By Sabrina
“Love the frame, tired of the art.” I looked at this small painting of cherries and decided I was done. The piece is tired and dated. But what could I make of the frame instead? I thought about making some kind of botanical “print” using decoupage and started looking around for something pretty to cut up.
I loved this project because it allowed me to reuse an old frame with outdated art and refresh it with art I had in the form of a poster from one of my travels. I married the old frame with this pretty botanical succulent art using glue, water and decorative rope trim.
Supplies
cardstock
scissors
white glue
straight edge
water
craft brush
old plastic credit card
Steps
1. Select a frame with art or without art for your project. Cut a backing out of cardstock if you do not already have some in the frame. The cardstock should be the size of the frame opening.
2. Select the art you want to use for your project. It must be larger than the opening of your frame.
3. Cut the new art the size of your opening, using the part that you like. My poster was 18″ x 24″ and my opening to the frame is only 12″ x 12″.
4. Mix four parts white glue to one part water in a bowl. Use a basic craft brush for this project. Brush the cardstock entirely with the mixture, next, brush the back of the new artwork entirely.
5. Apply the artwork to the brushed cardstock in the position you want it to be so it covers the entire opening. It should move a bit so that you can align it properly.
6. Brush the surface of the art with the same mixture, cover all of it while smoothing out the lumps. You may want to do two coats. You can use a plastic card to smooth out the lumps. Be careful not to rub too hard. Let dry for at least an hour.
7. Add a border to the artwork, sometimes it helps to cover any mistakes. Select the material you want to use. I used a thin rope for my edge. Ribbon or paper could be used but be sure it is not too wide. Cut the border material in four pieces to match the size of your opening.
8. Add same mixture to the edge of the opening on all four sides, coat the back of your rope with same mixture. Apply to each side of opening. Press firmly so it sticks to the edge. You may want to us a plastic card to put it in place or add more of the mixture as needed. Let it dry for about an hour.
Tip
I wanted more color in the artwork so I cut out a red botanical succulent out of the poster from a different spot. I applied glue to the area where I wanted the succulent to go. Then I brushed the mixture on both sides of the cutout and applied it to the art with a brush. The mixture is transparent when it dries and you can hardly tell the piece was an afterthought.
This project was fun, easy and turned out fantastic. It took only about an hour and saved me lots of money too! Imagine all the things you could decoupage. It is a great way to set a theme in your space.
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