Did you know that you can cut your own picture mats!? It’s easy, I promise!The husband would accuse me of (incorrectly) saying this about a lot of things…and ho…
Custom framing is darn expensive. But did you know you can get a custom look with off-the-shelf frames for a fraction of the cost? Yup - I'm telling you how here!
Learn how you can change picture frame mats by just painting the mat board; plus, other ideas for transforming picture mats with fabric!
Are you looking to personalise your own picture frames? Learn how to measure and cut a mat board for framing in this DIY guide from Frame Today.
Custom framing is darn expensive. But did you know you can get a custom look with off-the-shelf frames for a fraction of the cost? Yup - I'm telling you how here!
Did you know that you can cut your own picture mats!? It’s easy, I promise!The husband would accuse me of (incorrectly) saying this about a lot of things…and ho…
How to update or change the color and type of mat in a picture frame on a using remnants of wallpaper or gift wrap. This easy DIY step-by-step tutorial shows you how. If you want your frame mats to be a new color or to hide discolored or faded mats on a budget - this post is for you.
Sorry it's taken me so long to finally get around to posting this! Quite a few people expressed interest in a tutorial on my picture framing post, so here it is! Mat cutting can be a lot of fun. Many of the lovely little prints you get from Etsy etc aren't a standard size, so being able to frame them properly in a shop bought frame is a very handy skill to have! With the right setup, and familiarity with your tools it can be super easy. I struggled with my first few but once I had a bit of practice it was so easy and so satisfying. I've included some tips here that will help you to avoid the troubles I had! Materials required You will need: - A bevel cutter and guide rule. I got this set from Frame Co for $126.50 - Mat board (AKA Mount board) in a colour of your choice. Again I got mine from here. - Pencil - Cutting knife - Flat quilters ruler (optional) - Sticky tape - Large sheet of thick cardboard or some spare mat board to use as a "cutting mat" (do NOT try to use a green cutting mat, it's too tough!) Close up of bevel cutting head - very fun to use Measuring Step one: measure your artwork width and height, including the space you want to leave around the artwork. If your artwork has a defined edge you can measure to this point or slightly beyond it to leave a nice white border around your print. Next, measure how big your mat board needs to be to fit inside your chosen frame. Take a larger sheet of board and trim it down using a plain cutting knife and ruler, making sure it's perfectly square (as in 90 degree corners)!! The quilter's rule can be handy for this. Doin' maths. On the back of your cut mat board, do some maths to figure out the position of the hole you're going to cut. Eg: (board width - artwork width)/2 = left & right width. Sometimes it can look better to leave an extra 20% at the bottom so it looks more visually balanced. Up to you! Mark out your lines Step two: Use your previous calculations to measure and mark where you are going to cut. Draw the lines on the back of the mat board, extending all the way to the edges. Make sure it's all perfectly square! (again quilter's rule can be handy but not essential, you can just do it the old fashioned way). Bevel cutting head - with blade pushed out Note: Before you start cutting, make sure the depth of your bevel cutting blade is correct. Push the blade out and line it up with a piece of your mat board. It should extend just half a mm beyond the thickness of the board for a clean cut. Too deep and it'll cut too far into your cardboard "cutting mat" and affect the smoothness of your cut. The blade depth is adjustable. Cutting edge 1 Step 3: It's time to cut! Place your mat board face down on your cardboard "cutting mat". Remember, don't use one of those green cutting mats as they're far too hard and won't let your blade slide easily. Place the ruler exactly in line with the left hand pencil line. You will be cutting away from yourself. Position the bevel cutter so the little marker is in line with the pencil line closest to you. Closeup of start position (this isn't a sponsored post by the way! That's just how my tools are branded!) Push the handle down firmly and slowly cut away from yourself until the marker on your bevel cutter reaches the pencil line at the other end. Precision is very important!! Keep your elbow low to help with the smoothness of your cut. Cutting edge 2 Rotate your board counter clockwise so you're starting at the line you've already cut. Cut the second edge in the same way. Depending on your equipment, you might find that your first cut is 1mm off the pencil line. Ignore this when positioning your cutter head. Just refer to the pencil lines for start and stop positions. If it's not producing a clean corner then just take note of where you started and stopped and adjust accordingly. Cutting edge 4 Rotate your mat board counter clockwise again and cut the third edge. Repeat for the fourth edge. In this pic I'm holding the board up slightly just so you can see where I've cut. Lift it away! If you've cut accurately, the outside of the mat board should just lift off leaving the middle behind! If you've got some little tags in the corners holding the middle in place, gently cut them free with a spare blade. Oooh pretty Turn the board over and admire your corners! Ooh, pretty. I like how the white core stands out on a coloured mat :) Tape your print down Carefully position your print in place and tape to the back of your mat. Closeup Finished! Today print framed with DIY cut mat board for a ready made frame. Pop it in your frame, and voila! You're done!
