Monogram Wood Frame Tutorial

So I hope everyone is busy making Christmas presents for those on their lists! Handmade gifts are so thoughtful and full of love. Here at Artsy Chaos, we've been working on some projects including this monogram wood frame. This is a great project because you can customize with whatever papers and paints suit your fancy!

Let's get started! First off, I painted the front and sides of the frame with black acrylic paint. Spray paint would work as well. There is a reasoning behind the madness of painting the frame black first! When we arrive at the distressing stage, the black peeks through the top layer of paint.

After the black base coat dries well, paint the front and sides the color of your choice. I chose grey because it seems to be all the rage these days!

Next is the distressing part. I don't mean distressing as in pain-causing, gosh! Ha! Grab some sand paper or a sturdy nail fine and sand the sides and edges of the frame so that the black paint is exposed. You can certainly distress as much or as little as you would like. I like to seal everything up next so I used a non-toxic clear varnish to give a nice top coat. 

While the frame is fully drying, pick out some patterned paper to coordinate with your frame. I think the thicker, cardstock type of scrapbook paper works best. Cut the paper to fit the back of your frame. Use a little craft glue such as Alene's to adhere the paper to the back of the frame. Let this fully dry!

The next step is to add your monogram. I used a vinyl letter and just adhered it to the center of the paper. Use your imagination though, you could add a hand-stitched letter, a chipboard letter or even paint one on the paper!

You will be needing something to hang your frame and ribbon works great. I cut a piece of ribbon 2' long and glued to the back of the finished frame using an epoxy glue. I think you could also use a hot glue gun for this part. The finished frame could also sit in a small decorative easel for a fun look if you don't want it to hang.

And you're done! Easy peasy, right? I added some additional ribbons and then hung my new monogram. :)

There are so many uses for these frames! Let your imagination run wild. There are also different styles of the frame.

Interested in purchasing a frame? Click HERE to go shopping! Happy crafting!

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