December 24, 2011

Have some old picture frames that have lost their trendiness? Don’t go with your decor anymore? Has a scratch or the stand no longer works?

Whatever the reason, it’s clearly not being used. Instead of trashing it, revive it!

I had a plethora of old picture frames. Yes, I said plethora. Some were broken, some should have never left the 80’s... you get the picture (no pun intended). They weren’t being used. I have no evidence of the before, but trust me, they were looking pretty dull.

So here I was with a bunch of unused frames collecting dust. Combine that with upcoming holidays and needing a way to get through them on a budget, I was left with a recipe for a fabulous spark of creative genius. I made my ladies chalkboard pictures as Christmas/New Years gifts.

I made sure to clean each frame off before removing all their parts (stand, paper, matting, glass) leaving just the actual frame. Next I laid them all out on a drop cloth for their revival using Krylon Fusion spray paint.

Here is the spray painted rainbow I created. Aren’t they fun?!

(Note: I learned the hard way that you should really put some kind of board underneath so that the wet painted edges don’t end up sticking to the cloth as they dry! Learn from my mistakes!!)

Some took a few coats to cover completely but in the end they were completely covered and vibrant! Each one had their own color, size and style.

Next, it was time to tend to the chalkboard center. How convenient would it be if I could use the original glass from the frame? A smooth, hard surface to write with chalk on. It sure beat my alternative- using cardboard. Yeah, that wouldn’t have been good. *rolls eyes at self for the silly idea*

However, it was my first time using Chalkboard spray paint and I wasn’t sure if spray paint of any kind, much less chalkboard, would work on glass so I made sure to test one of the sheets first with blue spray paint. (see the blue square on the table above^) Success. It seemed to work just fine so I proceeded to spray all the pieces of glass with 2 coats for extra assurance. With a white sharpie paint marker I signed it with a personal touch on the bottom right corner of each one and with chalk I wrote a happy holidays message at the top.

To put them together, I lined the inside edge of the frame with super glue and gently pressed the chalkboard piece face-down onto it for 30 seconds to secure it in place.

To add a final touch, I added ribbon to each one, in order to have a way to hang it on a wall and give it just a little extra character in case it didn’t have enough already!

I screwed an eyelet hook to each side of the frame at the top and then used a hammer to gently bend it down toward the frame. Once choosing an suitable ribbon color and style for each frame, I cut it to an appropriate length and tied a pretty bow in the middle, making sure to poof up the ribbon for extra oomph! Then I threaded each end through the eyelets I had just screwed in and tied the ribbon in a knot around it. This way the knots would be hidden behind the frame when you hung it on a wall.

Time to flip it over and see the finished product...Ta-da!

(Disclaimer: This one was made for a Michigan fan so excuse the traitorous colors...Go Bucks!)

So simple and such a fun facelift for those old frames collecting dust! And if you don’t have any frames lying around, just go out and buy a few from an antique store for cheap.