Upcycle old frames….I’ll show you how!

Picture frames are expensive, in this post I will show you how I upcycle old decorative pictures, using the frame and original photo mat.  I found these little jems on a Facebook swap page for $8!  I love facebook swap pages for finding projects to upcycle.  These flower pictures are cute – but I had an idea to upcycle the frames and use them in the man cave.  (flowers won’t fly down there)

First, I removed the backing and the original photo and matting.

I found these images of a 68 Chevy Camaro online in a clip art file. They will work perfectly in my upcycled frames!

I edited the images using PicMonkey, a simple picture editing program.  I added a “smudge” background and cropped the image to fit the original photo matting in the upcycled frames.  I printed the finished image on my printer and trimmed the edges.

Next I used Elmers stick glue and double sided tape to adhere the photo copy to the original photo mat from the upcycled frame.

Once the glue was dry, I assemble the new upcycled image into the old frame.

Next step – Hang them up!  Mike insisted on using these Chevrolet valve covers that he had painted ORANGE!!! These suckers were giving me a headache!  Orange was not in the color scheme in the man cave!!  I have to admit, after I gave in and incorporated them into the design, I love the pop of color!

Keep in mind when hanging photos, not to hang them so high on the wall that your guests have to stand up and crank their head back to see them!  Hang them low~  And fill your space, play with the layout design until you like it!!!  I’ll post more later on how to create a great wall!  Until then, go upcycle some old frames!!!