The South Dakota Cowgirl

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DIY: A Photo Frame

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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!

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About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

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