How expensive is custom framing for oversized art...the answer? So expensive. So I set out to build my own fancy DIY Oversized Floating Frame on a budget.
Mats are used in framing photographs and artwork to center the focus of the picture and give it a sense of spatial depth. The addition of a sleek, well-cut mat can greatly enhance the look of any framed picture, but having a mat cut and...
Invest in a simple mat cutter and the world of framing is at your fingertips. Cutting mats is easy, inexpensive, and takes your artwork to a new level. It looks custom, even if you buy a readymade frame from a store.What You Need:Materials:Mat boardArtwork Tools:Sharp straight blade, such a X-Acto knife or box cutterMat cutter, like this Logan 4000 Pull-Style CutterStraight edge rulerPencilProtective cutting surfaceStore bought frame Instructions:1. Make sure your cutting surface is clean.
After ordering a vintage print download I decided to have it printed on a canvas. When ordering I realized how much more expensive it was to have a frame with t…
My grandparents drove in for a little visit last month and with them, they brought a plastic bag filled with stuff of my dad’s from high school. (In case you’re new here, my dad passed away when I was in college, so as you can imagine, having his stuff means so much to me.) Among the random things was a big stack of photos. They all seemed to be from the same road trip out west and some of them were really cool pictures. I picked out four of my favorites and hung them in Sebastian’s room last week. Because they were a tad smaller than the normal 4 x 6s of today and therefore didn’t quite fill the space behind the mats already in the frames I put them in, I whipped up some new mats for them out of cardstock I picked up at Hobby Lobby (only 54 cents each!). See? Not quite wide enough. They now not only fit just perfectly with the new mats, but they add a bright punch of color to Seb’s room too. So… To make them, I gathered a few supplies – a ruler, an x-acto knife*, a pencil, and the cardstock and frames. (If you don’t have an x-acto knife laying around, I’d totally recommend getting one! They’re so handy!) First, I laid the existing mat onto one corner end of the cardstock and lightly traced around the outside and inside. (Note: Since I needed the mat opening to be a little smaller width-wise, I just made it that way by drawing a new line farther in from the existing line on each side.) Also, by placing the old mat on the corner end of the cardstock, I could make sure it was properly lined up and straight and it eliminated the need to cut those two sides. So next, I grabbed my x-acto knife, placed the ruler along each pencil line, and cut away. Of course, if you don’t have an x-acto knife, a scissors would work great too! :) Using the ruler as a guide to glide the knife along helped me to get nice straight edges. Last, I placed the new mats right on top of (or under if you’re looking at the back of the frame) the old in the frames and hung them. By using the old mats and placing them into the frame upside-down (with the beveled edge touching the actual photo and the flat edge against the new mat), it gave each frame a sort of mini-shadow box look. [Too hot for shirts in Arizona apparently.] [That’s my old (young) man on the left…all chill-like in Utah.] Hopefully someday I’ll find out the sure-to-be great stories from this trip. Until then, I’ll let Sebastian make up his own. ;) . . . *affiliate link to an x-acto knife very similar to the one I purchased
I love a good matted picture and frame, but sometimes they are so expensive! I sometimes just buy a cheap frame and matte and spray paint them to black frames and white matte. But, I had quite a collection of frames with no mattes. So, I made my own :) You will need: Scissors or an exacto knife a straight edge poster board or construction paper-I use white poster board because it doesn't fade like construction paper 1st Gather all your frames that are being matted. These don't have mattes, but are just pics from old National Geographics--I needed free art! 2nd Take the frames apart and trace the around the glass on poster board. Then cut it out! 3rd Place your straight edge on the edge of your poster board and trace until each side is done. 4th Poke your scissors through the middle part and cut around the inside edge of your tracing. 5th Put your frames back together and admire your work! melted crayon art by Hayley! This is a sneak peak of a project I'm working on! The dining room is painted finally!! When we first moved in, back in September, I knew I wanted to host Thanksgiving at our house--only problem was the dining room was awful! Same yellow off white paint from 1987, orangey old trim, and terrible lighting that I replaced with chandeliers. My mom is spectacular and came out and painted my whole living room and dining room for because I had a brand new baby and she knew my decorator brain was having a hard time staring at the old crap! In an apparent lapse of crazy, I picked this way too minty green color for the dining room. I blame the post-baby hormones! Almost immediately I knew it wouldn't work, but it did look significantly better than the old water stained in spots paint that was on the walls! It stayed green for 8 months... but I finally got around to painting it! I painted all the trim Marshmallow white-I love the name, but don't lick my trim! Then the walls are painted Ralph Lauren Cobblestone to match the living room. Here are a few pics of the paint difference: awwww better! -Make your life beautiful!! Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Homemaker on a Dime Making the World Cuter Dittle Dattle Skip to my Lou Add caption Add caption Tuesdays: Adiamond in the Stuff Coastal Charm Weekly Parties I Crash Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Custom picture frames can be pricey. But with these plans and free video tutorial, you can make your own DIY picture frame for a fraction of the price!
