Thrift Shop Picture Frames Offer Oodles of Decorating Possibilities

When I poke through my local Goodwill retail stores, I’m often a little sad to see the piles of picture frames that have been donated and are just waiting to find a new home. They once held photographs of family members, collage-d memories or documents of note for an individual or an entire household. This month I set out to find an alternate purpose for some of the members of this picture frame graveyard.

Here’s what I came up with:

It’s so easy to place a light colored fabric or wrapping paper inside the frame, then write on top of the glass with a marker as though it were a whiteboard! My boyfriend Ryan and I still haven’t settled on an official place to hang our big menu board since we moved (I always cringe when putting holes in the wall!), so this temporary “whiteboard” will work just fine perched on top of any surface we choose until we decide to commit the big board to one spot. I love that when you’re repurposing picture frames, they have stands of their own so you don’t need to put any holes in the wall unless you want to.

It seems to me that mirrors with pretty frames can be rather expensive! The more ornate the frame is, the more expensive the mirror is. An easy way to get around this would be to purchase a cheap-o unframed mirror (maybe you even have one at home?), then find a nice frame to match it at Goodwill! If you find the frame first and don’t feel like searching for an appropriately sized mirror, you can even make your own as a weekend project with a little help from Google.

Over 74 million people – all with different tastes – donate to Goodwill retail stores every year in the United States and Canada, so even if upcycling picture frames isn’t your thing, I’m positive that you’ll find something that suits your fancy the next time you make the trip. I also encourage you to let these projects inspire your own creativity! Last Christmas, one of Ryan’s friends made us a magnet board from a thrifted picture frame, beer bottle caps and a magnet – that’s manly crafting! Check it out…

How have you repurposed your Goodwill finds?

xx, Julia

P.s. Don’t forget to take a peek at our Pinterest DIY board for more ways to use and reuse thrifted picture frames!