What Can Be Framed? Creative Ideas For Keepsakes, Memories And Unusual Items

Some things are kept because they are valuable.

Others are kept because they mean something.

A ticket from a brilliant night out. A medal you worked incredibly hard for. A handwritten note from somebody special. Your child’s first drawing of the family, where everyone has enormous arms and very tiny feet.

These are often the things that end up tucked safely into drawers, boxes and cupboards.

But framing does not have to mean choosing one object and simply putting a border around it.

It can be a way of telling a story, bringing several memories together or turning something ordinary into something you notice every day.

So, what can be framed? Quite a lot, actually. The more useful question is often: what memory would you like to see more often?

Start With The Memory, Not The Object

When people think about keepsake framing ideas, they often start by asking whether one particular thing can fit inside a frame.

I prefer to start somewhere else.

Think about the moment first.

What do you want the finished piece to remind you of?

It might be:

• your first marathon

• a favourite concert

• a wedding

• a graduation

• a much-loved family member

• a memorable holiday

• a sporting achievement

• a hobby you have enjoyed for years

Once you start with the story, the objects tend to fall into place naturally.

A medal might be important, but perhaps the race number and finish-line photograph are what really bring the memory back.

A gig ticket might look insignificant on its own, but add a photograph and a programme and suddenly it becomes a little snapshot of the whole night.

That is where framing gets interesting.

Create A Mini Time Capsule

One of my favourite ways to frame keepsakes is to bring several small pieces together from the same point in time.

It could be a family memory, a holiday or an important milestone.

For example, a family time capsule might include:

• a favourite photograph

• a handwritten note

• a small keepsake

• a postcard

• a ticket

• a certificate or invitation

You do not need to include everything.

In fact, trying to squeeze every single item into one display usually makes it less effective.

Choose the pieces that instantly take you back to the moment.

A good frame should give each one enough space to breathe while still making them feel connected.

Give The Ordinary Object A Promotion

Some of the best framing ideas begin with things that were never designed to be displayed.

• An old train ticket.

• A handwritten family recipe.

• A book cover.

• A postcard with a message on the back.

• A pair of tiny baby shoes.

• A school badge.

• A small object picked up on holiday.

On their own, these things can seem very ordinary.

But once they are presented properly, the story behind them becomes much more obvious.

That is something I love about framing. The value of an object is not always about what it cost.

Sometimes it is simply about where it takes you when you look at it.

Tell The Whole Story Of An Achievement

Medals and certificates are obvious things to frame, but they can become much more personal when you give them a little context.

Instead of displaying only the award, think about what sits around the achievement.

For a marathon, you might include:

• the medal

• race number

• event photograph

• route map

• finishing time

For a graduation:

• certificate

• photograph from the day

• invitation

• university or school memorabilia

For a sporting achievement:

• medal

• team photograph

• programme

• ticket

• badge

This kind of framing works particularly well because the finished display is not just saying, “I won this” or “I completed this”.

It tells you what the experience actually meant.

Build A Display Around A Shared Passion

Collections are another lovely starting point.

Perhaps you have followed the same band for years. Maybe you support one football club, collect Formula One memorabilia or have a box filled with tickets from different events.

Rather than treating each object separately, a frame can bring part of that collection together.

For music, you might combine:

• a vinyl sleeve

• concert ticket

• set list

• photograph

• backstage pass

For sport:

• shirt

• programme

• match ticket

• signed photograph

• medal or badge

The objects already belong together. The framing simply gives the collection some structure.

It can also stop smaller items from being lost in drawers where they are rarely seen.

Make Children’s Artwork Feel Properly Important

Children create an extraordinary amount of artwork.

Some of it is proudly stuck to the fridge.

Some gets put into folders.

And then there is usually one piece that you cannot quite bring yourself to put away.

That is the one worth thinking about.

A favourite painting, first handwritten sentence or wonderfully wonky family portrait can make a really personal framed piece.

You could even combine it with:

• a photograph from the same age

• their name and date

• a school badge

• a small certificate

• another piece from the same period

Children’s artwork does not need to look formal.

A simple contemporary frame or a carefully chosen mount colour can make it feel fun while still protecting something you would genuinely like to keep.

Make It Personal, Not Predictable

Handmade pieces, keepsakes and gifts do not always need the most obvious framing choice.

A traditional sampler can look fresh in a simple modern frame, while a small colour from an embroidery can be picked up in the mount. The same applies to keepsakes. A wedding photograph with an invitation, a handwritten family recipe or a few concert tickets can become something far more personal when framed together.

Sometimes the best results come from choosing contrast rather than trying to match everything perfectly.

What If The Item Is Really Unusual?

An awkward shape or three-dimensional object does not automatically mean it cannot be framed.

The main things to consider are its size, depth, weight, condition and how safely it can be secured. Items with more depth may need box framing, while older, signed or delicate pieces may benefit from conservation materials or specialist glazing.

Not everything will be suitable, but it is always worth asking before assuming the answer is no.

Before You Put It Back In The Box

If something makes you smile, reminds you of someone or takes you straight back to a particular moment, it might deserve somewhere better than the back of a cupboard.

It does not need to be expensive, rare or traditionally valuable.

Sometimes the simplest objects make the most meaningful frames.

If you have something unusual and cannot quite picture how it could be displayed, you are welcome to get in touch with Edge Frame & Design and send Sarah a photograph.

Tell me the story behind it too.

That is often where the best ideas start.