Comic books feature some amazing cover artwork that deserves to be on display, rather than tucked away in a dusty box in your closet. Your favorite comic books can be a cool and really inexpensive way to decorate your office, bedroom, game room or other living spaces.
Dollar Tree to the rescue!
You can make these frames for just over $1 each! I visited my local Dollar Tree and picked up some basic frames with corny "middle-aged lady" artwork which I will be tossing out and replacing with some of my favorite comic books that I want to put on display.
What's nice is that there are comic books for a wide range of interests - you can grab some old comics for that vintage look, comics from your favorite video games, movies and TV shows, cartoons and even some musicians get their own comic books.
What you’ll need:
- narrow, vertical framed artwork
- comics you want to display
- scissors
- colored paper for the back matte ($.59)
Grab whatever comic books you want to frame, your narrow artwork frames from Dollar Tree, the paper for the matte and a pair of scissors. I decided to frame my Dragon's Lair and Space Ace comics to display them in my game room. Make sure you grab the frames that are vertically oriented and not horizontal. I’ve bought horizontal ones by accident before, so I’m stuck with those.
To get started, simply peel back the black tabs on the back side (carefully) so you can slip out the cardboard backing, throw away the cheesy Dollar Tree artwork and you're ready for the next step.
Using the cardboard that you removed from the frame, use that as a guide for cutting your matte. I used the edge of the scissors to score the paper lightly, which makes cutting out your matte with nice straight lines much easier. One sheet of colored posterboard is enough paper for at least 6-8 of your framed comic masterpieces.
Slip your favorite comic book behind the glass, taking time to center it as perfectly as you can. They're not a perfect fit, which is where the matte comes in. Replace the cardboard backing and reassemble your frame. Make sure to pinch down the black tabs as tightly as possible to minimize how much the comic book can slip inside your frame. Note that thicker comic books might not fit after you've put everything back together, so I had to swap out my Batman 500 issue with an obscure vintage comic from the 70's.
That's all there is to it. You’ve got a nice piece of comic book artwork that cost you just over a dollar to put together. Either use your favorite comic books or frame some that you come across at garage sales or comic book shops. Older titles can often be picked up for 50 cents or less.
Paired with a little shelf and accessories, this is a very cheap and fun way to add some fun artwork to any room. I added some Spider-Gwen comics to my daughter’s room and she loves them.
Thanks for reading. As always, upvotes, resteems and comments are appreciated!
Image Source: original photos by retro-room