Picture Frames Make Old Cabinet Doors Look New Again

Tired of the same old look of your plain cabinets? Want a decor change that’s cheap and easy to accomplish? Then off to the flea market you go. Either that or to the basement, attic or other places you might find – what others consider to be junk – old picture frames. You’ll be looking for ones that have no glass, no backing – and no picture!

It’s easy to find old frames, frames with broken glass, or just ones that others have decided to sell. They all need to be similar if you’re to put them in the same room, though. Count the doors on your cabinets and purchase as many frames.

Whether you’ve decided to paint the cabinets, or just give them a different look, the picture frames are there to assist you. Simply center one frame on each door, glue or nail in place, then paint the entire cabinet along with the picture frame. Or, paint the frame one color, then paint the cabinet another, then hang the frame.

Give white cabinet doors an elegant look by painting the frames gold or silver, then hanging them on a solid-colored cabinet door. Or, paint the frame black and hang on solid white cupboards. There’s no limit to the color combinations you can create.

The size, shape and design of the frames makes all the difference when it comes to the look of your new cabinets. Choose large frames which are only slightly smaller than the doors themselves, or choose smaller frames that center on each door. You can also combine frames for a different look altogether. Add one large frame to each door, then a smaller one in the center of the large one. Picture frames that are thick will give you a look totally unique from the look of a frame that is metallic and thin. And ones that are ornamental create an even different appearance.

Use the picture frames to enhance or change the look of kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinet doors, or other items in the house. You can’t imagine how different a headboard, footboard – or even a bedroom door – looks after adding the simple picture frame technique. Even ordinary walls look great with the frames. Break up a long, plain wall by adding several frames, spaced evenly apart, across the length of the wall. Add elegance by cutting pieces of wallpaper to place behind the frames, if desired.

Instead of hanging art or pictures all over a smaller wall, try adding a large frame, with a smaller one inside of it, and an even smaller one on inside that one. It’s a unique look that costs little. Many manufactured cabinet doors have the raised area on them – usually made by aligning four pieces of molding into a rectangle – and the picture frame technique mimics the manufactured look somewhat.

There’s so many different ways you can combine the picture frames and different colors, that there’s absolutely no limit to the artistic variations you can create. If you love color, use two or three frames inside each other, each painted a different color. If you love a whimsical look, align several of the frames on a wall, then cut out butterflies or flowers from wallpaper and place them inside the frames.

You’ll find plenty of picture frames at yard sales and flea markets, or you can check for local frame manufacturers that might have seconds they’ll sell very cheap. It’s not necessary to choose frames which match in every room of the house. Purchase enough to do the kitchen, then some different ones to do the bathroom. You’ll love the look when you’re finished and you’ll be amazed at how easy it was to accomplish!