Asked on Nov 21, 2015
Oak picture frames, shabby chic? Color?
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I have all these oak frames that I would like to convert with some color/character to make a wall collage. A DIY project that is easy as I have no artsy bones in my body:( thanks in advance
21 answers
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Spray paint!
Lorie
on Nov 22, 2015
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Depending on your style one thing you can try is chalk painting them all white and overlapping them to create one piece by gluing them . But take out the glass just use the frames themselves
Cheryl
on Nov 22, 2015
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Just get you a can of spray paint, clean the frames well & let dry, scuff up the surface with some steel wool then spray on the paint. Ta-da you have new frames! If they have glass in them be sure to take the glass out before painting. Add photos of family & friends then hang together to make a gallery wall or you can use pretty paper for art.
Sherry Fram
on Nov 22, 2015
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Choosing your color will depend on where you are going to use them.You can also dress them up with decopauge should that be your style.
Janet Pizaro
on Nov 22, 2015
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I too had a lot of frames, I spray painted them with white paint & didn't mind that it didn't cover completely. I had a big blank wall in my bedroom. I put them up , some insde each other & let the paint on the wall be the background. Oh i forgot to say that I used only the frames. Ï
Janet Sackschewsky
on Nov 22, 2015
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If Shabby Chic is the style of the room you want them for, go for it. Colors - choose two, one white or off white, and one that's an accent color in your room. Paint the accent color first, any kind of paint, and it doesn't have to be perfect. When it's dry, paint your lighter color, dry and sand spots to see the first color through a little.
Marilee H
on Nov 22, 2015
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Spray paint is your friend! I don't care what color the frame is to start, I paint them black. Black frames look good on most wall colors and don't fade or yellow like white paint does. I have painted mine in flat black, satin, or high gloss...they still match and look very chic.
Sharrell Kilgore
on Nov 23, 2015
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Spray paint for sure. However, if you want to place colour photos in each for a group hanging, I would consider painting all the frames in white for some 'pop' once on the wall. If on the other hand you want to place B&W photos in all, then black frames would be the way to go.
Diana Cromarty
on Nov 24, 2015
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I like wrapping simple frames in (torn) strips of old fabric. Granny chic? Why, yes. Yes it is.
Lynn
on Nov 24, 2015
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If you're looking for shabby chic, you can get great ideas if you go to the designer who actually started the craze: Rachel Ashwell. Her website http://www.shabbychic.com/ will give you lots of ideas to get the look. There are other people (both DIYers and pros) who use a shabby look with other colors too. But if you're going for the 'original' she uses pale pink, pale blue, whites, and occasionally pale green. The color you use on these frames actually depends on the color scheme you're planning to use in your own room. The "how to" is pretty simple: Paint the frame in the color of your choice (flat not high gloss paint) then lightly sand off a few of the areas that are 'high points' ...like edges, etc. You can use chalk paint or regular latex. I've used both and it works well for this type of project. Also....now how to hang them. Well, it always makes a bigger statement if you use them all in one place rather than spread them out over the room/walls. Google (or search here on HT) for 'gallery walls'. You'll find tons of ways to position your frames nicely on your wall space. The real trick is to play around with the positioning of them on the floor till you get something you like. Then put them on the wall. They don't have to be perfectly placed but usually I like to leave about the same width between the frames as the width of the frame(s) themselves. So for 3" wide frames, I'd leave about 3" between each frame. Have fun! With the shabby chic look, 'imperfect' is perfect :-)
CK
on Nov 24, 2015
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If you want shabby chic, soft colors are the way to go as they are the very definition of that style. If you paint some a nice soft white and then choose any other color that works well in your space and do a softer version of it. (you can experiment by taking paint that you may already have on hand and adding a little white to it until you get the shade of that color that you want. You also don't have to worry about painting them perfectly because shabby chic is a rather forgiving style and if a little of your wood showed through here and there that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. The greatest thing about painting something is if you try it one way and don't like it, you can always start over until you get the look you want!
The Redesign Habit
on Nov 24, 2015
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I would also paint them white with spray paint and then find some stationary paper with pink roses and cut to use as the matting around your pictures.
Janet chambers
on Nov 25, 2015
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I had these exact same frames. I painted them all black, let them dry and then, if neccesary,depending on what type of paint was used, sprayed. the frames with a fast-drying clear matte sealent. Prior to hanging, I'd pre-selected family photos mounted on/in white framing mats which I spread out on the floor and moved around until I figured out what would look best on the wall. I like these frames hung fairly closely together on one wall. I should also add that you can use a variety of frames, the shape, size, texture doesnt matter just as long as they are painted with the exact same color of paint (I prefer black, natch). You can also use different textures of paint or materials but remember to always use the same color of paint, that way you can always add or remove to your "collection". Good luck with your frames!
Michelle Bradley
on Nov 27, 2015
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Paint them with unicorn spit
Sally C Reyes
on Nov 28, 2015
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It all depends on your decor...black or white spray paint or if the decor look is rustic or shabby chic then white chalkpaint/wax/distress lightly and finish with dark wax (can always lighten if you put too much dark was with more clear wax).
Louise Adkins
on Nov 28, 2015
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turquoise paint, flat or chalk.
Jennifer Rapp
on Nov 30, 2015
- See 1 previous
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gold
Paula
on Dec 02, 2015
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silver or copper!
Lori
on Dec 04, 2015
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These are not oak. However, paint or stain them a uniform color to tie together your inserts whatever they may be. Organize them on the floor before nailing the wall.
Taffetal
on Dec 06, 2015
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I wonder how they would look with some crackle on the too to add to the old aged look
Rhonda Humphreys
on Dec 06, 2015
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Depending on what room you plan on hanging the frames, perhaps a transparent stain or milk paint? Once completed apply a clear matte quick drying spray to preserve the finish. The clear spray will make cleaning the frames in the years to come so much easier that you wont dread the task!
Michelle Bradley
on Jan 23, 2016
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