The Sunset Lane: DIY picture frame mattes for cheap

Friday, May 20, 2011

DIY picture frame mattes for cheap

I love a good matted picture and frame, but sometimes they are so expensive! I sometimes just buy a cheap frame and matte and spray paint them to black frames and white matte. But, I had quite a collection of frames with no mattes. So, I made my own :)

You will need:
Scissors or an exacto knife
a straight edge
poster board or construction paper-I use white poster board because it doesn't fade like construction paper

1st

Gather all your frames that are being matted.

These don't have mattes, but are just pics from old National Geographics--I needed free art!

2nd

Take the frames apart and trace the around the glass on poster board. Then cut it out!

3rd

Place your straight edge on the edge of your poster board and trace until each side is done.

4th

Poke your scissors through the middle part and cut around the inside edge of your tracing.

5th

Put your frames back together and admire your work!


melted crayon art by Hayley! This is a sneak peak of a project I'm working on!

The dining room is painted finally!! When we first moved in, back in September, I knew I wanted to host Thanksgiving at our house--only problem was the dining room was awful! Same yellow off white paint from 1987, orangey old trim, and terrible lighting that I replaced with chandeliers. My mom is spectacular and came out and painted my whole living room and dining room for because I had a brand new baby and she knew my decorator brain was having a hard time staring at the old crap! In an apparent lapse of crazy, I picked this way too minty green color for the dining room. I blame the post-baby hormones! Almost immediately I knew it wouldn't work, but it did look significantly better than the old water stained in spots paint that was on the walls! It stayed green for 8 months... but I finally got around to painting it!

I painted all the trim Marshmallow white-I love the name, but don't lick my trim! Then the walls are painted Ralph Lauren Cobblestone to match the living room. Here are a few pics of the paint difference: