A little green semi-gloss paint turns a ragtag crew of (glassless) frames into an artful display.

Inexpensive mirrors and tag-sale frames can be transformed into artful displays around your home.

Small works of art can get lost on large expanses of wall. Instead, hang them in spaces that are scaled to their size, such as the cozy enclosure of a bookshelf.

Here's an illuminating idea: Transform a simple coffee table or end table by topping its surface with a piece of mirror glass.

The frames of these rectangular mirrors are smartly outfitted in midnight-blue velvet ribbon. Lined up next to one another and hung above a buffet, they add sophistication and catch the light in the room.

Besides being tasty in a salad, beans can be unexpectedly stylish when they trim wooden frames. Here, beans were applied in three designs, and they make the frames look like a set.

If you love pattern but don't want to commit to wallpaper, try covering the mats of framed artwork with decorative papers. This idea also unites different types of art, bringing them together as a cohesive display.

Just because an antique platter or plate is scratched, cracked, or broken, its useful life doesn't have to end. Its patterned border can be used as the decorative frame for a mirror.

These botanical motifs, cut like paper snowflakes, pay tribute to Hawaiian quilts. You can frame a single cutout or an arrangement of them, in one color or in several.

Add some texture to your photos with a veneer of fabric.

This charming collection is composed of frames in various shapes and sizes, unified by paint. Flea markets and home stores abound with great finds.

Get the look with Martha Stewart Living Paint Color in Dusk at the Home Depot. 

Order a Tester of Dusk

You might have seen cloth-covered picture mats at custom-frame shops, but did you know you can create the same effect at home? Try a variety of fabrics, letting the images unify the arrangement.

A mirror hung over a mantel is embellished with a stenciled overlay of glass.

Subtle adjustments of subject and arrangement, the color of reproductive deposits and the shade of paper can make mushroom prints call to mind exotic or ordinary images, such as flapping undersea flowers or Sunday-morning bagels.

In the garden, latticework is assembled into trellises to form an attractive armature for climbers such as roses, clematis, and morning glories. Indoors, these crisscrossed strips of lath look just as fitting when they are used to make jaunty frames for pressed flowers. Suspend them from chains, and display alone or in casual groupings.

Your local hardware store can be a source of decorating inspiration. This hallway mirror was created using wooden purlin -- designed to secure sheets of corrugated metal on buildings.