Ideas for How to Decorate a Photo Frame
Photo frames are great for displaying photos of just about anything including your family, pets, beautiful scenery, vacation memories, artistic photos or just about anything else you can think of. Today you can find ready made photo frames decorated in any number of ways to compliment your photos. However, if you want a decorative frame you may be surprised by how expensive they are.
While plain photo frames are pretty cheap, as soon as you add any sort of decoration to them the price skyrockets.
Rather than buying an expensive photo frame, why not by a plain, cheap photo frame and decorate it yourself? You”ll not only save money, but you will have a lot of fun doing it and you can make it however you want it for a great personal touch.
Here are some ideas of ways to decorate plain photo frames.
Painting Photo Frames
One of the most obvious and easiest ways to dress up a plain picture frame is using paint. You can either spray paint the frame or hand paint it with brushes for a more decorative appearance. If you have artistic ability you can paint designs or special pictures onto your photo frame, or you can use stencils to create a lovely border around the frame.
Before painting your frame you should use a fine grit sandpaper to lightly scuff the surface to help the paint to adhere better.
Be sure to clean off any dirt or things that may be stuck to the frame before painting. If you paint a frame by hand rather than using spray paint you may want to apply a coat of clear sealer to it when you are done to help the image last.
Be sure to shop around since there are all kinds of fun paints on the market today ranging from chalkboard paint to paints that look like faux stone. Try adding some gold leaf or silver leaf to your painted design to really class it up or to bring out ridge or pattern details in the frame. Play around and be creative.
Decoupage
Decoupage is a terrific way to decorate a photo frame. You’ll need a small paint brush, some white glue, scissors and old fabric or magazines to get started. Just cut out images or phrases that you like from magazines, or cut small patterns out of fabric. Once you have a selection of items, paint the back with slightly watered down white glue, stick it on the photo frame, and then paint over it with another layer of white glue.
Continue adding pictures until you have covered the picture frame, then set it aside to dry. After it is dry you can seal it with a clear sealer to protect the images.
Mosaic a Photo Frame
If your photo frame is flat, sturdy and has a relatively large area you can mosaic it. The best types of frames to mosaic are made of wood since they won’t flex. If your frame is flexible it can pop the tiles off, so be sure to only mosaic on solid, unbendable surfaces. You’ll need to pick up some Weldbond glue (which you can get at a hardware store), some glass, tiles, or pebbles and some tile grout.
Once you have gathered your items, glue the glass or tiles onto the front of the picture frame. Fit them together sort of like a puzzle, and try to leave even spaces about 1/8″ between each of the pieces. Once you have covered your picture frame, set it aside and allow it to dry overnight.
Then, the following day mix up your grout according to the directions and apply it to your picture framing making sure that it is smooshed down into all the spaces between the tiles. Use a slightly damp (not wet) sponge to wipe off excess grout. Remove any remaining grout haze on the tiles by buffing your frame with a soft, dry towel.
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