By now you realize that I’m a bit pin board crazy. You have to understand, in a home full of little artists you need plenty of spaces to display artwork, inspiration, and other items. So when I found this ugly picture of a cherub in a beautiful frame at Goodwill for a buck, I had […]
Learn how to make a patterned photo mat with wallpaper samples. This DIY is cheap and easy while creating a custom, high-end look.
Les vieux cadres sont parfaits pour décorer votre intérieur.
Invest in a simple mat cutter and the world of framing is at your fingertips. Cutting mats is easy, inexpensive, and takes your artwork to a new level. It looks custom, even if you buy a readymade frame from a store.What You Need:Materials:Mat boardArtwork Tools:Sharp straight blade, such a X-Acto knife or box cutterMat cutter, like this Logan 4000 Pull-Style CutterStraight edge rulerPencilProtective cutting surfaceStore bought frame Instructions:1. Make sure your cutting surface is clean.
Hey guys! I hopped on an airplane yesterday and landed in beautiful Utah for a couple days to attend a blog conference (hey, SNAP buddies!), so I just wanted to check in with a quick tutorial today from my living room gallery wall. Haven’t seen the wall yet? Be sure to head over there after…
Framed intaglios are something that I have always loved! They are just so beautiful and pleasing to the eye. I especially love when multiple intaglios are grouped together in a large gallery. If you have ever shopped for framed intaglios then you know firsthand that they are so expensive! Most framed intaglios retail at $300+
Before moving into my current apartment, I lived in a house with my sister for 6 years. After that long in one place, I had gotten my bedroom just PERFECT. My walls were painted the most beautiful …
Framed intaglios are something that I have always loved! They are just so beautiful and pleasing to the eye. I especially love when multiple intaglios are grouped together in a large gallery. If you have ever shopped for framed intaglios then you know firsthand that they are so expensive! Most framed intaglios retail at $300+
Order customized matboards and picture frames online. We ship to your door anywhere in Canada & the USA.
Use old cardboard to make a diy photo mat, perfect to add a dramatic flair to any photo or sign. Easy and simple to make!
Framed intaglios are something that I have always loved! They are just so beautiful and pleasing to the eye. I especially love when multiple intaglios are grouped together in a large gallery. If you have ever shopped for framed intaglios then you know firsthand that they are so expensive! Most framed intaglios retail at $300+
Custom artwork doesn't have to bust your decorating budget—get creative and try DIY wall art to make your home truly reflect your style.
There are few things more fun than shopping thrift stores to find the perfect piece for your home. I know this because I've been obsessed with decorating our house with thrift store finds for a few years now (aka I've been broke and desperate). But nonetheless, over the past few years, I've learned that you really don't have to have tons of money to decorate your house. It CAN be done on a budget, and thrift stores are a great way to make that happen. So, today I'm sharing my top 10 thrift store shopping tips to help you create a stylish home on a budget. If I can do it, I know you can, too. You just have to get creative and be willing to get your hands a little dirty. Let's get started. #1. Look For Colorful Accessories: When it comes to accessorizing your house, it's all about waiting for the right pieces and collecting things over time. Nearly every dish in our kitchen has come from a thrift store, and I've ended up with a much cooler collection of dishes than I would have if I had bought everything new. Here's a peek inside one of our cabinets. And my collection just keeps evolving over time as I find stuff I like. If you're curious about those chalkboard cabinets, go here. One of my favorite finds were these gold mugs for $1. #2. Keep An Open Mind: Have an idea of the things you need, but be willing to adjust your plan if you find something amazing. For example, a few weeks ago, I went looking for end tables and came home with a brass lantern. Sometimes you don't find what you're looking for, but instead find something else that you can use. I love repurposing old outdated chandeliers, and knew the minute I saw this one that I could make it amazing. I ended up spray painting the lantern and hanging it in the office. It was a super easy update and cost a fraction of the price that a new light fixture would have cost. Spray paint tips here. #3. Don't Be A Hoarder: When you love thrifting as much as I do, it's a slippery slope to go from 'collector' to 'hoarder'. So, before you buy something at a thrift store, make sure it's something you need. Just because it's a great deal doesn't mean you should take it home and hoard it in your garage for 2 decades. Like this bike. My heart told me I needed it, but my brain said 'You haven't been on bike in a decade. And the tire is flat.'