Canvases.

They were HUGE in 2010. Everyone bought 16x20 canvases and hung them all over their homes. I know I have a few of my own.

BUT, here is why I’ll never buy another one.

I’ve got a canvas of my two oldest boys, when the middle was just a baby. It’s adorable and I love that photo (still do today).

It hung in the oldest’s bedroom for a few years.

In those years, my boys grew up. And I took thousands of photographs of them together. Many that I wanted to display too!

Sadly, I couldn’t swap out the canvas photo for another new favorite.

The canvas is permanently that photo.

I don’t hate it, but I don’t have a great way to display it anymore. We’ve added another brother who is not in that big canvas. It takes up a lot of wall space to not include more of the family.

So since the move (almost 2 years ago), it’s sat in the garbage bag it was packed in, laying against the wall behind a door in the garage. Not exactly ideal, right?

What do you do with a canvas photo when you want an update or just to retire them?

You can’t throw them away! They are pictures of your children!

This is why framed prints are my go-to photo display personally and professionally for three reasons.

1. I can swap out the old photo and add in new.

2. I can keep the old photo in an album to still look at forever.

3. I can donate or paint the frames when I need a change.

Here is my one exception.

If you love the look and feel of having canvas prints on your walls, here is when I feel canvases can be a good fit to buy.

Buy a canvas print if it’s a photo you will never want to swap out, update, or stop displaying.

Some examples are wedding photos, newborn photos, photos with grandparents or other family history photos.

Plan for the long term use of the image. Buy what you love. Display what you love.

Want more photo display ideas? Click here.