DIY Faux Vintage Frame Using Air Dry Clay
I love vintage ornate frames! They are so beautiful and unique. I want to show you a way to create your own ornate frame using air dry clay, a silicone mold, and paint.
I started with this cheap plastic frame. I did apply a gold paint to the frame, prior to starting the project.
I found this air dry clay locally. It is a basic clay; but holds up well. You can find air dry clay at most crafts stores.
I used this silicone mold for the project. I ordered this a couple years ago; and had it on hand. You can easily find silicone molds on Amazon.
I rolled the clay out in a snake form, and then pressed it into the trim I wanted to use.
Once the clay was pressed into the mold, I used a butter knife to trim the excess clay from the sides.
I also chose to trim the top off the clay as well. This helped prevent any unnecessary thickness on the final mold.
After all excess clay was trimmed, this is what it looked like.
When it comes to removing the clay from the silicone mold, make sure to be very careful. I would suggest turning the mold upside down, starting from the top, and gently bending the mold back. The clay should easily fall out.
It took about 2 days for the clay to dry and harden.
Some pieces broke as they were being removed from the silicone mold. That is ok. You may need them when creating the frame.
After I made a few trims, I placed them around the frame to make sure I had enough. This is where the broken pieces come in handy. They are perfect for corners and gaps.
I decided to paint the clay trim a gold color. I had this paint on hand; and it was the perfect vintage gold.
I also used this gold for the frame as well.
I simply applied the paint to the clay with a paint brush.
***Make sure the clay has hardened before painting.***
This is what the trim looked like after the paint was applied.
After the gold paint was applied to the clay trim, I added a dark wax to create a vintage effect.
I used a brush to apply the wax as well. When it comes to wax, a little can go a long way!
I would suggest dabbing the brush on a paper towel before applying to your painted trim.
You can see the difference the wax makes. It adds a nice vintage finish.
Once the trim is dry, painted, and waxed, I used hot glue to apply it to the frame.
I would highly suggest using a stronger glue. The hot glue hasn't held up very well. I always suggest E6000 Glue for most projects.
When gluing the trim to the frame, you can use the broken pieces to fill in the gaps. I tried to match up the pattern of the trim when doing this.
Don't worry about the white color from the clay. You can easily add paint over it, once applied to the frame.
I continued to glue the trim around the frame, until it was complete.
I really love how it turned out! You would never guess it was clay!
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can also glue x mold trim while ‘wet’ x let dry in place. your work is lovely
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I always use hot glue in my molds. It's flexible, drys fast, and is easy to cut.
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