3 Frugal Frame Updates- Craft Room Project #5

During my craft room/guest room makeover I was able to save a TON of money by working with frames I already owned instead of buying new. You can see how they are incorporated into the room in reveal part #1 & part #2. Today, I’ve got the close up before & afters! I hope they will inspire you to relook at your old frames before you get rid of them.

First up was a great quality wood frame holding one of my favorite paintings from Granny, my husband’s sweet grandma. I love Granny & have a thing for windmills, so I really wanted to feature this on my gallery wall. The frame just didn’t match the rest of the room.

I gave it a good cleaning, then moved onto the makeover. For the inside edge, I used DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Silver* to transform the inlay from gold to silver. For the rest of the frame, I used a basic black acrylic craft paint.

The frame looks so much more modern now – more Melissa, less grandparent 🙂

Next up was one of my deal of the century frames. Around Christmas, Michael’s had a ten pack of plastic black frames for $10. They were a great variety of shapes & sizes. I passed on them a few times, but one day they were 40% off! Ten frames of any kind for $6 ($0.60 each) is a CRAZY deal. Although they were not the best quality, I knew I could turn them into something fun.

The print in the frame is from the SohoSonnet Print Shop on Etsy. Isn’t it adorable?

Frame before:

This one received Silver Leaf Rub ‘n Buff* on the interior lip. The frame was originally all one color, but the shape was perfect to create a two-tone frame. On the outside, I blended several colors together and used a dry brush to apply thin layers. Indian Turquoise* was primary color.

My third frame project was a duo of paintings from Granny. The frames on these were quite different from all the others we received. We had every intention of buying new frames once we found the right spot to hang them. As I was putting the guest area together, I realized they would work perfectly above each night stand.

I needed to pull some of the gray from the craft area over to the guest area, but I didn’t want to do a plain solid gray. I wanted some sparkle! I started with Americana Zinc* & mixed it with the same DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Silver* that I used in the first frame makeover. The result was fun & shimmery without being  gaudy 🙂

I finished all three of these makeovers in about an hour! It is SO fast to transform frames using inexpensive craft paint. In fact, it is my favorite money-saving DIY decor tip!

For the best results, just make sure you have a paper plate or towel handy to wipe most of the paint off your brush before painting. When you use a dry brush and thin coats, the paint seems to adhere better. I’m pretty impatient, so I only wait a couple of minutes between coats 🙂  It works out great!

Don’t miss any of the craft room series! 

Craft Room PLUS Guest Room – Reveal Part #1

Craft Room Organizational Details – Reveal Part #2

{Create} Art & Refinished Frame – Craft Room Project #1

Placemat Repurposed into No Sew Pillow – Craft Room Project #2

Cork Board Upgrade:Drab to Fab – Craft Room Project #3

Clearance Lamp Customization – Craft Room Project #4

3 Frugal Frame Updates- Craft Room Project #5

$30 End Table Makeover  – Craft Room Project #6

 

*Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that when you click links to other websites and buy items, I may receive a small commission. Using affiliate links to show you the products I use helps me offset the cost of running the blog.  The products used in this post were all purchased by me.