Saturday 14 April 2012

Decorate: How to refurbish old photo frames



















You will need:

1 x can of Montana 94 spray paint in matt finish; 1 x cutting mat; 1 x ruler; 1 x craft knife; 2 x sheet of Canford card; 1 x roll of masking tape; 1 x hammer; nails; used newspapers; photo frames (up to four with these materials)



















The old photo frames were sourced from charity shops, with all of the other supplies from www.cowlingandwilcox.com. A mid-grey tone of paint was chosen to cover the existing brown and gold frames – if you select a pale shade you may need to coat the frames in primer spray paint first. As a contrast to the grey framing, Canford card in turquoise and pale blue was used as mounts.

Separate the glass and card that sits in the frames and set to one side. Using your newspaper to protect your working area, lay out the frames. If they have metal claws that hold the glass and card in, pull them out so that the frames sit up off the newspaper, as this allows you to spray the sides properly.



















Shake the spray paint continually for a minute, then spray each of the frames in a thin coat of the paint, taking care to do the corners and sides. Leave for half an hour and then touch-test the first frame you sprayed – if it is dry, repeat the process. Once you have an opaque coat of paint, turn the frames and repeat on the back until you have the same finish.

Using the card or set-aside frame backs as templates for your new mounting, masking tape them to your Canford card, then place your cutting mat underneath and use the craft knife and ruler to cut out. Polish the glass that you removed earlier, place your photos on the mount card and fix the backs on to the frames.

Then it's time to grab your hammer and nails, and cluster-frame away.




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