Art Was Framed! Part 2

This was another quick and inexpensive customization of a discounted, scuffed frame.

This plastic/composite frame had a couple of white scuffs. I wanted to use it with an antique photo, so the frame should appear worn and scraped up. I took a piece of sandpaper and lightly rubbed some vertical scratches on all sides. I wiped, rinsed, and dried the frame to remove any dust. Then I took a small amount of black craft paint and a paper towel and rubbed paint into the scratches, wiping off excess paint to leave green as the main color. I let the paint dry and reapplied until I achieved the look I wanted.












I really like how this turned out - giving a modern-colored frame an antique feel, but still maintaining the vibrant color. It works very well with the colors in this reprinted photo of my grandfather, taken in the 1920's.

Were I to do it again, I might use a finer-grain sandpaper and perhaps experiment with different scuff angles, or even used a knife to dig in some deep scratches. I could use multiple paint colors to give the scratches a variety of shading.

Art Was Framed! Part 1

What could I do with faded and worn artwork and a slightly scuffed frame? Make new fresh and fun art!


I had a 20-yr-old 18" x 24" black and white pointillism piece of three azaleas and leaves that suffered from fading ink, yellowing paper, and staining. I didn't want something so damaged on my walls, but I did like the subject matter. So, I cut out the best-preserved portion of the image to fit a frame I recently purchased. (I reused the original frame for better artwork - a Hugh Syme lithograph.)











The new frame had some scuffs, so I bought some acrylic paint in a nice bright green (Folk Art #503 Yellow Citron), slightly lighter than the frame's original color. If I wanted a smooth surface, I would have used spray paint, but I wanted a little bit of brush stroke texture to the frame, so I used a 1/2" art brush. (I decided not to use the matting.)
















I painted the entire frame, with long strokes running the entire length of the side I was painting. I let the green paint dry thoroughly, then let my creative side take the frame design to another level.


















Using a cream-colored paint (Anita's #11323 Cream) and a very small-gauge brush, I continued the artwork onto the frame with small dots, imitating the pointillism style of the art. Alternatively, I could have used black paint or black art markers.


















For just a few dollars for the discounted frame and two bottles of paint, I will be able to enjoy this pretty azalea for many years to come.

Easy Craft Project - Christmas Ornament Shadow Box

I liked these shiny boxes that came with Christmas ornaments and did not want to throw them away, so I created a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to reuse them!

Gather the following items:
1. One decorative cardboard box with a lid that has a cellophane window
2. One wire Christmas ornament hanger
3. One Christmas ornament about 2/3rds the size of the box
4. Hot glue gun
5. Matte black craft paint and small paintbrush

Remove the cellophane from the box lid. Set the lid aside.

Paint the interior of the box black. (It took three coats of paint to make the box interior a solid matte black.) Let dry.

Measure how low you want to the ornament to hang. Bend or cut the wire Christmas hanger, allowing one-half inch extra on either end. Paint the wire hanger black. Let dry. (I stuck the hanger end through a styrofoam bowl and painted it.)

Bend one-half inch of the wire hanger 90 degrees and hot glue this end of the hanger to the top center of the box. Once the glue has set, bend the other end of the hanger into a small curve to hold the ornament. If the hanger was glued a little off-center or too long, you can bend or shape it to fit the space.

Hang the ornament, replace the lid, and you're done!

Decoration options:
- Glue black glitter to the interior after the paint dries to add a bit of sparkle.
- Paint the interior and hanger white (add glitter too!) for a winter wonderland lightbox.
- Change out the ornament when you get the whim.