Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Spray Paint A Frame

Please sing this to the tune of The Brady Bunch Theme Song.

Here’s the story… of two cheap black framies…

Art Update1

… found at Target and then spray painted bright white…

Art Update2

… then they both looked pretty sleek… like twin brothers…

Art Update3

… they make me want to twirl.

Art Update4

Ok, that didn’t quite work out like I hoped. But I’m sure you got the crux of the story. I grabbed two inexpensive black frames at Target (they didn’t come in white and I think they were $21), sprayed them with the same built-in-primer-plus-spray-paint that I always use (Rustoleum Universal in Satin White), let them dry, and then framed some prints (like the one I mentioned here) which had been sitting around giving me the stink eye for a while.

For those looking for framing specifics, I just flipped the paper that came in the frame over (so it was white) and centered the print on that, taped it down gently with loops of tape in each corner, and popped that behind glass. We’ve heard from framing experts that it’s best to use mats so your print doesn’t touch the glass (which I guess over time can cause issues) but we’ve used this method with inexpensive prints for the last 7 years or so and they’re still going strong. But maybe if you have a super spendy item that you love (or you’re framing something in an especially humid/moist room) it’s probably better to do the traditional cut-mat thing instead of just the quick-fix of using white paper behind it to create a faux mat like ours.

Art Update5

This is the other print. Forgive me for trying hard but apparently not hard enough to get a few close ups of this one (they all had crazy-weird reflections in the glass). But if you click over here, you can see it perfectly since they’re pros so their shots are nicer. Haha. We got the 17 x 23″ print for $26 and the frame that we used had a 22 x 28″ opening – so it just floats in the middle.

Art Update6

I love how both prints are animal related. Are we sensing a theme? I’m that crazy cat lady. But instead of just keeping the focus on felines I’ve somehow managed to work narwhals and eagles and bears and manatees into the mix. Oh yes, it’s a diverse cast of animals around these parts.

Art Update7

I love how it goes with my crazy HomeGoods pillow and the seven on the wall (which is actually the letter L from a Dollar Tree sign that we got secondhand).

Art Update8

And for those asking where I hung the bee painting that I got for John… oh… a few years ago (!!!)… it finally found a home. Strike up the band. Seriously. Someone. Anyone? Can I get a little cowbell?

Art Update9

The bee painting actually now resides with the awesome Burger portrait that I got from my friend Lesli for my birthday (mentioned here). I loved it leaning casually on the mantel, but giving it a true spot on the wall with the bees was sweet. Two birthday paintings sitting together like old pals. Ohemgee and I just realized these are two more animal-related things. I officially need some sort of professional help. Am I an animal portrait hoarder? Is there some sort of county quota for how many animals I’m allowed to have in the house if they’re of the painted and ceramic variety? I hope not. You guys will pay my bail if there is, right? Or are you going to give me tough love and make me sell them on craigslist to make bail?

Art Update10

Wait, I just realized that this should be categorized as a “Dude, Get On That Already” challenge! It’s definitely something that I’ve been meaning to get on for a few months (well, in the case of the bees, a few years). Yesssss. I did it. I actually got on that, yo. Now I only have 100 other things to paint/hang/figure out. Just sitting in the playroom. Mocking me. You know I’ll keep you posted!

What have you guys been tackling that’s way overdue? Any frame-spraying or art-hanging going on in your neck of the woods? Have you ever noticed some crazy theme when it comes to the subject of the art you’re most drawn to? Tell us we’re not alone in our Noah’s-Arc-ish love of mass quantities of animals.

Psst- Speaking of updates in song, check out Clara dancing (raving?) her heart out over on Young House Life. It’s official, I’ve been dethroned as the best dancer in our house.

Comments

  1. Kate says

    Wait, I must have missed something major. What’s going on with your wall there? Is that stencil? In your office? Now I need to go look back. I love it.

    But more on point, I love that print next to the 7/L. The colors are awesome.

    Reply

  2. Linda says

    I also love how in that last shot, you get a glimpse of the duck/goose “sculpture” on the wall at the end of the hallway.

    ANIMAL HOARDER!!! ;)

    Reply

  4. Crystal @ 29 Rue House says

    I love the Brady Bunch touch! I’m going to be hemming some overdue/long curtains. Too bad for me that I threw something else in the wash last night with four of the panels and dyed the white parts of the curtain green. :( The bright side is that we have two panels too many and so I just need to replace two of the four panels dyed.

    What are your thoughts on the tape v. actual sewing of the curtains?

    Reply

  6. KLL says

    And the frame wall gallery jumps a doorway and continues! It looks awesome from the angle of the last photo in the post!

