of the slide mount to it. Then, while the glue is still wet cut an X diagonally from corner to corner and fold the paper inward so that it comes through the slide window, trim off points and press to adhere. Weight with a heavy book for about 20 min. for a good hold. Once the slide is dry, you can secure the plastic and then the picture to the inside of the slide with your adhesive or tape so that the picture can be seen from the decorative side. Then thread some ribbon through your pin to the length that you want, and you can either clip it in place by attaching the back of the mount with the ribbon held inside, or you can glue it to the back. Finally, Cut out cardboard to fit reverse side, spray with adhesive, and press onto back. Weight again until thoroughly dry. Now you can add any embellishments you want.

Re-purposed Window Frame
An old window rescued from a home renovation project or picked up at the flee market or salvage market can be reinvented into a unique picture frame. The old six or eight paneled windows allow for a multipictured frame; or leaves room for mirrors to be placed in with it.

What you will need:
Window frame; single or multi-paneled, with glass intact
Paint for frame, if necessary
Picture or Pictures sized to fit
Cardboard or thin sheet of wood to fit to back [inside frame]
Four or more small blocks of wood and screws or wood glue

Instructions:
Clean up and paint your old window frame. Then you can place your pictures inside so that the image can be seen from the front, and place a thin piece of wood or cardboard snuggly against the back, so that it sits inside the outer frame. You can secure it in place with wood glue or screw thin blocks of wood to the outer edge loosely, so that you can turn them for holding and accessing the pictures inside. Screw on some hangers found in the tools section at a local shopping center for hanging.