Frugal Wall Art Idea!

Rose Knows Coupons has come up with the cutest idea for some art work that won’t break the bank but will look so nice on your wall.

Tools:
Scissors
Hammer
4' Level
Tape Measure

Materials:
(9) Picture Frames
(1) Can of Spray Paint (Color of your choice)
(9) Pieces of Scrapbook Paper (Your choice design)

Step 1: Buy the frames you will need for your project

Our plan for this project is to lay out the frames in a 3×3 square pattern, however you could change this up by putting the frames in a straight line, follow an arc, or even the angle of a staircase. We found our 12″x12″ frames at Michaels during a sale where they were marked down to $3.99.

Step 2: Paint the frames

The frames usually come in black, white or red. In order to match the other accessories in the room we wanted to paint the frames a chocolate brown. Take apart the frames and remove the glass. Wipe off any dust or other particles with a clean cloth. Proceed to spray several light coats of paint on the frames allowing about 20 minutes for the paint to dry between coats. Remember to always paint in a well ventilated area and that it is always better to do several light coats of paint rather than one or two heavy coats. This will give you a nice even coverage while avoiding drips or runs in the paint. To avoid a sore pointer finger I suggest buying a Rust-Oleum Spray Grip which is a universal handle for spray cans.

Step 3: Design your layout

While the paint is drying you can lay out the design on the wall. Measure the outside width of the frame and decide how much of a gap you want between the frames. We went with a 3″ gap and the frames were approximately 13″ wide. We spaced the nails at 16″ on center both horizontally and diagonally. The Black and Decker Accu Mark Level makes short work of this step.

Step 4: Insert scrapbook paper into frames

Once the frames are dried you can now place the scrapbook paper in the frames. If you are using 12″x12″ scrapbook paper you do not need to trim the paper, however if you are using a different size paper or frame you will have to first trim your scrapbook paper to fit. Use the cardboard backing from the frame as your template when trimming the scrapbook paper to ensure a perfect fit. You can also leave out the glass if you desire. On this project we decided to leave the glass out as some of the paper was textured and the glass took away from that extra dimension.

Step 5: Hang your frames

You can now hang your pictures on the wall. Set the level across the tops of the rows of frames and along the vertical edge of the frames to level and align them to each other. This is how you will get nice straight lines and a very clean look.


Step 6: Change out the paper as desired

Our favorite part about this project is that when we get tired of the scrapbook paper that is in the frames we can easily change it out and give the wall a completely new look for just a few dollars. Another great idea is to use holiday themed scrapbook paper when decorating your house for the holidays.