Frame, Frame, Frame

Ok. If you go back and read the title of that song to the harmony of the opening of Chain of Fools . . . it will be a lot more interesting. However, that isn't really the point of this blog post. Cute and personal frames are, and yes I did a set of three of them. It was a really fun project, and super easy.

 

Here is what you will need to do this project:

• Unfinished Wood Frames (got them at the local craft store)
• Sand paper or sanding block
• 2 colors of spray paint (use can use regular paint, but spray paint has a crisp finish)
• Wooden cutout words (got these at the craft store, too)
• Wood Glue
• 3 photos you love

First, I took out the backs of the frame. These ones had plastic for the photo instead of glass. It all came out so I could spray paint. If the stand or the back of the frame doesn't come off, make sure to cover and tape it

 

Although there were 'finished' frames, I always like to give them a light sanding. For these, the edges often need a little extra TLC to come out looking smooth.

 

Next, I took the frames and put them on the painting table. This table is outdoors and covered with any paint known to man. If you are using a table you can't get any paint on, make sure to put down news paper or a drop cloth to keep your table or painting surface clean.

 

For this project, I chose to make the frames dark blue. I always use the Rustoleum Ultra Coat Spray paint because it has great coverage. A project like this needs one good coat and a touch up coat. In warm weather, it is super fast. First, I painted the back side of the frames. That way the finish could get a little touched when it was flipped over, and it wouldn't impact the look of the project. I also spray the sides of the frames at this point.

 

After doing touch ups, and the back is dry, flip the frames over and do the front side. I always make sure I do at least two coats even when it just looks like it need a touch-up in one spot or two. If you don't coat the 'touch up' coat on the whole frame, it can come out looking uneven.

 

Next, I got a set of wooden cut-out words. I took these and sprayed them with a different color. For this project, I used seaside. I thought the teal looking color coordinated nicely with the navy blue. However, the color was light enough to jump off of the frame.

 

A little bit about color selection. For this project, I had some photos in mind. The inspiration for the seaside came from a one of the photos. Since you are able to customize this project, use the photos you selected as the inspiration for great color combinations.

 

After I sprayed each of the three wooden words that I had, I attached them to each of the frames. I made sure that I knew the center point for the frame and the center point for the word. Just use a ruler, measure and divide by 2. You can make a mark, but I just leave the ruler by the frame when I am putting it on.

 

Wood glue is a great product, but it can often run off the smaller wooden words. To prevent it from running off, I used a foam brush (you can use any brush) and applied it like that so it would have a clean finish.

 

Next, I waited for the the wood to dry and cut the photos for my project and put them in the frames.