Frames can be used for other things other than holding a picture or mirror. A sturdy piece of foamcore or cardboard covered with fabric would be a background for something you may want to display. My son makes shadow boxes, and uses rhinestone pins that have an Egyptian look. He paints the background and uses other materials to highlight the look.

Get on pinterest! You'll see so many ideas your brain will explode.....or implode. lol

NOT going on pinterest! I have a life and responsibilities! My brain is stuck on oriental for a picture and I don't want to go there. I do have some old jewelry I could put in there. Easy way out! And it would fit in my bathroom where the jewelry is now. Will have to drag out all the fabric possibilities and strew them around the sewing room. They can be the top layer of all the other ideas I've had this summer.

How about a mirror? A smaller picture with a mat to fit the frame....Use as a shadow box with something in the middle fastened to the wall. Fabric wrapped foam core board with a snapshot in the center. Fabric wrapped form core board made into a bulletin board. Lots of neat stuff.

For whatever reason I've always held this up in the portrait position. In order to show the glaze or whatever that is between the corner decorations I set it this direction. Now I can see a pen and ink very simple landscape or line drawing in sepia tone. I'll have to peruse the free sites to see if anything catches my eye.

Ok, another thought. I forgot I did this not too long ago. I have a space in an antique mall, all stuff for women, so dresser trays, usually mirrored, are something I carry. I had a vintage frame, but nothing in it. Using some pale blue toile fabric, I covered a piece of foamcore and used a thin piece of balsa wood on the backside to hold it in place, and painted it. I also gave the fabric 3 coats of poly, but you wouldn't have to do that. Using 1" beads, I added them as little 'feet', painting them first. You could go bigger if you wanted, and even use something like a cabinet knob. The possibilities are endless!

I love the mirror idea, but if you are interested in some type of art I think you can find a lot of great things on Etsy!

Or a really pretty fabric, also a great idea :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: fabric

This post was edited by melle_sacto on Sat, Oct 11, 14 at 17:23

Well, I'm not going to spend any money on it other than probably a mat from hobby lobby with a coupon. BUT while I was looking for something to put in it, I found something else that might work in two other gold frames with convex glass that I have tucked away! I split them and printed them on white and cream paper. The cream looks a little more vintage. But I have to get the frames out. Maybe tomorrow. I know exactly where they are because I've been looking for an old tapestry that I know is around here somewhere. Why can't I find the things I'm looking for instead of a bunch of stuff that requires more work?