. #4. Go Often & Be Patient: I don't always find something when I go thrifting. If I don't, it's okay. I just try again another day. So, if all you see is this weird Alf lamp... Just politely walk in the opposite direction and know that today wasn't your day. It will happen. You just have to keep trying. If at first you don't succeed, thrift, thrift again. #5. Look For Quality Furniture: Some thrift stores just suck when it comes to finding furniture with good bones. You know the sort of thrift store I speak of...the one that's been totally picked over. But, they're not all like that. I have the best luck finding good furniture when I visit the thrift stores near the nice parts of town. Don't get me wrong, you'll still find tons of junk in those, too, but your chances of finding the good stuff are much higher there. Look for pieces that have good lines, are in good condition, and can be easily be refinished/repurposed. I like to look for solid wood pieces with a good shape. Those pieces (above) are pretty typical of what I might find if I continually visit the 'good' stores for a few weeks. And below are a few ideas of what you can do with the stuff after you haul it home. The possibilities are truly endless. You can read about all 10 here. The below picture is of a wardrobe I found last month for under $100. This would be a great piece to update with a little paint and some new hardware. Or take this thrift store dresser I found for only $60. I didn't purchase it that day, but ended up getting an almost identical one on Craigslist months later. Here's the nearly identical one I found. As you can see, all I did was paint it white with some chalk paint and update the hardware. All in all, a really easy fix that anyone can do with a little elbow grease. Full tutorial here. Another great example...this crappy little desk I found for $10... I painted it and hung a mirror above it and now use it as a vanity table in my bedroom. I did something similar with our bedroom dresser. When I originally bought it for $50, it looked like this. And now it looks like this. Full tutorial here. #6. Look For Classic Pieces: Like a fancy gold mirror. That badboy cost me $7 and I hung it in our guest bedroom. Maybe I hung it a little high, but that's beside the point. #7. Think Re-purpose, Re-purpose, Re-purpose: See beyond what's there. See a chair with nice bones, but hate the upholstery? No problem...just reupholster it. And I realize that sounds easier said than done. But, I promise you can do it. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing the first time I tackled an upholstery job. It was kinda time consuming, and definitely made me want to cry half way through, but I eventually put that bad boy back together again. And now, with a few upholstery projects under my belt, it's really easy. In fact, see that green chair in the above picture? I did that one in just an hour or so. It looked like this when I brought it home: And then it eventually looked like the chair you saw in the above picture. You can go here to see my super quick way to upholster stuff. Speaking of chairs, last time I went thrifting, I saw these two chairs. They had great bones, but gross upholstery. There's so many things you could do to spruce up these chairs. They had a beautiful wood back, so I would remove the upper cushion, reupholster the seat cushion, and spray paint the entire wooden frame a bold glossy color...think navy or red. #8. Think Spray Paint: When buying thrift store decor, spray paint is your best friend. If you like the shape of something, you can always spray paint it. This applies to almost everything: lamps, art, accessories, small furniture, you name it. One of my favorite things to spray paint from thrift stores is old lamps. Here's an example of my latest lamp redo. All I did was spray paint the base silver and add a new lamp shade (with some black ribbon glued around the top and bottom). Full tutorial here. #9. Know Your Thrift Store: Ask the employees when they get new stuff and when the sale days are. I find the best stuff on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because that's when my favorite store puts out new stuff. Every store is different. Also, figure out the 'sweet spots' in your favorite store. My favorite store is huge, and I usually beeline to certain places when I first get there. Like the art wall. You have to think creatively. I saw this boat painting (which reminds me of this print that I found at this store years ago) and loved it. Had I bought it, I would have taken out the canvas, cut it smaller and framed it in a matted white frame. It would be really cool as part of a gallery wall in my hallway. #10. Save Money on Frames: I buy most of my frames at thrift stores and spray paint them. I save tons of money this way. Look for frames with nice detail and with a nice mat, then spray paint the frame AND the mat. For example, I brought home this junker for just a few bucks. Then I took it apart Remember that frog they made you dissect in 8th grade? Put that useless semester to WORK. And then I spray painted the frame silver and spray painted the mat white. And then I painted over the original artwork and added some sequins. And so this is just one idea of what you can do to old thrift store art. Full tutorial here. Another thrift store art idea? Just take an old painting (like this one) and paint right over it with some more vibrant colors and some gold leaf. Alright, ya'll. That's all for today. Thanks for being here, you know I appreciate it. For more thrift store ideas, you can check out the below post here. 'Til next time! Follow my blog with Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email! Enter your email address:
Order customized matboards and picture frames online. We ship to your door anywhere in Canada & the USA.
A quick and easy tip for preserving ink on handwritten recipes and frame letters as sentimental art in your home.
Easy cheap home decorations you can make with repurposed thrift store picture frames. Cheap and quick home decor DIY ideas for living room, kitchen, bedroom or entryway on a budget. How to make over old picture frames. #thriftstore #pictureframes #diy
Order customized matboards and picture frames online. We ship to your door anywhere in Canada & the USA.
