Easy DIY: Taped Frames
I do lots of crazy stuff around my studio that I don't always is that DIY story worthy if you know what I mean. Most bloggers put so much effort and hours into their DIY posts but me... Oh gosh, I wing it and hope it doesn't flop! I know you guys must be thinking I'm nuts for posting this extra simple DIY stuff but I have to write about things that matter to me first, you know? I like it, it makes me happy. And then I just sorta hope they matter to you and give you some creative ideas, too.
Today's DIY is the perfect example. It's not elaborate at ALL but maybe you've never thought of it or tried it so it may be a fun new idea to you. This idea came when I was looking at some artwork in neon lucite frames and thought that I would love to have neon frames in my studio... So I went out and bought some paint and was seriously all geared up to paint wooden frames when I thought - what if I paint the frames made for my original pieces of art (I collect lots from Jennifer Davis) and then, in 6 months, I hate the frames? It's not easy to custom frame all over again or even affordably.
Then I wondered if certain colors would even look good. Gosh, why was I so scared to paint a stupid frame? Again, I think it had to do with how these were custom made for my artwork by Jennifer herself and I really cherish the originals and don't want to ruin them. Then I though, "Oh whatever, loosen up" and pulled out my paint. Suddenly I thought WAIT. I walked over to my stacks and stacks of washi tape, grabbed a roll in the same color as my paint pot and taped up only the sides of my frame to see how the color looked before I committed to painting. BUT a cool thing happened. The tape works just fine. In fact, if you lay the tape on perfectly straight, cut it with scissors perfectly straight on each end and do two layers without any overlap AT ALL it actually looks like paint - even when you stand pretty close. A bit relieved, I put the paint away, hung the first piece and feel that sudden DIY glow - you know, when you do something that wasn't an epic fail. Ha!
I sometimes think my random little ideas don't matter, that everyone else must be doing this stuff too, but then it dawned on me that often it's the little easy things that we overlook and miss out on trying. This makes me want to keep sharing my mini projects. I hope that you enjoy them!
Have you taped up the sides of frames before? Here are some I worked on and wrote about a million years ago (ok in 2009) on IKEA frames - check it out, you may like that easy idea too!
(images: holly becker for decor8)