Last night, because I’m taking a break from running, I needed something to fill my time. I decided to do a quick craft. I had an empty picture frame I had bought at the thrift store a while back, and was inspired to turn it into something great. I had originally planned on using it for a different craft, but changed my mind and made this instead:
The finished product!
I apologize for not having any “before” pictures. But this started out as a really hideous print/picture in a brownish,fake bronze-y frame. A while back (um, Christmas time) I gave the frame a couple coats of glossy black spray paint. Tip: when thrifting, look for frames with awesome shapes, sizes and unique designs. IGNORE the color and whatever might be inside! You are just going to take the print or picture out and a coat of paint can transform the ugliest frame.
Back to my craft… To start, I decided to use the piece of cardboard that came in the frame. It was already cut to size, and was blank on one side. Using Microsoft Word, I printed out the word I wanted, in the correct size. It ended up printing across 3 pages, so I just cut and pieced the word together.
Here is my word all pieced together.
To transfer your word from paper to cardboard, flip your word upside down (you’re now working on the back of the paper) and trace the letters heavily with pencil.
Warning: Some of the ink from the front will transfer, so make sure there is something underneath the paper you’re working on.
When you’re entire word is traced, flip it back over and center it on your cardboard. I put a couple pieces of tape down just to hold the paper in place.
Next, scribble over your word with pencil. This will cause the pencil on the back to “print” onto the cardboard. There is no need to be neat about this part, but do press firmly.
My scribbled-over letter
Remove your paper to reveal your “traced” word. Use puffy paint to go over your word, using a generous amount of paint so the letters are raised. **Let dry overnight**
When your puffy-painted word is dry, use acrylic paint and a paintbrush to paint over the entire piece of cardboard. I only did one coat of paint because I liked the way it looked a little rough and antiqued. Two coats would, of course, have a more solid opaque result. If you like your word to be more subtle, you can leave it painted over. I wanted mine to stand out more, so I used a tissue to wipe the paint off of the letters. This way my puffy paint was very visible.
Let the paint dry, and put your new artwork back into it’s frame. I did not put the glass in, but that is just my preference. Here is a look at the finished product again:
TA DA!
I used Command Damage Free Hanging Strips to hang my new masterpiece above my bed!
I hope this how-to was helpful. If you try my project, leave me a comment and picture. I’d love to see how yours turned out!
glamgirlsrunning 