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Off-The-Wall Ideas Make Use Of Collections

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By SHARON HARVEY ROSENBERG McClatchy Newspapers

Published: October 27, 2007

Are you stuck with a crate of old album covers or a postcard collection? Old art pieces, including vintage magazine photos and record covers, can be framed, nailed and displayed on your walls, according to design mavens.

Here are some tips from the pros:

Think in multiples. Arrange postcards and photographs in clusters of six, nine or 12, says Stella Bugbee, design director at Domino magazine.

Small photos or cards can be framed individually or as a group in a single frame. A professional framer can create a large, matted arrangement or, with double-sided tape, you can do it yourself.

Go vintage. Old mod scarves and unusual fabrics look elegant and artful when stretched tight over a canvas. For a do-it-yourself project, use a staple gun to attach cloth to a pretreated canvas.

Flip through old magazines. Many famous photographers, such as Irving Penn, have a wide portfolio of glossy magazine portraits. Vintage magazines from garage sales, thrift stores and eBay offer photographs from famous names that are suitable for framing.

Find your inner photographer. Create your own abstract art by snapping close-ups of flowers and other subjects. For the best results, use film or a high-resolution setting on a digital camera and blow up photos to a large format before framing, Bugbee says.

Create a family gallery. Jonni McCoy, author of www.miserlymoms.com and a real McCoy from the Arkansas branch of the infamous feuding family, has decorated her dining room with framed pieces created by her children.

Display your pots. McCoy decorates her kitchen walls with the copper pots handed down from her grandmother. 'Don't keep them shiny,' she says.

Hang up the quilts. Family quilts double as great wall hangings. Drape over curtain rods, or use quilt hangers sold in craft, rug and quilt stores.

Hunt for frames. Frames can be recycled from discarded paintings and posters. You can also find low-cost frames at secondhand shops, garage sales and dollar stores. When you need an expert's touch, McCoy recommends waiting for two-for-one framing sales or other craft store discounts.

READERS FESTIVAL

R.L. Stine, Michael Connelly, Sharon Robinson and Dawna Stone are among the dozens of authors who will be at the 15th annual St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading on Saturday.

The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus, 140 Seventh Ave. S.

Besides book signings, there will be a children's storyland, a book market and a food court. Admission is free, and free shuttles will run from downtown St. Petersburg parking lots. The university is at 140 Seventh Ave. S. For details, go to www.festivalofreading.com.

TAMPA SHOW HOUSE

The Mayfair, a Tudor mansion formerly known as Hanley House, has been transformed into a designer show house and is open for tours today through Nov. 18.

Proceeds benefit Bolesta Center and The Spring of Tampa Bay.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The house is at 3102 W. Agawan St. (at MacDill Avenue), Tampa. Tickets are $20.

Tribune staff

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