It’s no secret I love art, crafts and anything that’s outside the realm of usual. So this summer, when I ordered some photos from a barrel race, I knew that your ordinary, run of the mill frame wouldn’t work. I’m sure you’re all shocked. I’m actually quite a fan of barn wood frames, but short of ordering them custom made, there’s no place the get them around here, as the nearest Hobby Lobby is something like 2 1/2 hours away, and the selection, is, shall we say, sparse. So I went a completely different direction and pulled out a file pad, and some paint and here’s what happened.

What you’ll need:

Craft paint/acrylic paint
Sandpaper or a sanding pad (one with medium grain for acrylic nails works fantastic for this project, just an FYI)
Paper Towels or a rag
Paint brush or sponge brush

Step 1.
Start with a plain frame. I bought this one at Walmart for $14.99 I think. Did you know that to best protect your photographs, a mat isn’t just something to make the photo prettier? On the contrary, the mat is there to protect your photo from becoming stuck to the frame or glass, etc.

Step 2.
Remove the glass and the mat and set them aside.

Step 3.
Begin sanding where you want to remove the black paint to expose the wood below. The more paint you remove the darker the color you paint on top will become.

I generally start in one place, and work my way around the frame until I’ve been around the whole thing once.

Details of what it looks like once it’s been sanded:

Step 4.

Paint on whatever color paint you want in the sections where you’ve sanded. It doesn’t have to be perfect because any extra, you’ll just wipe off with a paper towel or rag anyway. Perfect is not the name of the game with this project. More like used up, and shabby is what we’re going for.

If you desire more color, or want to do two colors, you could repeat Step 3. I was really only interested in pink.

Step 5.

Once the paint is dry- and really it dries quickly, you can put the glass and the mat back into the frame. Place your photograph in the frame where you want it, and always, no exceptions here folks, attach it to the mat with painter’s tape or masking tape. Other tapes can ruin your photograph.

Here’s the finished product:

This project is simple, and it’s something you could have the kids help you with if you were so inclined! If you try it, I’d love to see your finished results!

Happy Trails!