Remember that grid of eight Ribba frames above our sectional (the same arrangement we got right the second time around)?
In the meantime we needed something to fill those frames so we weren’t staring at plain brown backing every evening. We wanted a quick, inexpensive fix until we decide on a long-term solution. The result: inexpensive 12 x 12″ craft paper from Michael’s. Total cost for eight sheets was about $5.17 — a tiny investment for an instant update.
We chose eight sheets that complement Sue, our inspiration napkin (see the napkin here). The 12 x 12 size fit perfectly inside the frames, and at roughly 60 cents a sheet it was an obvious, low-risk choice.
Before inserting anything into the frames we played with different arrangements on the floor. Because we picked a few duplicate colors, we spaced them out so matching tones wouldn’t sit next to each other. We settled on this balanced grouping:
Framing the paper instantly elevated it from six-cent craft sheets to something that looks intentional and display-ready. It gave us the bright, graphic pop of color we wanted and had a similar feel to some of the modern art we admired in a recent House Crashing post.
It’s essentially a pared-down nod to Sue the napkin living on our wall — simple, colorful, and cheerful.
After living with them for a day, we’re actually tempted to keep this as more than a temporary fix. The colored paper looks so much better than the original brown frame backs it covers.
We’re also brainstorming ways to build on the idea: overlaying white doilies, using stencils, or layering a secondary pattern so the color shows through while creating something more graphic. That approach would give a custom, modern feel similar to higher-end prints without the high price tag (for reference, similar framed sets can retail for hundreds of dollars).
Another option is to use the colored paper as oversized mats and place small black-and-white photos in the center, or even tuck tiny fortune-cookie-style notes into each frame so viewers must come close to read them. For now, this inexpensive Subway-footlong–equivalent solution feels just right for the moment, and we’ll update the display when we commit to a permanent design.
Do you have any favorite affordable art ideas or colorful sets you’ve seen? Also, shoutout to Krissy for sharing a clever Ribba-frame solution on our Facebook page — as Sherry says, “um yeah, love it.”
Psst — we announced the winner of this week’s giveaway. Click here to see if it’s you.