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Craft Tutorials | Adult Crafts | DIY Gift ideas | Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

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Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

 

Last fall I visited a local flea market and found a truly amazing vintage farmhouse window. It was grubby and grimy and needed a lot of elbow grease to get it clean, but I knew exactly where I was going to hang it. At first I thought of painting a plank of wood to make a vintage looking sign, but I just kept putting it off. Then I found these pretty botanical book pages and knew just what I wanted to do.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsHave you ever had that happen? You see something and suddenly everything comes together in your mind? That’s what happened to me with these book pages I found at the Randolph Street Market in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. As soon as I saw these I immediately envisioned them framed and hanging above that old farmhouse window I found at the flea market in September. I knew the color I wanted too… Robin’s Egg Blue. And I knew right where I wanted it all to go.

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

The look I was going for was – country. The book pages reminded me of pretty wild flowers that grow in the summer. The old farmhouse window was discovered in a barn covered in grime and straw. I live in a small town surrounded on all sides by lakes and farms. I buy my beef from the farmer and am not bothered by the hustle and bustle of bumper to bumper traffic like my Illinois neighbors. I enjoy the beauty of sprawling country roads every day.

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

I had a blank wall in a small area where the door to my backyard meets my kitchen and the basement stairs. You come inside and turn to go into the kitchen, or just head straight down the stairs. It’s not a pretty area, really plain and houses my garbage can and recycling can. Not glamourous at all. The wall was empty. I’ve had several ideas of what to put there, but as soon as I came across this window I knew that was where it was going.

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

I love the new look of this formerly empty, boring area. It’s bright and cheery and has a charming country feel. I can look at it anytime I want from the kitchen. That makes me smile. :) On another wall in that same area I was thinking of picking up some old milk bottles from the flea market and using these printable vintage labels on them. I think that would look great!

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsHere’s what the window looked like when I bought it. I paid $10.00 for it!

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

When I sit down at my craft table, I don’t always know exactly what I’m going to do until I’m sitting there. I knew I wanted the frames to be blue, but hadn’t decided on the finish just yet. So I went ahead and removed the glass and inserts from the frames. I chose some $5 Walmart frames that were a litte ornate. I knew I’d be painting them anyway, so the color didn’t matter.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsThen I gave them a good couple coats of white spray primer.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsOnce the primer was dry I knew I needed to paint and glaze them, but I hadn’t decided on the exact color yet. I had a paint color actually called “Robin’s Egg Blue” but I also had a very similar color of Martha’s paint called “Surf”. I pulled out the tintable glaze and a brown paint called Chestnut Brown.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsThe next thing that happened was totally on accident. I discovered a new way to create a faux finish that I really liked. It looks like old peeling paint. I’m sure there has to be someone out there that’s done this too, I know I can’t be the only one.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsHere’s some close ups…

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

What happened was I needed to decide which paint color to use, so I grabbed a plain wood plank and sprayed it with primer. When it was dry I painted two sections with the different colors. Apparently I was a bit impatient when I put the glaze over the top, because when I wiped it off, some of the blue paint came off too. That’s when I realized how cool this mistake really was!

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsSo after the primer was dry, I brushed on the paint I chose – Martha Stewart Surf. The key here is to let it dry until tacky, but not completely dry. You want to be able to rub a bit of it off after all.

Aged Frames with Botanical Prints

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsApply the tinted glaze with a brush, then using a light touch wipe off the excess.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsAfterward, use a little firmer touch the wipe again, this time wiping some of the blue off along with the glaze.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsAlternate light and firm wiping until it’s to your liking. For the ornate areas, use a dry paintbrush to wipe out any excess glaze. Be sure to rub off the blue paint on raised ornate areas.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsWhile the frames were drying, I trimmed the book pages with my paper cutter. I didn’t have any mattes, so I used some recycled gift boxes I had left over from Christmas :) Once I measured and trimmed the boxes to fit the frames, I sprayed the back of the botanical prints with spray adhesive and smoothed them out onto the make shift mattes.

Aged Frames with Botanical PrintsThen put them into the frames. :)

Let me know if you try the method I described here to create a faux paint peel. I know I’ll be trying it again!

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Comments

  2. Cindi Witker says

    Love your picture frames and the old window!
    I recently refinished a big chest – like a hope/cedar type chest, about 4 feet long.
    I had painted it several times over the years, it is made from a cheap wood that I had to assemble and bought from a discount store. So you get the picture, it is not a valuable piece.
    However there is something I love about it. So I did a chalk paint finish with chalk paint that I made myself from a recipe I found on line. Then I distressed it with sand paper.
    Now it has another life – again!
    Just wanted to share, thank you! Cindi

    Reply

  5. Kristen says

    I have some plain wood craft frames purchased from Michaels. Do you think the tinting is a good idea for something like that? Just use the same method, right?

    Reply

  11. Patty says

    I just finished these and they came out great. love love them. thanks so much Amanda, you’re the best!!

    Reply

  12. Rachel says

    Did you use acrylic paint? I live in the country and don’t have access to the Martha Stewart paints. Also, what type of glaze should I be looking for?

    Reply

    • admin says

      Yes the Martha Stewart paint is acrylic, so you can use your favorite brand. I did use the Martha Stewart tintable glaze pictured in the post, but there are plenty out there. Another good one is glazing medium by Americana :)

      Reply

  13. Jill says

    Love this look! And I’m totally jealous about the beautiful window. Can’t believe you paid $10 for it!! Great site – bookmarked it for later. Thanks!

    Reply

  14. Kathy says

    OMG, I am so impressed with your creativity!! The frame paint/glaze is so pretty! If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of glaze do you use (I’ll go back to look again since I may have missed it!)? ALSO, love the use of gift boxes for matting! I have a ton of those & I’m all about re-using, re-purposing!! :)
    Blessings—Kathy
    PS—-I’m your newest follower & so glad to have found you via Pinterest!!!

    Reply

    • admin says

      Hi Kathy, and thanks! :) The glaze I used on this project was martha stewart tintable glaze tined with the brown paint pictured in the post :) So glad you found me too :)

      Reply

  15. LynB says

    This is a fabulous technique and I must give it a try! I’m all about getting the vintage/shabby look in as little time as possible!

    Reply

  20. troika says

    the original ideas and techniques you used are inspiring and wonderful and you made beautiful execution. however, as a composition-minded artist (arrangements), i would have enjoyed the wallscape so much more had you hung all three frames even with each other. the higher one in the middle makes the arrangement look odd and keeps my eye jumping.

    congrats on your eye when searching vintage items–inspired choices. too bad you have to shop at the evil empire for your new supplies.

    thanks for the post and exquisitely manifested instructions.
    Troika

    Reply

  23. JILL S. says

    I love the way your frames turned out. The old window looks beautiful and the entire arrangement is so lovely. You really have “the” touch to decorate. Thanks for showing us!

    Reply

  26. Kathy says

    I have wanted to ‘antique’ a bedroom dresser, in white. I think this would work? My concern is getting a consistent finish on a large piece, any suggestions?

    Reply

    • admin says

      The only thing I can suggest would be to work in sections. Don’t try to apply the glaze to too large of an area or it will be too dry by the time that you get back to wipe it off. :)

      Reply

  27. Nancy says

    Love everything about this. Thanks for sharing ALL the ideas. I have a very hard time thinking up creative ideas, but I am pretty darned good at copying!

    Reply

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