Gosh, picture framing is exspensive......

[alaskagirlchrissie]

Just got back from Michael's and dropped off three prints to be matted and framed. It was a little over $300. And that was with a coupon for 50% off and another one for 25% off that. I am really excited to get them back and hung up, but I was shocked at the price. Should I have not been???

 

[Neesy228]

I'm always stunned when they give me a price for a custom frame. I actually stopped going to Michael's to frame anything because I've wondered if they just jack up their prices then offer those coupons to make customers feel like they're getting a great deal. I use a local frame shop that comes in under Michael's sale prices almost any day of the week....

I will say though that custom framing, especially if you have matting involved, is always a fairly costly adventure.

Enjoy the art work when you get it back! It's always nice to have something new spruce up the walls this time of year.

 

[matt and beth]

My 90 year old grandmother is an artist. She refuses to buy rames from any of the big box stores. She claims the steals are at thrift stores and garage sales. She buys old art with good frames and busts out the old art and puts hers in. She claims to save a ton.

 

[NYEmomma]

There's a REASON why Michael's & Joann's always have coupons for 50% and 60% off custom framing... because it's RIDICULOUSLY expensive. And over-priced, IMO.

If you ever need anything framed again, try Hobby Lobby (if you have one). Their prices are a lot more reasonable. Heck, my mother got stuff framed there when she was employed by Joanns, lol!

 

[Pakey]

I use a local frame shop. I had a few pieces done at Michaels and was not impressed with the quality.

 

[kkwis2]

Framing is SO expensive! We received a print a few years ago, and it's still sitting in the tube in which in came because I'm not willing to spend the money to frame it.

 

[lizabu]

My 90 year old grandmother is an artist. She refuses to buy rames from any of the big box stores. She claims the steals are at thrift stores and garage sales. She buys old art with good frames and busts out the old art and puts hers in. She claims to save a ton.

I do the same thing as your grandmother. You can eve buy matte board and cut it to fit if you want it metted. So easy to do and much cheaper.

 

[QVCshopper]

I do my own framing. First, I only buy standard sized prints. Then, I buy the frame and matte with a coupon at AC Moore, Michaels, etc. It's easy enough after that. I paid to have an odd shaped print framed once; never again! I can't even tell the difference between the expensive piece and then ones I've done myself.

 

[swkmom]

It's so funny that I just saw this post. Yesterday I went to Michael's with the same coupon to get 3 professional photographs framed of my hometown. They were a gift from my parents when we moved out of town. Anyway, I ended up being able to find 2 standard frames on the shelf that fit 2 of the photos, 26.99 each. The third photo was an odd size because of the matting and I ended up paying $114 for it after the discount. I was shocked as well! Never again, I'll figure out something on my own from now on.

 

[daniele_ut]

Michael's prices for framing are ridiculously inflated. We used a local frame shop for posters that we have hung in our home theatre room and their prices are always less than even the coupon prices at Michaels. We always get photo enlargements in standard sizes so we don't have to custom frame, but if for some reason you have an odd sized print you are trying to frame, it's often much cheaper to buy a standard size frame and have a frame shop cut a mat for the photo to fit that frame.

 

[dumbodame]

My dad bought a mat cutter at a yard sale a while back...I love to build things. I talked him out of his mat cutter and taught myself (thank you YouTube) how to use it properly.

I save every bit of wood that I have left-over from a building project. It drives DH bananas.....BUT...once I showed him how $$$$$ it is to have pieces framed, he was very glad that I had a stash of "kibbles and bits."

I have framed more pictures for myself, family and friends than I can count, and the only thing I ever pay for is the mat board, which is relatively inexpensive.

I LOVE shopping at Michaels, but I can't justify paying to have something framed there.

 

[jcano]

Michael's is SOOOO over-priced. Check the local places. I found their regular prices were far below Michael's sale price.

 

[mjkacmom]

Michael's prices for framing are ridiculously inflated. We used a local frame shop for posters that we have hung in our home theatre room and their prices are always less than even the coupon prices at Michaels. We always get photo enlargements in standard sizes so we don't have to custom frame, but if for some reason you have an odd sized print you are trying to frame, it's often much cheaper to buy a standard size frame and have a frame shop cut a mat for the photo to fit that frame.

Yep, they get people in with those coupons, and you will still spend more money than on a local frame place, and a frame place will most likely do a better job.

 

[DawnM]

We bought our own mat cutter too.

DH has made a few frames, but the frames in regular sizes are pretty inexpensive.

With a 50% off frames from Michaels I was able to get a 24x16 (I believe) for $24.

The mat was about $6 and I got two for contrast and because the picture was about 5" smaller so I wanted it to pop.

I spent $30. DH cut the mat himself and we put in a beautiful custom sketch of my two older boys when they were very young. It is on our mantle and we get compliments on it all the time.

Dawn

My dad bought a mat cutter at a yard sale a while back...I love to build things. I talked him out of his mat cutter and taught myself (thank you YouTube) how to use it properly.

I save every bit of wood that I have left-over from a building project. It drives DH bananas.....BUT...once I showed him how $$$$$ it is to have pieces framed, he was very glad that I had a stash of "kibbles and bits."

I have framed more pictures for myself, family and friends than I can count, and the only thing I ever pay for is the mat board, which is relatively inexpensive.

I LOVE shopping at Michaels, but I can't justify paying to have something framed there.

 

[englishteacha]

We were given a signed print for our wedding, with $50 to have it framed. It was going to cost more than that to have it done professionally. I instead bought an ugly print with a very nice frame and mat at a local shop on clearance for under $10, took out the print, and put mine in. Luckily it was a standard size. We have a watercolor that's not standard (bigger than 5x7 but not 8x10) and I framed that myself, too. Bought a nice 8x10 frame and cut a mat to fit. It's not perfect because it's an irregular size (and I had to use an exacto knife to cut the mat), but it looks good enough to display! I just can't justify the price of a custom frame job.

 

[allison443]

I recently went to have something framed at Michael's, an original watercolor we bought on vacation.
It was going to be almost $200! Instead I had them just cut a mat to fit the painting (it was not a standard size) and I bought a frame to fit the mat. I think the mat alone was $24 or something like that. It came out nice!

 

[Gigi22]

We have a Michaels within walking distance and have never used them for framing. We go to a small independent framing store that is a bit further away, but has a better selection than Michaels and are able to offer paper conservation services for a reasonable price if we want to frame an older photo or document that has been folded or slightly damaged.

 

[dhardawa]

My family has owned custom frame shops for about 35 years now. Yes, framing is expensive. Paper mats and moulding is outrageous and just getting higher and higher. Believe me, no custom framer is getting rich doing framing. Most are barely making it.

That said, stay away from places like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc. The people who work there know nothing about framing. They will hire anyone off the street and even the managers don't know what they're doing. Framing correctly and preserving the quality of your items requires continual education and understanding the products available and which is best suited to different types of artwork/photographs.

 

[finz2left]

I just ordered 3 custom frames and double mats from ebay. I am . I paid 78.00 for all THREE (size 15x17) and they are fantastic.

I was stunned at how amazing they look, and how perfectly they followed my measurements. If you need more, check out ebay. My seller was Tabby7, though there are tons of others if you look under "custom framing."