Well, look who’s back: those little photography note cards. They’re the same ones we bought on our anniversary from a local gallery, the ones we originally planned to hang in the bathroom. You might not even remember them from that post—everyone was distracted by Sherry’s haircut debacle.

At first the bathroom seemed like the perfect spot. Then we noticed that the colors in some of the photos matched the scrapbook paper we already had framed—our $5 finds from a while back—landing us squarely in what we jokingly call “Sue-the-Napkin-ville.” Suddenly it seemed smarter to display the note cards out in the living room where we could actually enjoy them, but that meant buying a few more.

We picked up four more note cards so we could fill eight frames and spent another $16 on the local artist’s work (from Crossroads Gallery here in Richmond). The plan was simple: place each small photo on top of the colored scrapbook paper that was already inside each frame, making the paper act as a colorful mat. Lots of squares, yes, but we liked the idea of the small photos nested inside bigger squares.

First job: trim the rectangular note cards into neat squares. I used an X-Acto knife and a ruler to keep the cuts straight, though I admit I eyeballed the placement a bit—call it a splash of daring. We left a thin white border around each trimmed photo to give them a Polaroid-like look.

Next, we took the frames down one by one and taped each photo onto its colorful paper “mat.” To center them I eyeballed first, then double-checked with a yardstick, aligning it across opposite corners and repeating the process on the other side to make sure everything met evenly.

Once rehung, the arrangement looked tidy from a distance, but up close we weren’t entirely sold. The small scale was charming and invited you to lean in, but something felt visually noisy—too many layers and too much contrast. The white borders created a sharp separation between the image and the background so instead of feeling like the paper extended the photo’s palette, it read as a tiny picture on top of a thick bright mat and then another thick white mat. It was a bit too square-centric for our taste, and the glare on the glass didn’t help when photographing them.

After living with the display for a few days and still not warming up to it, Sherry decided to rework the photos. She has a steadier hand than I do, so rather than reaching for a level and an exacto she used a pair of scissors and trimmed the borders right off. Her results were perfect—clean and simple.

With the borders removed, the photos melded much better with the colored papers. In person the change was dramatic: the compositions felt calmer and less busy. The images no longer screamed for attention; instead they quietly invite the eye to wander over them as part of the room’s overall look. The difference didn’t translate quite as strongly in our photos—partly due to the glass reflections—but in real life it was a clear improvement and a relief. We didn’t have to abandon the note cards after all.

At the end of the day we’re happy with the subtler presentation. For a cost of about $4.64 per frame (sixty-four cents for the scrapbook paper and $4 for each note card) this little art update felt worthwhile. It’s not a permanent solution or a grand declaration about our forever decor—our house is always a work in progress—but it’s a thoughtful, low-cost experiment. These small photos might be a stepping stone toward larger photography or a different arrangement down the road; for now they’re a satisfying, understated addition to the left wall of our living room.

Some of the images bring back happy little urges—like the idea of riding a Ferris wheel and eating funnel cake. Small art can inspire big nostalgia.

Have you made any simple, artful updates lately? Used note cards as wall decor? Gotten lost in a square spiral and lived to tell the tale? We’d love to hear about it.

Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you (plus the $15 discount code for everyone is still valid until August 31st).