    Reply

  8. Nora Rose says

    I feel kind of dumb about the whole flipping over the mat thing. I got this awesome print (How I Met Your Mother quote) but it doesn’t fit nicely in our mat at all. So I left it on the guest bed. Since May. I didn’t even think of flipping the mat and just arranging with tape even though I’ve done it with other frames before… Genius!!

    Reply

  10. Heather says

    Those prints are adorable and they hold meaning in your hearts! Looking good! That Burger picture always makes me happy, he looks so sweet and innocent. Actually I do have an overdue art related comment!

    Me and my boyfriend kind of have a thing for art by Gustav Klimt. We have a canvas print of Serpents II hanging about our bed, from Ikea for $50, and just recently we found another at GOODWILL! Yes, Goodwill. We literally stumbled across a huge print of Jungfrau (The Virgin) already framed for only $25. The only down side was that the frame was this awful pink stain. It was just gross. We snagged it and then painted the frame a flat black. It looks so much better now and it puts out $50 Ikea canvas to shame. The funny thing is that we found it on what would have been his 150th birthday.

    Reply

  11. Amy in PA says

    Maybe this is what you already do, but I’ve found that painter’s tape works like a breeze for taping art & photos to mats or other background paper (like you mentioned) in frames. Over time, I’ve found that scotch or masking tape can discolor or stick too much to the artwork & damage it when I wanted to change things up. Painters tape always seems to remove easily. Love all your new looks!

    Reply

  12. Gina (Lady Goats) says

    I’m starting to work on my Halloween decorations, which you may say is early… but, alas, I’m finally just finishing some stuff up that I procrastinated on last year. Maybe not a few years in the making (poor bees! :-p), but definitely a long time coming! I love all the animals you have around the house! Gotta do what makes you smile, right?!

    Reply

  13. Justin S says

    Love the bee painting by Roz. I actually had her do a big 3’x4′ painting of my boston terrier a few years back for my wife’s birthday. I also live in Richmond so I love the local aspect of the blog, gives me something to do at work besides actually working.

    Reply

  14. Brie says

    Those target frames look great! I’m in the process of re-purposing a whole lot of old frames my grandpop made 50+ years ago for a wall of framed photos/art. I hadn’t thought to DIY mats for his frames, but maybe I could just do that, and save some money!

    Reply

  15. Ash says

    I’m a complete anglophile (read: I <3 British people/things/culture) and I did a study abroad in London in 2004, and am currently dating a British fellow. So a lot (although not all) of my art is British/London themed. Some are framed calender prints (cheap!), some are actually professionally photographed and framed (gifted!), and a few other things are European images (Paris, Italy… just to be more inclusive), or just originated from around the world (painted ivory from Kashmir, Pakistan). I love maps and globes and things too, so it's a very "well-travelled" decor style, heh.

    And all the British stuff only freaks out The British Boyfriend a LITTLE bit.)

    Reply

  17. Jennifer says

    You’ve got a fab art collection and I love how you have created “small walls” with closely spaced white frames. Looks so fresh and gives those small pieces a lot of punch.

    Reply

  18. Amanda says

    You’re not the only crazy animal lady! I was showing off pictures of our house to Brandon’s grandma, and I was like “here’s a picture of the dogs we have on x wall” and “here’s a picture of the dogs we have on y wall”…she started looking at me funny after that (in my defense, we don’t have kids yet – but we do have custom portraits of both dogs :-)

    We’re still chugging away at the bathroom, so there’s not a lot of other little/fun projects happening yet, but I did order some art from Etsy for a frame that’s been hung empty for almost a year…yikes!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- that’s hilarious! Wait until you have a kiddo- it’ll be even worse with both everywhere- trust me! We have Clara and Burger overload! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  19. Rae says

    I love that you can also see the goose by the door. Maybe a animal in every room instead of just an elephant? Who wants to be tied down to one animal to work in?

    Reply

  20. Belinda says

    Looks good – I love quick projects that allow you to check something off the list. Yay! I haven’t heard that mounting things touching the glass is bad, I do that too and haven’t had any issues. One thing I would suggest is to use acid-free mounting squares instead of tape because they will last for years and tape becomes yellow over time and can eat away at your prints. Totally worth the $4 or $5 investment at Michael’s or Target to have them on hand for future framing projects so you can preserve your prints.

    Reply

  21. Jen@The Decor Scene says

    I would love to spray paint the frames that I have sitting in my office for a few months now. But first I have a question. Do you know if you can use the Rustoleum Universal in Satin White on raw MDF frames. They have never been primed or painted in any way. I bought they in raw MDF. Would a few thin coats work with this kind of spray paint and the raw MDF? Thank you. :)

    Reply

  22. Adrienne says

    Oh, I love that Burger portrait!

