How to Paint Picture Frames

I mean, pink is my favorite color… and it is approaching Valentine’s Day…. and I do have a new baby granddaughter…

All reasons to create something to feature this bright and sassy Prickly Pear pink!

Coincidentally, my daughter had just sent me all the beautiful pictures from baby Evie’s newborn photo shoot.

As soon as I saw the photos, I knew I was going to need some more picture frames.

A lot more picture frames…

And you know what? Pictures frames are expensive these days.

Even if you wait to get them for 50% off at Hobby Lobby, you’re likely to spend at least 10 bucks apiece.

Lucky for me, I had a bunch of old picture frames stored in the basement from when my children were small.

Unlucky for me, most of them were dusty, outdated, and ugly.

And if you don’t already have old frames, you can almost always find some just like these for a buck or so each at thrift stores, or even the dollar store.

With some paint, some craft store embellishments, and a little bit of creativity, you can make old picture frames fabulous again!

How to Paint Picture Frames

1. Disassemble

Begin by carefully removing the back and the glass from the frames.

Most frames come all apart, but you may have a couple like I did that won’t completely disassemble.

That’s okay, simply use blue painter’s tape to protect the parts where you don’t want paint.

2. Clean

Since we are working with old and possibly dusty frames in this project, you will want to clean the frames really well before painting.

For this project, I sprayed down each frame with Dixie Belle’s Pristine Clean, allowed it to sit a minute, and then wiped it off with a paper towel to make sure I had a nice, clean surface to work with.

For the glass, I used Perfect Glass, which has been my go-to window cleaner for years. It’s streak-free every time.

3. Prep

Pay attention to the type of material your frames are made from.

Some of my frames were wood, which will hold the paint well on its own, but some of my frames were a very smooth plastic or metal.

How to paint a metal or plastic picture frame?

Dixie Belle makes a great product called Slick Stick, that helps your paint adhere to slick surfaces such as these.

Simply smooth it on as a base coat, and allow it to dry overnight. Then, you’re all set for paint!

4. Paint

What kind of paint to use on picture frames?

For this project, I used Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint, as well as paint from Dixie Belle’s Silk line. Both worked equally well.

Because I had several frames to paint, I had so much fun trying out several of the beautiful Dixie Belle paint colors.

Choosing paint colors

If you plan to display your frames together as a grouping, consider selecting paint colors that complement each other.

For my frames, I selected a variety of similar neutrals, with a pop of fun color on just a couple of the frames.

Since I wanted these photos for holding pictures of baby girl Evelynn, using some of the pink shades was a perfect choice.

Plus, these pink colors also made frames that are lovely to set out for Valentine’s Day home decor. 💕

What type of brush do I need for DIY Painting Picture Frames?

Choosing the correct brush for the job is important. Because these frames are not large, I didn’t need a big honkin’ brush.

Dixie Belle makes several smaller-sized brushes that are perfect for tasks like this one. Their small round brush worked great for most of my frames.

For my smallest, heart-shaped frame, the glass was not removable, so an artist’s brush was ideal to delicately paint the frame without getting any on the glass.

(I buy them in bulk so I always have the size I need on hand.)

5. Embellish

After your paint has dried for several hours (I let mine dry overnight), it’s time to think about embellishments that will add interesting details to your frames.

Painted Picture Frame Ideas

This frame started out as several shades of brown. After some Slick Stick primer and a couple of coats of Dixie Belle’s Silk paint in Oyster, it was already looking so much better.

The finishing touch was using some brown Best Dang Wax, and working it into the pretty details of the frame to highlight them.

How to Paint a Picture Frame to Make it Look Vintage

The easiest way to paint a picture frame and make it look vintage is to distress it. You can accomplish this by either adding paint, or taking it away.

Take paint away by lightly sanding your frame with a fine-grit sanding sponge to remove little bits of paint here and there, focusing on the edges where natural wear would occur (you can see this method used on my Vintage Magazine Rack Upcycle).

Add paint by using a small brush to highlight ridges, crevices, and interesting details on your frames.

Attaching Details to Your Frames

There are also so many things you could attach to your frames to make them unique and one-of-a-kind.

• buttons
• ribbon
• coins
• craft supplies
• old jewelery
• beads
• Scrabble tiles
• keys
• wood craft pieces
• rhinestones
• stickers
• feathers
• sea shells
• wine corks
• sea glass
• mosaic tile pieces (for a stained glass effect)

For this fun “key to my heart” photo frame, I used woodcraft keys and painted them with Dixie Belle’s Bronze Gilding Wax to give them an antiqued look.

Then, I just hot glued them to the photo mat that came with the frame.

For a little bit more interest, I then used an art brush and added some more Gilding Wax into the ridges around the frame.

More Picture Frame Ideas

I decided to make one of my frames work specifically for Valentine’s Day decor.

For this frame, I used the beautiful new Prickly Pear color and gave the old oak frame two coats of vibrant pink.

Then, I used craft Scrabble tiles to spell out the word “LOVE” and just hot glued them right on the edge of the frame.

So easy, but so adorable.

I loved it so much, I did another frame the same way, using Tea Rose pink this time.

This beautiful frame is painted with Dixie Belle’s Endless Shore Silk paint, and embellished with pearly sticker strips from Hobby Lobby.

Hard to believe it started out looking this, don’t you think?

6. Display

I created a display with my painted frames on the vintage buffet I bought last fall. (Yes, it’s still waiting for its makeover as soon as the weather warms up enough to work outside again.)

With the addition of a fluffy faux fur table runner and some pretty pink flowers, it’s a beautiful way to showcase our sweet grandbaby’s photos.

Plus, it works perfectly for meaningful Valentine’s Day decor. I mean, what better way to decorate for Valentine’s Day than to create a display of people you love? 💕

Final Thoughts on How to Paint Picture Frames

Upcycles like this are my favorite kind of projects!

When you paint your own picture frames, you save money, you save junk from the landfills, and you get to create your own custom frames to perfectly suit your purpose or home decor.

And because this upcycle is all about picture frames, the pièce de résistance is that you get to fill your frames with photos of your favorite people. 💕

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Shop for the Dixie Belle supplies used in this post:

• Dixie Belle’s Pristine Clean
• Dixie Belle’s Slick Stick
• Dixie Belle Synthetic Brushes
• Dixie Belle Gilding Wax in Bronze
• Dixie Belle Tea Rose Chalk Mineral Paint
• Dixie Belle Endless Shore Silk Paint
• Dixie Belle Oyster Silk Paint
• Dixie Belle Best Dang Wax in brown
• Sanding Sponge
• WOODUBEND embellishments