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Instant Art Decor with Picture Frames and Screens

Does the list of things you can make from old picture frames ever get smaller? Well, no, especially not if you have some old frames, some screen and a few novelties from a craft store. There are so many different things
 that people make nowadays from picture frames but this project is impressive, cheap and easy to make.

The picture frames you use for the framed screen art can be any size, any color or any style, but set aside the glass and backing. The frame itself is all you need to make the artwork. Small picture frames will look the nicest if you make a set of 2, 3 or more. Large picture frame art will need extra novelties and decor.

You don’t need to be any kind of artist to make the framed screen art pieces. Just take something you like, such as lighthouses, wrought iron pieces, foil shapes, craft arrowheads, or anything else that interests you, and make it the theme of the art.

Screening like the type that is used for most house windows is ideal for the art piece but screens with a larger grid are fine, too. Really thick wire screening won’t work well so make sure the screen you choose is made from fairly thin wires. Cut the screen piece to a fraction less than the perimeter of the picture frame. Paint the screen any color you wish, like white, silver or gold. Staple the screen to the backside of the picture frame.

There are so many thousands of pieces, or combination of pieces, that you can use as the image on the screen: a painted wooden horse or other animal, a small pot with flowers wired onto the screen, a ceramic scene of mini trees and wildlife, or just a large, interesting medallion.

Boston’s Museum of Science opened a new exhibit: Whales Tohorā. It invites you to dive into the world of whales.

The Museum of Science is one of the GeekDad mega-attractions in Greater Boston. A new exhibit is always a good reason to bring the geeklets back. And Whales Tohorā is a great reason to plan another visit.

To explain the size of the great whales, whale biologists point out that the heart of a blue whale is so big a person could crawl inside. Whales Tohorā takes that literally. There is model of a blue whale’s heart you can climb inside, right through the aorta. By “you” I mean your kid.  Not to say that a blue whale’s aorta is not big enough for an adult. I could have squeezed through like an over-sized platelet. But I was afraid my girth would have crushed the kids coming in and out of the heart.

At the center of the biology part of the exhibit are two sperm whale skeletons, the male “Tu Hononga” and the female “Hinewainui”. Accompanying them is Search and Destroy, a dive with a sperm whale as he hunts fish and giant squid. The video is based on real scientific data taken from digital tags (D-tags) placed on sperm whales as they dive almost a mile below the water’s surface. They are impressive eaters. One nugget of knowledge is that the sperm whale does not use its massive teeth to eat its prey. You’ll have to check out the exhibit if you want to find out more.

In addition to the biology of whales, the exhibit celebrates the rich cultural history of the South Pacific islanders and their relationship with whales. There is a movie about the whale riders of New Zealand and a collection of artifacts crafted from whale bones.

Whales Tohorā includes is a collection of early whale fossils that trace the evolution of early whales as they adapted to living and feeding in the ocean. Ambulocetus natans and the later Kutchicetus minimus looked more like swimming rats, including long whiskers protruding from their nose, than whales. The skeleton and depiction of a Dorudon atrox look more like a step toward the modern whale.

Created by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Whales Tohorā has been to the National Geographic Museum in Washington DC, the Exploration Place in Kansas, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. It’s in Boston from June 20 to September 14.

You can take a sneak peak of the exhibit in this video:

Since Boston is on the water, you can also combine the Whales Tohorā exhibit at the Museum of Science with a whale watch from Boston Harbor Cruises.

The Museum of Science was nice enough to treat my family to the exhibit, lunch and the Whales IMAX film.

Don’t forget all of the other great exhibits. One highlight of the day was the sheer luck of visiting the chick hatchery just as a chick was breaking out of its shell and flopping into the world. My kids’ faces were pressed up against the glass during the whole adventure of the chick.

Images and video courtesy of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the Museum of Science.

It's not too early to start thinking about where you should be on Sept. 25, which happens to be the 6th annual Museum Day.



During last year's Museum Day, an estimated 300,000 people got in free at some 1,300 museums around the country. Hosted by Smithsonian Media and sponsored by Toyota, the annual Museum Day offers a glimpse of what it'd be like if more museums in the U.S. were free -- like in London, perhaps.



Though many U.S. museums offer free admission through year-round programs such as Target Free Fridays, the fact that Museum Day falls on a Saturday makes this a family-friendly (and budget-friendly) event.



Starting July 1, you can print the free museum pass from Smithsonian.com. The pass is good for two people at one of the participating museums. Though the list of registered venues hasn't been finalized yet, confirmed museums include the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the Adler Planetarium (Chicago), the Experience Music Project (Seattle), and the Dallas Museum of Art.



The value of the Museum Day pass depends on where you go. For example, general admission at the Museum of Fine Arts is usually $20 per adult, while entry to the Experience Music Project normally costs $15. Adult tickets at the Adler Planetarium and Dallas Museum of Art each regularly cost $10. If you'll be traveling in late September, it's worth trying to take advantage of these savings.



If you don't see a museum near you, keep an eye on www.smithsonian.com/museumday for updated venues. Even if the museum charges for parking, chances are the free Museum Day pass will make this family outing less expensive than going to the movies.



Details: Starting on July 1, download your Museum Day Ticket from www.smithsonian.com/museumday. Limit one pass per household (or per e-mail address).



[Photo Credit: Amy Chen]