How to Frame Art on a Budget & Choosing Colors

I always check the art and frame section at the thrift stores.  Not only am I looking for art, but also for great frames to use for prints, photos, or personal artwork. There are typically plenty of frames and artwork to look through and choose from. For two to three dollars you can find wood frames with mats that are easy to change up to fit your needs and home decor. A recent $3 frame got a makeover to frame a fall acrylic piece I painted.

Keep reading for tips on picking mat and frame colors. 

I didn't take any before pictures of the frame, but it is a nice oak frame with a grey mat. It didn't have any picture in it. I am taking some online art classes to learn a loose, modern impressionistic style of painting and this was a piece I painted during the class. 

Matting and framing is used to not only protect art, but also to accentuate and to FRAME the art or draw the eye to the art. When choosing a mat you want to look at the art and notice which colors stand out. You don't want to pick the most prominent color, but the color that is third or fourth in dominance. Also, decide if you want to pull a color out of the art and choose that color. Art with a dark or colored background works better with a lighter mat and art with a white or lighter background works with a darker mat. 

I chose to paint the grey mat a golden, mustard yellow. I used craft acrylic paint.

Black and white mats almost always work. Again, you typically don't want to frame something with a white background with a white mat or dark with a black mat. Brightly colored art works well with white or black mats. You want to draw the eye to the artwork, not the mat.

The frame color should contrast the mat. You rarely will go wrong with a black or wood frame. White or metal frames can add a more modern feel. I chose to paint the frame black to bring out some of the blacks in the painting. I very lightly sanded the edges to bring a bit of the warm wood color, but not so much to give it a shabby chic feel. 

Here are some examples of some of the art from my home that has been professionally matted and framed.

Greens are the predominant color in this painting. The framer chose a brown mat to pull some of the browns out of the art. In the upper right corner of this photo you can see a painting with a green colored background. It was framed with a cream mat, which is a color in the artwork, but not the main color.

This poster with a white background was matted and framed with a dark mat.

Here is another watercolor painting with a light background and a dark mat.

This piece's colorful background is enhanced with a cream colored mat.

The white mat around this modern painting helps bring out its bright colors. 

A mat and frame help elevate even inexpensive and amateur art and help to 

draw the eye to the artwork. Buying frames at the thrift store and painting them is a great way to frame your pieces on a budget.  Choose colors that will make your art shine.