Options When Aging a Picture Frame

Series Summary

Centuries ago, working with one’s hands was an honorable way to make a living. People have not lost their connection to such skills. Many arts and crafts that exist today in some ways reflect an attention to craftsmanship and detail that echoes a pre-industrial way of life. Other crafts are practiced by groups of friends who share a common interest. Still, some arts and crafts are favorite hobbies for people who like to work with their hands. In this free crafts video series, you will learn how to give picture frames an aged, or antique look. You will get tips on choosing and preparing a frame, various painting techniques and adding additional touches to your creation. Get started now and have some beautiful frames to put your favorite pictures and photos in.

Video Transcript

"And what I'm going to show you is how to age a frame. You can start with a plain ordinary stained frame. You can also use a previously painted frame and you turn this into this look. It's using three to four coats of paint. One is your dark undercoat. The next is the little bit of yellow showing through like it's been painted more than once and then up here is a little bit of dark blue which can, just gives it a little more texture. Here I have a crackle design. And if you've not done crackle it's a lot of fun but there is a technique to it so I'm going to show you that today. Another technique you can use is a little bit less detail on it. this is basically just a standard stained frame. Then you pick whatever color top coat you want and you paint that on. Once it's dry you take sandpaper and then you hit every place that's a high place where it would naturally have worn. This is more of a basic look and the one most commonly found. This one takes a little more steps to do but is well worth it. And that's what I'm going to show you today."