Brighten up your memories with a string light picture frame

Want to shine a spotlight on family treasures? A lit picture frame brightens up your old black-and-white photos and highlights colored ones. The illumination also can be part of a theme, such as the night lights of a city or the sun shining on a beach. You can use any frame you'd like.

A white, weathered wood frame is well-suite for pictures of the seaside or folk-art images. For romantic pictures, use a red, lacquered frame to invoke Valentine's Day. A black, lacquered frame with string lights evokes a cityscape and would match well with shots of a skyline after dusk. Paint a weathered wood frame green, yellow, pink or blue if you want to display photos of a child.

Materials
- Weathered wood frame, 12-by-14 inches
- Clear string lights
- Three or more clothespins

1. Place the frame faceup. Start wrapping the string lights around the frame 4 inches from the bottom right corner. Wrap two times downward, then continue to wrap five or six times along the bottom of the frame. Wrap two times upward along the left edge.

2. Wrap the lights a third time and pull the string across the front of the frame, wrapping it around the right side.

3. Wrap the lights twice upward along the right edge. On the third wrap, pull the string across the back of the frame, wrapping it around the left side.

4. Wrap twice more upward on the left side, and continue across the top and down twice on the right side.

5. Flip over the frame, and tuck the plug under the string. Turn the frame face forward. Attach clothespins to the strings spanning the width of the frame in the desired places to clip the pictures in place.

6. Prop the frame where you want it. Plug in the lights.