Good art is important, obviously, but I would argue that almost anything can become art when it is framed well.
A frame has a rather wonderful ability to elevate the ordinary. A receipt from a particularly memorable lunch, a matchbox from a favourite restaurant, a postcard picked up on holiday or a small piece of fabric that you have always loved. Give something a frame, a little space and a place on the wall, and suddenly it becomes something worth looking at.
I am a great believer in framing the things that have personal meaning. Art doesn't need to be expensive, rare or even particularly important to anyone else. It just needs to mean something to you. Children's paintings, for example, should absolutely be framed properly and hung prominently. Not tucked away on the fridge or kept in a drawer, but given the same consideration as anything else you might choose to hang.
I also think framing is an opportunity to be a little creative. A simple, well-chosen frame can bring an unexpected object to life, while a generous mount can give even the smallest image a real sense of presence. Old photographs, botanical illustrations, drawings, letters and found objects all deserve a second look.
Ultimately, a home should tell your story. And sometimes the things that tell it best aren't the expensive things at all, but the little reminders of people, places and moments that you want to keep close.
So, before you dismiss something as too small, too ordinary or not quite important enough to hang on the wall, try putting it in a frame. You might be surprised.