How to Custom Frame Your Family Photos

This time of year involves lots of family photos!

Maybe you did a professional photoshoot for your holiday cards or you took some candid snaps of everyone having fun at Grandma’s house. You may also like looking through photo albums at family parties to reminisce about old times. But why only enjoy those photos for part of the year? Custom frame your favorites and they can delight you all year long. If the idea of choosing photos and framing them feels daunting, don’t fret! We gathered the best tips on how to custom frame your favorite family photos. Follow our advice for beautiful results that will make you and your walls happy.

Choose your photos

Choosing photos can sound daunting, but our advice is pretty simple—go with your initial instinct! Which ones automatically bring a smile to your face? Which ones bring back the best memories? Those are the photos you should choose. If you’re pulling your photos from your phone and there are hundreds to look through, we have two pieces of advice. One, make a habit of regularly deleting photos that aren’t keepers so scrolling through is less overwhelming. Two, create an album for your favorite family pics and add to it whenever you take an extra special photo. Don’t worry too much about how the colors or other aesthetic factors of your photos will fit with your decor. Your custom framing choices will take care of that!

Choose your display

Custom framing gives you the opportunity to tell your family’s unique story on your walls. It’s often fun to frame more than one photo to tell more of that story! Hanging two or three frames in a row is a popular option. If you’re going that route, it’s best to pick a theme to give your display a more unified look. You can choose a series of candid shots of the kids playing, a few photos from a professional photoshoot, or several vintage photos (just be sure to pick ones that have roughly the same size and color palette). A gallery wall is another fun option. With an eclectic gallery wall, you can choose a variety of photos and incorporate other art and mementos into your display to share more family history! If you want to keep it simple and classic with a grid gallery wall, follow our advice of picking a theme for the best results.

Choose your mats and mounting

Choose your frame

The ideal frame will enhance your room’s decor while complementing your photos. Think about your style and the feel of the room where your photos will hang. Do you want your custom frames to fit with your current decor or stand out as statement pieces? From there, you can choose the best frame styles, materials, colors, and sizes for your display. We recommend following the same advice we gave for mats and mounting—choose the same frame for displays in a grid or row. For any other type of display, feel free to choose different frames. In a modern or transitional home, simple black or white frames are a great choice. If your style is sleek and minimalist, a thin metal frame will look fantastic. If you skew more bohemian, try a natural wood frame. For a traditional or vintage look, go with a carved moulding. If your style is eclectic, experiment with color or an interesting design.

Choose your glazing

Glazing often gets overlooked, but it can be quite important! There are a few things to consider when making your choice. Ultraviolet light, either from direct sunlight or fluorescent light, will cause your photos to fade over time. This may not be a big concern for a custom-framed digital photo if you think you’ll want to replace it in a few years. However, if you want it to last, you should consider conservation glazing, which protects from light damage. We always recommend conservation glazing for irreplaceable vintage photos. This type of glazing is available in glass and acrylic options. Glass is fine for many situations, but acrylic is more shatter-resistant, lightweight, and better at protecting from moisture. Acrylic is an optimal choice for children’s rooms, bathrooms, and people who live in earthquake-prone areas.

All that’s left is to hang your fabulous, newly-framed family photos! Feeling inspired to finally frame your favorite pictures? The pros at FastFrame are ready to help you create a beautiful display. Stop by your nearest store to get started! If you’re looking for advice on how to take the best family photos, check out 4 Fab Family Portrait Tips.