It’s a great moment for parents when your child comes home from school with their latest creation, and you get to stick it up on the fridge to show them how proud you are. But these moments shouldn’t just be limited to what they’re told to draw in school. They could be having fun with drawing, painting, and more creative pursuits after school, at the weekend, or in the school holidays.

The benefits of kids creating art

Creating art has so many benefits for kids. Mentally and emotionally speaking, art can be a great way to express ideas and feelings, especially at an age where they might not have the ability to really express how they feel through words. It’s a way of expressing themselves and exploring their thoughts and personality. It’s also a fun and engaging activity, providing some variety, especially if you’re trying to encourage your child to spend less time in front of screens.

Art also helps your child’s development in a number of ways, helping to support their education at the same time. It aids in developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, among other abilities. It can also be a useful tool for understanding concepts being taught to them, which is why drawing and painting are such popular activities in schools.

How to encourage your kids to create

So, how do you encourage your child to pursue art and other creative activities in their free time? One way is to get involved with them. You could each sit down and draw or paint a picture. Encourage them to draw whatever they want or you could set a theme or something more specific to draw. For younger children who may not be able to create their own art, you could draw an outline of a picture for them and have them color it in, similar to a coloring book but in a more engaging way that lets you bond with your child.

Buying your child a variety of arts and crafts supplies can also encourage them to be more creative. If you buy a selection of coloring pencils, crayons, and paint supplies, then they can choose what they want to do and what to create. Designing a space for their art activities can also be helpful, especially for messy activities like painting where they need to be able to create without making too much mess.

Finally, celebrating your child’s art by praising them and displaying their art will encourage them to do more.

If your child creates something that’s worthy of remembering and celebrating, then why not get it custom framed to stick up on the wall or on the mantlepiece? Contact Tanglewood Art and Frame or visit us in-store to find out more about our custom framing services around Clemmons and Winston Salem, NC.

A photo can make the perfect personal gift for a loved one. The possibilities are practically endless when it comes to taking or finding a photo to give as a gift. If you need some ideas, then here are a few options that the recipient is sure to love.

A photo of the recipient

Many people shy away from photos of themselves for a number of reasons, often because we don’t think we’re very photogenic. So, a photo of the recipient where they look nice or they look particularly happy could make a great gift. Photos like these are great to look back on as you get older.

A photo of the people they care about

But the recipient doesn’t have to be in the photo to make it a nice gift. If you’re getting a framed photo for your parents, for example, then a nice photo of you and your siblings together or of their grandchildren together will mean a lot to them. Pet photos also make great gifts for anyone with a pet.

A group or family photo

The next option combines the above two ideas; a photo of the recipient with their loved ones, so everyone’s involved. This could be a family photo, whether small or large, or a photo of the recipient with their friends. Or you could just use a photo of you and the recipient together, whether that’s a mother/daughter photo, two friends together, or husband and wife, for example.

Candid photos

Candid photos are great for capturing special moments, where people are enjoying the moment rather than posing. Take photos on a regular basis to capture the best candid photos, and try to be like a fly on the wall. Take photos of your kids while they’re playing, your friends when you’re enjoying some drinks together or getting ready to go out together, or your family when you’re on holiday together. They won’t always be great, but the ones that are can make the perfect frameable gift.

Photos of special moments

Maybe your loved one has done something amazing that they won’t want to forget, like graduating or going sky diving. Something that they’ll want to boast about to friends and look back on fondly. These achievements or special moments are great choices for framing and hanging on the wall.

Whatever moment you want to be framed, for you or a loved one, Tanglewood Art and Frame are here to make it happen. Get in touch to find out more about our custom framing services or bring whatever you want framing into our store in Clemmons, NC.

When you have a piece of art or a photograph you want to display in your home, you’ll need to go out and get it framed. Framing a picture helps to protect it and makes it look good on your wall. When it comes to this task, you have two main options – buy a frame from a store and frame the picture yourself, or go to a professional for custom framing.

Custom framing may sound like an unnecessary investment, but there are lots of advantages to choosing a professional framing service. Here are just a few of those advantages:

Specialized materials

Professional framers have access to high-quality, specialized materials and, more importantly, they understand how and when to use them. Frames available to buy in a store often use standard materials that are prone to damage pieces of art. Professional art framers will use things like glass that protects from UV rays and will know when to use these kinds of materials.

