Recycled Picture Frames

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Every time I move or redo a room, I end up with a stack of photo frames that I can't use for various reasons. Usually they're the wrong color. This time, I ended up with a large stack of black frames with white mats. Previously they'd been used around the house, but in the new "fresh" house we no longer wanted black frames. Instead of tossing them out or donating them, I decided to repurpose them into the white frames we wanted.

First I pulled out the glass and the mats. Then I simply laid the frames on a cloth (outside!) and sprayed them with white spray paint. 

I let them dry and then sprayed them again. Next I decided since the frames were now white, I no longer wanted the mats to be white. So I picked up some spray paint in shades similar to what I'm using to decorate the room. And I sprayed the mats their new color. And viola! Frames that look brand new and match my room.

I ended up needing more frames through out the house than I already had, so I had to pick up some more. I buy the vast majority of my frames at Michael's Craft store. This is because not only do they constantly have them on sale for 40% off, but they also always have "bonus" coupons for an additional 25% off your entire purchase of frames! I also gave the new frames a new color mat with my spray paint to make them more colorful and pretty.

The moral of the post is, try redoing your old frames before you give up on them! A quick (and cheap) dose of spray paint makes them look like brand new frames. This is also an easy way to make mismatched frames look as if they go together. If you frames of different colors and sizes, make them all the same for consistency. 

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