Turning a Thrift Store Frame into Something Special - Leafy Tree Top Frame TUTORIAL

This is kind of a fun day for me. One of my favorite bloggers Shannon from luvinthemommyhood invited me to be part of her Babyhood Bonanza.

click on the button above to see all of the amazing guest tutorials

 If you haven't gone over for a visit you must go check out all of the great tutorials.  Great for you if you are expecting or have a new little one and also great gift ideas!
 
If you are new to Lily&Thistle, I welcome you.  I hope you will feel free to have a look around follow along if you'd like.


OK, on to the tutorial.  Today I'll show you how to take an inexpensive thrift store picture frame and turn it into something beautiful for your nursery or little ones' bedroom.  Also, I'm offering the print pictured for free...just scroll down to download it and print it out!

Go to your local thrift store (or your garage) and find a frame (I found a frame and a mat). You can usually find a pretty good quality frame for around two dollars.

My mat was a little large for my frame so I simply traced the back insert and cut my mat to fit.

Enjoy the magic and wonder of spray paint and paint both the frame and mat.

A whole new frame...almost.  We'll be needing those cupcake papers soon...you'll see...and the cherry blossoms.

If you choose to go with the print I'm offering below, you can embellish it a bit using those cupcake papers.  Just fold your cupcake paper into thirds and cut the top off....ta da! you now have a really cute skirt!

Now you can use some inexpensive acrylic paint (you know the kind in the 98 cent bottles at Walmart?) and paint your mat the color you'd like...mine was robin egg blue.

Here's a close up of the new textured skirt...I just used glue dots to adhere it.

After you put everything together, get your trusty hot glue gun out (or your glue of choice) and then adhere a branch or two (or whatever decoration you'd like) to your frame....almost done.

On the back of your frame (if you'd like it to hang from a ribbon) just use thumb tacks and tack it to the back on both sides.

Done and done!  Enjoy!


A word about the print:  I have always loved this particular adaptation from  this poem.  In fact as a young girl, I made a special frame for it at our church's girls camp.  As a mother of three girls, princesses will probably be a big part of life.  I want my girls to remember and to know that they truly are and always will be princesses in a very real way.  I think this poem expresses that perfectly.  I hope you will enjoy (also, if you'd like the hair and skin personalized in this picture, let me know and I'll change them for you for a small fee).

click HERE to download and print