Collage Frames
Collage Picture Frames are one of the newest trends in the framing industry. They seem to break the mold enough to create a new medium, while at the same time they are still classic enough and formal enough to go in nearly any room. There are quite a few different types of collage picture frames worth discussing, and we'll talk about both what they are and why they are growing so quickly in popularity.
Standard Multi-Opening Collage Frames
These frames, as pictured below, are the standard-bearer for the collage picture frame line. The flagship product, you could say, offers all the options of having continuity between photographs while still being classy and simple. A lot of the best ones we could find are made in the USA and have some hand-distressing done to the edges (usually done by rubbing the edges with a light sandpaper to tear away just enough of the paint to make it look natural). A picture is below. Click the picture to expand.
This type of frame will obviously come in all sorts of shapes, various numbers of openings, and even different colors, but the simple look as well as the sturdy construction have helped it quickly rise to popularity.
Ribbon Connected Collage Frames
Here is the link to these collage frames; connected with ribbon instead of coming as one solid structure changes it up just a bit. This is a very classy look, and draws even more attention to the fact that the pictures are separate yet continuous. This type of picture frame can usually only be oriented vertically; it would usually hang from the ribbon loop at the top, however if one wanted to use multiple sawtooth hangers or wire hangers and hang them with the ribbon connecting them horizontally, that is also an option.
Barnwood Collage Frames
Barnwood picture frames add a rustic twist to a new concept. Barnwood is wood that is usually from an old barn or fence -- wood that has seen its fair share of storms and weathering, both as a tree and as a completed board. Barnwood picture frames add what I would call the "beauty of imperfection," and the variety of colors they come in, from dark browns to greys and even sometimes hints of blue, make every barnwood frame unique.
Making a collage frame out of a barnwood frame is usually very difficult, and only the best manufacturers of picture frames can do so. The cheap and quick ways to make picture frames won't work when you are using barnwood; the frailty of the wood combined with the uniqueness of it takes a master artisan to make it all work together. But when it comes together, the result is breathtaking. Layers of weathered and distressed wood all coming together to go around a beautiful set of pictures; barnwood collage frames are simply amazing.
So there are a few of the basic versions of a classic collage picture frame. With so much variety to choose from and so many opportunities for creativity we'll leave the rest up to you. Good luck!