Gift Ideas Using Picture Frames

Need a great meaningful gift idea that won't cost a ton of money or take a lot of time? The possibilities are endless for gift giving when you use a little creativity with picture frames.

No matter what the occasion is, or who the recipient is, you can't go wrong with choosing one of these easy gift ideas. These gifts are great for friends, family members, significant others, and anyone else who might be special to you and deserves a meaningful present. 

Picture frames can usually be obtained inexpensively, either by rummaging through garage sales and thrift stores, recycling unused ones, or purchasing them at dollar and other discount stores. Free-cycle is another great way to find them, as many people have stacks of old picture frames lying around unused. Picture frames can also easily be made using newspaper, cardboard, clay, plates, cereal boxes, or other items readily available in your home. You can also dress up old photo frames by applying a fresh coat of paint or wrapping it in decorative paper.

Once you have collected enough frames for everyone on your gift list, you can choose from any of these options below to place into the frame:

Poetry: Poetry always looks beautiful in a frame. Write your own original poem or choose a classic favorite your recipient will enjoy. You can choose to use a page straight from an old book, handwrite it in your favorite type of ink or crayon, or type the poem in word processing software and enhance it with color, graphics, or different fonts.

Scrap Art: A swatch of fabric, dried plants and flowers, labels and wrappers from products in your home, magazine cut outs, mail, playing cards - basically anything flat enough to fit in a frame can be considered instant art.

Souvenirs: This is a great gift for couples to hang onto those "first times" or to remember another special moment with someone. As a "scrapbook in a frame" this option is great for anniversaries and people who cherish happy memories. Movie ticket stubs, parking receipts, napkins, wrappers, a quick note written to each other, photographs, and any other similar souvenirs can be a very meaningful gift.