Ways to Get Pictures to Stay on a Coffee Table

There are ways to display pictures on a coffee table so that they will not be easily moved. These range from incorporating the pictures into a craft to more conventional solutions. Choose the one that suits your decorating goals. Does this Spark an idea?

Decoupage

Decoupage is a craft technique in which you paste pictures or other graphic material onto an object with a mixture of craft glue and water. With this technique, your pictures will become a part of the table. Begin by painting the table your chosen color. Make colored copies of your pictures so that you can retain the originals. Cut out each picture. Spread some craft glue on the back of each of the pictures and paste them onto the top of the coffee table. Then mix equal parts of craft glue and water. Apply two to three coats of this mixture to the top of the pictures with a sponge brush, allowing each coat to dry between applications.

Glass Top

Placing your photos on your table under glass offers you a sophisticated way to keep your photos in place on the table. Arrange the photos in a visually interesting way on the top of your coffee table. Set a piece of fitted glass on top of them. Lower one end of the glass at the edge of the table and slowly bring the other end down onto the table; if you lower the glass too quickly, it will create a vacuum that will disarrange the pictures.

Upright Displays

Instead of selecting traditional picture frames for your photos, use alternative methods to display them. Each will ensure that your pictures stay on the coffee table. Fill mason jars or other short, glass, wide-mouthed vessels with marbles or sand. Place two pictures of similar size back-to-back and insert them into the jars. Arrange the jars on the table, positioning them so that pictures face the front and back of the table. Another option is to buy a picture tree. This accessory is shaped like a tree with clips at the end of its branches. You simply place your pictures in the clips.

Considerations

If you prefer to use standing picture frames, take these steps to keep the pictures on the coffee table. Make sure you have a heavy coffee table that's not easily moved. This provides a strong base, making it more difficult to upset the pictures if the table is bumped. Place the pictures in the center of the table; this lessens the chance of their being brushed off the table when someone passes by. Rather than using single free-standing frames, choose linked frames. These types of frames have broad, sturdy bases, making it less likely that they'll topple over.