    My Dude Get On That Already activities have been re-hanging art on the wall where the 3M hooks let go in the humidity (we rent, so we try to avoid nail holes where we can), re-arranging the living room furniture (it looks so much better now, I can’t believe I waited so long) and finally buying an area rug for the living room. It arrives tomorrow, I’m ridiculously excited.

    I made myself an official list that I’m calling 30×30 (30 things to accomplish before I’m 30 – which will be in February, latest update here) but I think I’ll co-opt the DGOTA idea, too!

    Reply

  24. carra says

    Love the art work and totally ordered it for my spare room which happens to have those lovely colors all up IN IT! $herdog, you rock.

    On a side note: It makes me so happy that you guys have something on pretty much every wall. That is how it is at my house and seeing it elsewhere gives me a nice feeling. Know what I mean? :)

    Reply

  25. Jessibee says

    I totally sang along with the theme. I want my own Dollar Tree ‘L’! I would flip it and use it as it was actually intended since it’s our last initial. Have you guys thought of turning it into a light? That would look pretty fierce.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, it’s actually wired to be a light but it has to be hardwired (not a plug, must go into a wall fixture like a sconce) so we don’t have a fixture box there. Would love to tackle that someday though!

      xo,
      s

  26. Ann says

    I have 8, yes, 8, kitty family members and I am not the crazy cat lady. So, it’s not possible for you to be the crazy cat lady. Crazy porcelain/paper animal lady maybe.

    Reply

  27. Tiffany says

    So, I have a question for you, how many animals do you have in your house now? (not including burger)

    I think it would be interesting/funny to know!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh my gosh, if Clara weren’t napping in the back of the house I’d totally go room to room and count. Might have to save that for a new post…

      xo,
      s

  28. Lauren P says

    So, this is gonna seem negative because I don’t agree with framing things cheaply that you might want in 10 to 20 years, especially photographs or real (not cheap printed on paper mass produced prints). If it came from a online store like 20×200 and is a nice print on thick quality paper or it’s a photograph it should be framed properly. There isn’t anything like finding that the only photograph left of yourself as a kid is ruint because of bad framing or it was put in a cheap photo album. I think it’s worth spending a little money on linen tape, an acid free mat, and acid free backing so things aren’t ruined down the road. it’s not super expensive stuff to make a decent framing job. This comes from experimg working in framing, getting a bachelors of fine arts, and being a photographer. Maybe one day you could have a post or a guest post on how to frame properly for those that look to your blog for advice.

    Not sure how that all came out. I love reading your blog but I guess the framing advice is kinda a pet peeve of mine and I can just see those beautiful prints of yours discolored in a few years because of acid and light,

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Completely understand where you’re coming from! There’s definitely more than one way to skin frame a cat, haha. I think just doing what works for you in your own house is the key (here we properly frame keepsake photos and art, but use this method on mass produced prints). Sometimes we later upgrade those prints to mats as we have money/time (like we did to the print in our kitchen). I also have a BFA and have definitely done my fair share of proper framing – it all just depends on my mood and the item I’m hanging!

      For anyone who’d like to frame something the real way, Ikea sells nice affordable frames with acid free mats and you can use linen tape and an acid free mat for the backing which they sell at Michael’s. Or you can have a local framing store cut you a custom mat (we’ve gotten them as cheaply as $5 here in Richmond!). Maybe I should write a post about it. Thanks for the idea, Lauren!

      xo,
      s

  29. Kristin H. says

    I love where you guys hang things.. You always have the perfect placement!! High up but not too high. I read a random study in college that found wealthier homes hang pictures higher on their walls than lower income homes. So funny and weird right?! I always think of that when I hang things just to be sure if someone comes to test my hanging height for a study that I’d totally fit in the wealthy category. Ha!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So weird! I think we’ve seen more people hang things super high (not that there’s a right way to do it, but it feels high to us) and that some people who look at our art probably think it’s low- but it’s pretty much eye-level for someone between my height and John’s (which is quite a range, haha).

      xo,
      s

  30. Koliti says

    Hey Honey, we bought a zoo :)
    Bright side – no poop to scoop & no mouths to feed!

    And if it’s a two-legged or four-legged animal variety, then I think you’re doing just fine!

