A Simple and Frugal Way to Display Pictures

Try this simple method to display pictures on tabletops, mantles, or even on your wall for very little money and even less effort! 

I spent the majority of last week cleaning up my house. Not so much mopping or scrubbing baseboards, mind you. It was really more like hours of upon hours of putting.all.the.things.away.

Four kids + post vacation + newborn fog bad habits = a house FULL of things to be returned to their places. Books on every surface. Peeled and broken crayons on the floor. A dining room taken over by camping periphenalia. Legos in every corner. Legos under the furniture. Legos on the bookshelves. Legos…well you get the picture.

I had a goal in mind, though, that kept me from losing my head in the midst of baskets upon baskets of laundry, toys, and the miscellanea waiting to be sorted. I have been wanting to switch up my mantle from the decor I set up last Spring. BUT, there was no way I was going to add to the clutter by pulling out and putting away more decor items.

Meaning, I had to have the house in order before I could get to the fun stuff.

Well, I made it. And we’ve been enjoying the benefits since.

Don’t you just love a house that feels comfortable, cozy, and welcoming? It makes waking up a little easier, and makes you a little more motivated to keep things neat and tidy. My house feels like this right now.

The weather outside is finally starting to cool down and feel like Fall. Between the cooler temps, the delicious smelling candles, and the anticipation of all that is coming in the next few months, I am so thankful for what Sally calls a “life-giving home.”

Every time I change our mantle (which really is the primary home of most of our seasonal decor), I change things up a little. No mantle is ever the same. Figuring out how to repurpose what I have in new ways is half the fun. Figuring out how to add a new twist or element is the other half.

This time I knew I wanted to incorporate some of the pictures from our recent camping trip. The only problem was that I didn’t want to spend the money on new frames, and I didn’t have enough unused frames lying around.

The problem was easily solved– for less than ten dollars and in probably just about ten minutes. I ordered pictures on Costco’s website (so easy) and picked up a piece of foam board from Hobby Lobby (just $3). The part of me that loves instant project gratification did a little happy dance when I realized I could have it all done in a day.

I opted for the white border on the prints from Costco, cut the foam board to exactly fit the pictures, and taped the pictures to the pieces. I could have glued them, but tape was quicker and is working just fine.

The pictures are definitely the focal points on the mantle. I love how they stand up so easily when propped up against something. The two pictures in the middle are leaning up against a piece of driftwood I brought back from the beach. The pictures on either end are propped up with a candle or piece of unused small decor.

I wanted to go with a camping/woodland theme since the pictures are from our trip, and Fall makes me think of camping and the beautiful colors of God’s creation. So I added in a white squirrel and a red lantern (thanks Target), a small piece of embroidery art inspired by another camping trip, the banner my kids made a couple of years ago, and various artificial flowers I had on hand because I can’t keep any plant life alive.

I’m getting really excited for the coming Christmas season, but for now, I’m going to soak up all the goodness and coziness that Fall brings.

(And try to work on those habits of putting your things away!)

Do you decorate for Fall? 

How do you make your home feel cozy and comfortable? 

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