Custom shapes and sizes

Frames available to buy in store are only available in certain dimensions. This means that, if your artwork doesn’t happen to perfectly match one of these standard sized-frames, it will have to be stuffed in to fit the best closest match, which can lead to damage. Professional framers can design a frame specifically to fit your piece of art. So, even if you want to frame something with unusual dimensions or an awkward shape, you can walk away with the perfect fit.

Unique

With a custom frame, you can get something that’s truly unique, rather than buying a mass-produced frame that’s available for anyone to buy. This is especially important if what you’re having framed is unique. If you want to frame a nice family photo or your child’s best artwork, then it deserves and equally unique home to live in.

Preservation

One of the main objectives of framing something is to protect and preserve it, and custom framing is the best way to do this. A professional will use techniques and materials that are intended to keep your art in the best possible condition. Materials that contain acid can wash out and damage artwork, for example. Professional framing will keep your art looking good and will also help to retain its value, helping you to preserve your memories.

If you’re in need of a custom framing service, then contact Tanglewood Art and Frame Gallery. We serve North Carolina including Clemmons, Advance, Winston Salem, Bermuda Run, Lewisville, and Mocksville.

You want to adorn your walls and shelves with photos of the things, places, and people that you love. And if you have kids, they’re obviously going to be high up on this list. But taking the perfect photos of your kids can be difficult. From hyperactive infants that never want to stand still, to moody teenagers that won’t smile for a family photo, snapping the perfect still can be difficult.

Professional photos

One option is to pay and leave it to the pros. A lot of professional photographers are used to family photoshoots, so they’re skilled at getting kids to cooperate with photos and capturing good poses from them. You can get a wide variety of shots this way, both posed and candid. Of course, there are the costs to consider, but it can be well worth it for the great pictures you get out of it.

Candid photos

If it’s hard to get your kids to pose for a photo, then capture them while they’re doing something they enjoy. This means you won’t have to work at getting them to cooperate. Photograph them doing a jigsaw or while watching their favorite movie. Or go for action shots and photograph them running around the yard, playing with their siblings, or jumping on the bed. You might get a lot of blurry shots if you’re just using your smartphone, but keep snapping and you’ll eventually strike gold.

Draw their attention

If you really want a photo of a young child looking perfectly at the camera, then you might be in for a challenge. For babies and infants, you could try holding a toy or their favorite food over the camera to get them looking in the right direction. For slightly older children, you might need to get more creative. You could simply ask if they can see their reflection in the camera lens, or be more imaginative and tell them there are fairies in the lens, or whatever would pique their interest.

Hand the camera over

The selfie generation has arrived, and kids are practically born knowing how to use smartphones and tablets these days. Flip your phone into selfie mode and hand it over to them. They’ll be curious about their reflection on the screen and they’ll soon figure out how to snap photos of themselves. Just be prepared to scroll through hundreds of selfies on your phone.

Once you’ve got the perfect photos for your wall, bring them into our shop in Clemmons, NC for our expert custom framing services. Get in touch if you have any questions about how custom framing works.

When you think about framing things to put on your walls, your mind probably goes straight to paper. Photos, drawings, paintings, certificates. Whatever it is you’re thinking of, it’s probably flat. But why should the pleasure of framing and preserving meaningful or beautiful thing stop there?

When it comes to custom framing, you can frame lots of different things that you might not have even thought of before. Read on for some ideas of different things you can frame with us and why you might want to do so.

Clothes

Old clothes can serve as great memories of the past, especially things like baby clothes, sports uniforms, and graduation gowns. Usually, these things just get left in a box somewhere or thrown out. By framing an important item of clothing, you can preserve it and keep it on display in your home. Read more about framing clothes here.

Memorabilia

Memorabilia like concert tickets and souvenirs from events help you to remember special nights with family or friends. You can put these things together in a framed collage to commemorate an event or a relationship. For example, a collection of all the movie stubs you and your partner have collected together.

Books

You can frame larger items like books in a display case. Light books may be suitable for framing and mounting on the wall, while heavier ones can be placed in a freestanding display case.

Textiles

A sample of your child’s baby blanket is a great example of a meaningful textile you can frame for display. Perfect if you can’t decide what to do with something like this.

Maps

Is there a specific place that means a lot to you? Maybe it’s an old holiday destination, your place of birth, or the place you and your partner first met. Framing a map of this area is a good way to commemorate this.