    (It’s those two-legged human versions that you sometimes have to worry about)

    Reply

  32. Stephanie says

    I have so much I need to get on and I’ve done NOTHING lately. I’ve got all sorts of hand-me-down furniture that needs a little loving. (Coffee table, side table, dresser, and entry table all need to be refinished in some way.) I haven’t hung anything up. And I still haven’t unpacked a few boxes. I need motivation. Or like an additional day in the week. Or a clone! A nap, I need a nap. HALP! :(

    Also, Brady Bunch Theme Song = stuck in my head now.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw, I vote you figure out how to clone yourself and then I’ll copy you! Or someone please invent Flarnday! It can be the eight day of the week! Who’s with me?

      xo,
      s

  34. Karen says

    This weekend we FINALLY (almost) finished decorating my sons nursery… which is good because yesterday he was 3 months old! There are a few holes in his frame gallery due to waiting on a sign from Joss & Main and needing to finish modge podgeing a mirror, but he seems to like it! Oh, and his name is Noah so there are a few literal Noah’s arc things in his room. I used my Cricut to make his name spelled out with animals, N is narwhal!

    Clara’s room was a big inspiration when it came to decorating his, mostly because it gave me the courage to not go with a theme and just find pieces and colors that look great together. His room is my favorite room in the house and has me itching to do some more decorating!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I love the Noah thing with Noah’s arc references. Such a great name (we know a 30 year old Noah and he’s brilliant – super creative, kind, and smart).

      xo,
      s

  35. julianna says

    Looks great!
    In the last photo, what is the doorway in the left side of the photo (with the basket in the doorway)?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      If you check out the house tour page the photos are wider and the angles make more sense. That’s the doorway into the living room from the hallway.

      xo,
      s

  36. audra says

    Love the art update. On another note, I saw your little contribution to the Washington Post regarding my absolutely favorite color Yellow! How exciting.

    Reply

  37. Lara says

    You’ve probably seen this website before, but just in case, check out http://www.theanimalprintshop.com I love the baby prints so much, I am getting some for our new baby Evelyn’s nursery. Her nursery is white, yellow and gray and there are so may prints that will be perfect in there, I will probably get too many. And obviously you love animal art too!

    Reply

  38. Parke says

    Talking about prints, I love that bike print that y’all got from Gap a while back… Have y’all ever thought about hanging that one in the new frame above the front door console? I knew you mentioned wanting to switch out the current print and I loved that house y’all crashed that had the split up bike print in the entryway… Just a thought! And congrats on the deck- it is looking fabulous!

    Reply

  39. Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says

    I think it’s only animal hoarding if the frames are found at the bottom of a huge pile of dirty clothes and old rusty can openers and in said frames are pictures of animal bones. Then you would be officially hauled away and 1-800-GOT-JUNK would enter the picture.

    My best, Lynn
    *am I the only one that puts on a Hoarders marathon as background “music” while I clean my house? ;o)

    Reply

  40. Julie says

    I live in Lexington, KY so the equestrian decor is kind of unavoidable. Combined with my love of electic horse art in all mediums….my house is the horsey-ist in the neiiiggghborhood (totally unavoidable horse sound pun, I tried).

    Reply

  42. Lisa in Seattle says

    Well, don’t look at me for help! Animal art is my kryptonite. I have loved the shape of animals my whole life – you know, the configuration of an antlered deer; the head and ears of a wolf; the curved hump of a bear; the short-legged long body of a weasel. We will end up with a whole gallery wall of animal art eventually. And now I’m giving you the stinkeye for sending me to a site that has 100 pages of animal art!

    Oh no – I just used the word “art” three times in this post and now I’m scared that I’ve summoned Bob, a la Beetlejuice.

    Reply

  43. Mary says

    Wanted to mention that I love the height you hung the 7 and artwork in your office. My husband always hangs things at “eye level” but he is over 6’2″ so all of our pictures are awkwardly high. I have heard you are supposed to match the top of the picture frame with top of the doorframe. Have you heard this? Anyway, looks really good!

    Mary

    Reply

  44. anne says

    oh, I think its that spot next to the backside of your fireplace, I think there used to be shelves there(?). but yeah, can’t be a hallway- it looks like it’s 1 foot wide?? a hallway for ants! lol

    Reply

  45. Trish says

    TWO THINGS:
    1. I feel like a creep as I know exactly what room you’re in when you post photos.
    2. I like some of these pics of hallway as I feel like I have a better understanding of where your family room is now.
    3. (ok, so there are 3), I feel like a bigger creep over the joy I feel to better understand your house layout!
    Trish
    http://www.mas-upchic.blogspot.com

    Reply

  46. Jennifer Cook says

    Oh gosh, I’m so glad now that I picked up some 16×20 white frames yesterday from Michael’s for 4 bucks each!!! I couldn’t just get one so I got 4! ha. And the whole flipping the front paper over and using that as a mat is perfect for these frames since I don’t have mats for them!! Eeekkk! So excited now. And, of course, love how your frames with paintings turned out!

    xoxo
    Jen

    Reply

  47. Lisa says

    If I come home with another cow painting or sketch, my husband will move me into a barn…soooo, I get the animal thing :)

    Reply

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