Recycled Picture Frame Wall Decor
I decided to make the most of being at home by doing some quick, but interesting projects. This recycled picture frame wall decor completely fit the bill. I love picture frames. Whenever I’m at the Goodwill store, I grab a bunch. You can usually incorporate them into a number of projects. Plus, I have this thing for empty picture frames. [as you may notice in this post 🙂 ] No idea what that’s about. Anyway, here is what you need to start this project.
What You’ll Need
- Picture frame (Obviously)
- Seashells (Optional)
- Small bottle or vase
- Jute twine
- Chalk paint or any paint you like to use
- Dark wax (Optional)
- Chicken wire
- Wire cutters
- Hot glue gun
- Floral craft foam
Getting Started – Painting Your Frame
The first thing you want to do is paint your picture frame. I used Home Decor chalk paint in sheepskin. I put on two coats of paint and then went over it lightly with Annie Sloan’s dark wax to highlight the details. You do not have to use chalk paint, but it is my preference. If you use a different type of paint, you can still highlight any details on your frame by dry brushing it with a different color. Dry brushing is exactly what it sounds like. Take a tiny amount of paint on a dry brush and smear it around on a paper plate. That should leave you enough paint on the brush to lightly bring out the details.
I let the dark wax sit for a short amount of time and then went over it with Home Decor clear wax. I did this before going to bed on a Saturday night. After letting the clear wax dry overnight, I was ready to add the chicken wire.
Adding Your Chicken Wire
After getting out my trusty Stanley electric stapler, I rolled out my chicken wire. Chicken wire can be brutal. Mine has been sitting in my coat closet for a year all rolled up. It was not happy about being unrolled. It took some fighting, but I managed to flatten it somewhat. I find it easier to staple it to the back of the frame prior to cutting it. Once I’ve stapled it all the way around, I cut it.
Adding Embellishment
Once your chickenwire is in place, you can glue any embellishments you may want to add. I used seashells that my dad brought me back from Myrtle Beach and some I got from Belize when we were on our cruise. Floral craft foam worked great to fill the gap between the frame seashells so they would have a tight fit. I simply cut small pieces and glued them to the underside of the shell. From there I glued them to the frame.
If you have a theme for the room in which you plan to hang the frame, you can further customize your embellishments. I’ve seen starfish combined with shells, color beads or even additional flowers and bows. The possibilities are endless.
Finishing
After your embellishments are dry, you can add your bottles. I filled mine with tiny seashells from Myrtle Beach and Belize. Use your jute twine to tie the bottles to your chicken wire. I wrapped a few times for a rustic look. Then I put a coordinating silk flower in the bottle. Your recycled picture frame wall decor is complete!
Final Thoughts
While I was working on these, I had the thought of skipping the embellishments and bottles and wrapping the first letter of my last name to the chicken wire. For this first project though, I was looking for a way to display my shells. Later I may do my initial or maybe add a small frame to the chicken wire for kind of a double frame look. I’d love to see what others come up with. 🙂
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