Children’s toys

Your child’s toys are something else that can mean a lot to you and your family, but often just end up causing clutter. Choose your child’s favorite toy and preserve it in a frame or display case. 

Souvenirs

You’ve probably collected a lot of souvenirs from past vacations, and they’re probably scattered in a drawer somewhere in your home. Things like postcards, keyrings, and other souvenirs can be framed to remember each vacation.

At Tanglewood Art and Frame, our motto is “if you can carry it in, we can frame it.” This blog just has a handful of ideas of things you can frame, but if you have other ideas, then let us know. Take a look at some of our past projects if you need a little more inspiration. You can also visit us in store in Clemmons, NC to ask us any questions or get your items framed.

You want to adorn your walls and shelves with photos of the things, places, and people that you love. And if you have kids, they’re obviously going to be high up on this list. But taking the perfect photos of your kids can be difficult. From hyperactive infants that never want to stand still, to moody teenagers that won’t smile for a family photo, snapping the perfect still can be difficult.

In this article, we’ve got some tips on how to take photos of your kids that you can cherish forever.

Professional photos

One option is to pay and leave it to the pros. A lot of professional photographers are used to family photoshoots, so they’re skilled at getting kids to cooperate with photos and capturing good poses from them. You can get a wide variety of shots this way, both posed and candid. Of course, there are the costs to consider, but it can be well worth it for the great pictures you get out of it.

Candid photos

If it’s hard to get your kids to pose for a photo, then capture them while they’re doing something they enjoy. This means you won’t have to work at getting them to cooperate. Photograph them doing a jigsaw or while watching their favorite movie. Or go for action shots and photograph them running around the yard, playing with their siblings, or jumping on the bed. You might get a lot of blurry shots if you’re just using your smartphone, but keep snapping and you’ll eventually strike gold.

Draw their attention

If you really want a photo of a young child looking perfectly at the camera, then you might be in for a challenge. For babies and infants, you could try holding a toy or their favorite food over the camera to get them looking in the right direction. For slightly older children, you might need to get more creative. You could simply ask if they can see their reflection in the camera lens, or be more imaginative and tell them there are fairies in the lens, or whatever would pique their interest.

Hand the camera over

The selfie generation has arrived, and kids are practically born knowing how to use smartphones and tablets these days. Flip your phone into selfie mode and hand it over to them. They’ll be curious about their reflection on the screen and they’ll soon figure out how to snap photos of themselves. Just be prepared to scroll through hundreds of selfies on your phone.

Once you’ve got the perfect photos for your wall, bring them into our shop in Clemmons, NC for our expert custom framing services. Get in touch if you have any questions about how custom framing works.

Your wedding day will, hopefully, be one of the most special and memorable days of your life, so of course you want the best keepsakes and photographs to remember it by. At Tanglewood Art and Frame, we’re here to custom frame your best memories, so let’s look at some tips and ideas for the photos of your big day.

Hiring a professional photographer

Obviously, weddings can be very expensive. If you’re working to a budget, this might tempt you to save on certain areas, for example by having a friend or family member be in charge of the photos during the day. While this can be a nice idea, hiring a professional photographer really puts your mind at ease that the photos are taken care of properly, so there’s one less thing to stress about on the day. And your friend or family member can enjoy the day, too, without the responsibilities of the photographer.

Posed and candid

It’s common to see wedding photos of the happy couple or the wider families and wedding parties posing nicely for the camera. These photos can be great and may be the ones to make it to your wall, but we’d recommend a combination of both posed and candid photos.

Some of the best moments can be captured while people are getting ready, walking up the aisle, and talking and laughing at the reception. So, as well as the more formal photoshoot, make sure your photographer is around for parts of the day to take unplanned and unposed photos.

Leave some photography to the guests

In a casual way, it can be a nice idea to have your guests snap some photos during the day and evening. Some couples leave polaroid cameras or disposable cameras around the venue for guests to use. They can pose for a photo or take candid photos themselves. The results can be really fun, especially once everyone’s had a few drinks after the ceremony.

Choosing your photos for custom framing

After the wedding, you will likely have to meet with your photographer to choose your favorite photos to be framed or placed in a scrapbook of the day. When choosing photos for your wall or mantlepiece, you may choose a few photos to be framed individually or you could make a collage of photos to be framed as one piece. Here, it’s a good idea to choose a mixture of posed and candid photos to get a full range of the day.

