$5 Twine and Clothespin Picture Holder

It’s hard to believe all of the rainy weekends we have had lately! While we’ve managed to visit a few indoor flea markets, we were finally able to get the full effect of a nice sunny Saturday morning visit to the outdoor flea market just this past weekend after weeks of rain. Nevertheless, rainy weekends do lend themselves to quick and easy projects you can do indoors, so here’s a DIY for you.  I hope the weather where you are has been much better recently!

I had seen several items like the one I created at various home décor stores, but they often came with a price tag that was a little bit larger than what I wanted to pay. (I always say I’m “cheap” until someone reminds me a better way to say that is “thrifty.” Ha!)  When I found this gorgeous vintage frame in my Mom’s basement I knew exactly what I wanted to make- a DIY clothespin and twine picture holder.

I could write you a step-by-step tutorial, but it was so simple to create that I’d be doing you an injustice.  Really, all you need is a picture frame of your choice (without the glass), some twine, and some teeny-tiny clothespins.  I bought these little clothespins at Hobby Lobby. First, decide which orientation you would like to hang your frame- I did mine landscape because I thought I could get at least three pictures on a row of twine that way. I got lucky because my frame already had some old nails still in the back.  If yours doesn’t, simply put two nails on each side of the back of the frame in the inner rim for each row of twine you would like to create.  These nails worked great because they were already at an angle- so if you have to insert nails into your frame I would suggest the angle idea.  Tie the ends of your twine around each nail and double knot it. Add your clothespins and voila!  Now all you have to do is hang your new picture holder, sit back, and enjoy the DIY you just created.  My total cost for this project: frame- free (found in Mom's basement), twine- already had in my craft collection, tiny clothespins- $3.99 but 40% off with coupon so $2.39 plus tax- everything for under $5.



Original materials: vintage frame, twine, teeny-tiny clothespins.





Double tie a knot around nail.



Finished DIY.



Voila!

There are so many variations you could do to personalize this project so look for a few old frames next time you visit a flea market or thrift store.   You could paint the frame or paint the clothespins to match any décor.  You could hang one in the kitchen to hold your recipe cards, by the door to hang your “to-do” or “honey-do” lists, or anywhere in your home where you’d like to change the photos frequently.  You could staple cork or chicken wire to the back of your frame to create even more ways to hang your items. I might do that with my next frame I find, so stay tuned if you’d like some tips on that. One tip I will add- if you do find a really old frame and you have little ones at home be sure you either a) test it for lead paint (you can buy cheap test kits one at a hardware store) or b) strip it and repaint it.  If you find a beautiful old frame and make your own DIY be sure to share your finished product with us!