Burton Awards / Custom Frame & Gifts

Framing pictures has been a way to present artwork for thousands of years.  But originally, the frame was part of the picture.  Artists would paint pictures on huge pieces of wood and then paint or carve a frame into the wood around the picture.  And most were painted or mounted on the walls of churches.  When artwork started being used to decorate private homes, the separate or movable frame was introduced.  And a new business was born.

John Burton owns and operates Burton Awards and Custom Frame & Gifts, here in Meridian.  Custom Frame is the largest frame shop in 90 miles, with more than 120 moldings, mats, glass and many different sizes of ready-made frames in stock.  This extensive in-house stock allows for quick turnarounds on your framing projects.

Custom Frame & Gifts was founded in 1999, and was purchased by John in 2006.  He added Burton Awards in 2013, having seen other frame and trophy combinations, thus making the store two separate businesses!  Burton Awards has a wide variety of plaques, trophies, and medals. He offers sublimation that is full color. Sublimation onto metal is a new, cutting edge, way to reproduce an image.  With a brand new laser engraver and new software, Burton offers superior work. 

Looking for unusual and one of a kind gifts?  Custom Frame has a great selection of home décor, furniture, artificial flowers, oil paintings, prints of local artists’ work, candles and lamps.  Unique, handmade greeting cards are also available.  These are made utilizing the art form; quilling.  Quilling or paper filigree is the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs.  Check them out!   

Burton says if you are thinking about starting your own business, you need to have sufficient capital to carry you through hard times.  Further, find a location that works for your business and pay attention to your signage and make sure it’s visible and legible. 

He concludes, “I enjoy doing business in Meridian because the community is small enough so I can know my customers but large enough to support my business.  I am a chamber member because they are very heavily involved in recruiting new business to the area which in turn provides me more business.”