There’s a wide variety of materials and styles to consider when choosing all the elements of your custom frames, but we can help you make the best decisions to really complement your photos and make them stand out. Get in touch or visit our store in Clemmons, NC for more advice about custom framing your wedding photos.

When you think about framing things to put on your walls, your mind probably goes straight to paper. Photos, drawings, paintings, certificates. Whatever it is you’re thinking of, it’s probably flat. But why should the pleasure of framing and preserving meaningful or beautiful thing stop there?

When it comes to custom framing, you can frame lots of different things that you might not have even thought of before. Read on for some ideas of different things you can frame with us and why you might want to do so.

Clothes

Old clothes can serve as great memories of the past, especially things like baby clothes, sports uniforms, and graduation gowns. Usually, these things just get left in a box somewhere or thrown out. By framing an important item of clothing, you can preserve it and keep it on display in your home. Read more about framing clothes here.

Memorabilia

Memorabilia like concert tickets and souvenirs from events help you to remember special nights with family or friends. You can put these things together in a framed collage to commemorate an event or a relationship. For example, a collection of all the movie stubs you and your partner have collected together.

Books

You can frame larger items like books in a display case. Light books may be suitable for framing and mounting on the wall, while heavier ones can be placed in a freestanding display case.

Textiles

A sample of your child’s baby blanket is a great example of a meaningful textile you can frame for display. Perfect if you can’t decide what to do with something like this.

Maps

Is there a specific place that means a lot to you? Maybe it’s an old holiday destination, your place of birth, or the place you and your partner first met. Framing a map of this area is a good way to commemorate this.

Children’s toys

Your child’s toys are something else that can mean a lot to you and your family, but often just end up causing clutter. Choose your child’s favorite toy and preserve it in a frame or display case.

Souvenirs

You’ve probably collected a lot of souvenirs from past vacations, and they’re probably scattered in a drawer somewhere in your home. Things like postcards, keyrings, and other souvenirs can be framed to remember each vacation.

At Tanglewood Art and Frame, our motto is “if you can carry it in, we can frame it.” This blog just has a handful of ideas of things you can frame, but if you have other ideas, then let us know. Take a look at some of our past projects if you need a little more inspiration. You can also visit us in store in Clemmons, NC to ask us any questions or get your items framed.

You’ve just put in a lot of effort to complete a puzzle and you feel extremely satisfied to see the finished result. Maybe it took you hours, or maybe days, weeks, even months. But the next step can feel a little soul-destroying. All that fun and hard work just to break it up again and put it back in the box, maybe never to be looked at again.

Sure, you could take a photo of the puzzle to remember it and show off your achievement, but it just isn’t the same. So, why not frame the actual puzzle and put it up on your wall?

Choosing a puzzle to frame

Which puzzle to frame should be completely personal to you. Usually, it’s one that you’ve spent a lot of time on or that has sentimental meaning to you or a loved one you’re giving a gift to. Here are a few ideas:

• A challenging puzzle – Perhaps there’s one puzzle that was a real challenge and that you spent a lot of time on, either alone or with friends and family. Frame it to show off your achievement.
• A custom puzzle – You can get a puzzle printed with whatever photo you want, complete the puzzle, and then frame it for your wall.
• A child’s puzzle – Celebrate your child’s achievement by framing the first puzzle they completed by themselves or preserve the puzzle that they repeatedly did as a child.
• A couple’s puzzle – Did you and your partner spend one of your early dates doing a puzzle together on a rainy day? Frame it and remember those happy moments.

How to frame a puzzle

After you’ve completed your puzzle, you want to make sure that all the pieces will stay together even if you move the finished puzzle. The last thing you want is for some pieces to come apart once inside the frame.

One way to achieve this is to use glue on the puzzle. You can get special puzzle adhesive for this purpose, or you can opt for ordinary glue, but try to find one with low water content to reduce the risk of the pieces wrinkling or peeling. Spread the glue evenly over the face of the puzzle using a sponge or a piece of card, for example. You can use a paintbrush for this, but you may end up leaving brush strokes. A spray adhesive could also be quick and easy to apply.

Another option is adhesive tape designed for puzzles. This is usually quick and easy to apply and doesn’t create as much mess as glue. Once your puzzle is secure, you can bring it into a custom frame shop to complete the framing process for you. When choosing a frame, a float mounting frame is the best to choose for these purposes.

If you want to frame a puzzle for your home or as a gift, then contact Tanglewood Art and Frame or visit us in Clemmons, NC.