Those little photography note cards have made a comeback. You might remember them from our anniversary post, when we bought them at a local gallery to hang in the bathroom. That post was full of other distractions, so these cards didn’t get much attention then.
Originally we planned to hang them in the bathroom, but some of the photos matched the colors of our framed $5 scrapbook paper so well that they felt destined for a different spot. The tones reminded us of our Sue-the-Napkin-themed pieces, so instead of the bathroom we decided to showcase them on the living room’s left wall.
We liked the idea of using eight frames, but only had four cards, so we bought four more from the same local artist to round out the set. The plan was simple: place each small photograph in the center of a colorful scrapbook-paper square already inside the frame, turning the paper into an informal mat.
To make the cards fit we trimmed the rectangular note cards down to squares. I used an X-Acto and a ruler to keep most lines straight, though I admitted to eyeballing some cuts. After trimming, we left a thin white border around each picture so they looked a bit like small Polaroids.
One by one we removed the frames, taped the photos onto the colorful paper backgrounds, then reassembled the frames. To center each photo we eyeballed first and then checked alignment with a yardstick by lining it across opposite corners and repeating with the other two corners to confirm the intersection.
Once rehung the arrangement looked neat and complete.
But after living with it for a few days we noticed something was off. The small size was fine— it invited you to lean in and look closer— but the overall effect felt visually busy. The white border around each trimmed card created a stark separation between the photo and the colorful paper, making the photos look like tiny pictures layered over two thick mats. It disrupted the subtle color connections we liked between the photos and their backgrounds.
Sherry decided to fix it. With a steadier hand than mine she trimmed the white borders smaller using regular scissors, which immediately softened the contrast and made the colors feel more integrated.
The difference was bigger in person than in photos. The trimmed cards didn’t demand attention; they quietly complemented the wall and let your eye wander across the room. They felt less hectic and more subtle, which suited the space much better.
Cost-wise it was an inexpensive update: about $4.64 per framed piece—$4 for each note card and roughly $0.64 for the scrapbook-paper background. It’s not a permanent solution for these frames, but it’s a flexible, low-commitment way to introduce small photography. We see this as a “baby step”: later we might try larger photography, move these note cards elsewhere, or swap out the scrapbook paper for something different.
Looking at the photos, some of them make me want to ride a Ferris wheel and eat funnel cake—simple pleasures that inspired the images in the first place.
Have you made any small art updates lately or used note cards as wall decor? Those little tweaks can change a room’s feeling in unexpected ways.
Psst—We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Check the original post to see if it’s you (and note the $15 discount code is still valid until August 31st).