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paper edged mirror

Mindy — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:30:02 +0000

this DIY project by mindy

One of my favorite things to do is to take an old piece of furniture or an accessory and completely change the look of it to match my changing sense of design. I purchased this mirror almost 10 years ago when I first moved to California. I cannot seem to find any “before” photos, but I will keep looking. It was very shabby chic before, a sage green with hand painted flowers and leaves. Sweet, and I loved it for years, but it doesn’t fit in our more modern looking hom, so I decided to switch it up a bit.

» mirror
any mirror is makeover worthy, but if you want to add a paper edging as shown here, you’ll want a mirror with a smooth flat edge.

» paper & paint
I used one piece of scrapbooking paper in black and white, but any paper that’s not too absorbant will work well. I used latex interior paint, but you can experiment with other types of paints and finishes.

» glue
Mod Podge works great for a project like this, as would PVA

» tools used
scissors
ruler
pencil

prep and paint the mirror
This particular mirror had a really smooth finish to start, but you will want to sand down any irregularities before painting. I used our wall paint since not only do I have a lot of it on hand, but I wanted the mirror to blend in with the wall when seen from the front view. I taped off the mirror surface and gave it a few coats of the white paint, letting it dry in between coats and overnight before the next step.

decorate!
I cut strips of a scrapbooking paper to match the depth of the mirror. The paper was twelve inches square and was more than enough to cover the entire edge.

glue
I used the mod podge to coat the back of the paper strip and then pressed it down onto the wooden edge of the mirror. I overlapped the next strip a bit, but if you have a more subtle pattern where the overlapping would be noticeable, you might want to align the ends of the paper more carefully. I continued around the mirror until I covered the entire edge with the paper. I didn’t add any glue over the paper when I was done because I wanted the natural paper texture to stay as is.

As you can see, the effect is subtle when viewed head on, but more noticeable from the side views. My once shabby chic mirror is now clean and modern and I was able to keep a sentimental accessory but give it new life. I wonder what I’ll do to this mirror in another 10 years…

framed wrapping paper maps

Mindy — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:12:43 +0000

this DIY project by mindy

One of the easiest, cost effective ways to create instant art is to frame decorative papers. I usually lean towards simple graphic patterns for framing, but decided to frame wrapping paper maps to add to our growing wall of maps in our home office.

» frames
Work with what you already have to keep this project low budget, or invest in some frames you like. I have always been a huge fan of the surprisingly sturdy IKEA Ribba Frame. Sold in a variety of finishes and sizes, the two I used here were $20 each,

» paper
Any type or size of paper can be framed. These papers are made by Cavallini and the paper is a great thickness that stays nice and flat behind the glass. Most art stores or paper craft stores have an interesting supply of large flat decorative papers. Some (like these) are sold as wrapping paper, but are worthy of framing. These cost $3 each. If you are in the Bay Area, my favorite places for paper are Flax, Paper Source, Pearl Art, Gump’s and Maido.

» tools used
scissors
ruler
pencil
hammer & nails/picture hanging hooks

Single Sheet
The Paris map paper was exactly the right height for the square frame, but too long, so I aligned the left edge in order to show the “PARIS” text and cut off the excess on the right side. The easiest way to do this is to remove the glass from the frame and place it over your paper as a cropping guide. Remember that the frame will cover a portion of the paper at the edges, so adjust accordingly. Then just trace on the paper using the glass edge as a guide and trim the paper.

Go Ahead, Cut it Up!
This IKEA Ribba frame came with a pre-cut matte to fit three 5×7 inch images. I placed the openings of the matte over the NYC Subway map to select my cropping areas. Each selection came from a different part of the map, so I made sure to trim carefully each time to leave the rest of the map intact. I trimmed the paper larger than the hole and taped it to the back side of the matte as I looked at the front side to make sure it was aligned correctly. I chose these three croppings to represented areas I remember most while visiting NY and the location where my father spent his childhood (Queens).

Wall of Maps
My two framed wrapping paper maps fit in nicely with the other maps of India and California that we received as a gift a few years ago. I’m not much into decorating with themes, but a huge wall of maps representing places we are from, have been and want to go has enough meaning that I can overlook the themeyness. I plan on adding a San Francisco map (Cavallini just made a nice new one that is all shades of green and very vintage looking) and a Chicago map once I find one I like.

colorful collection of frames

Mindy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:11:39 +0000

this DIY project by mindy

I’ve always believed that anything can be improved with a fresh coat of paint. Last year I purchased a variety of frames to use at my wedding venue and painted them with our wedding colors (red and saffron), added black and white photos of my husband and I as kids and put them out for people to laugh at. After the wedding I realized that the colors didn’t match anything in the house and I put them away in a drawer for nearly a year. While redecorating our guest room I remembered the frames and had the idea to repaint them and use them all together on the wall as a collection. Eventually they will hold artwork, but for now they are hanging out together in all their blank glory.

» frames
Save money and use old frames you already have or try stores like Ross or Marshalls for inexpensive frames. It doesn’t matter what color they are to start with since you’ll be painting them.

» spray primer
I used white since my paint colors were fairly light. I was covering over bright red and yellow paint and the white primer did a great job with just one coat. Be sure to wear a mask and work outdoors in a well-ventilated, drop cloth covered workspace!

» spray paint
I chose a green theme and found five different shades of green paint. Some were gloss finish and some satin, but you really don’t notice the difference once they are all hung together. The Rust-oleum “Painter’s Touch” brand shown here worked really well and comes in a wide range of colors and cost about $4 per color.

» tools used
hammer
picture hanging hooks & nails
tape measure
paper for artwork placeholders
step stool

Follow the directions on the can of primer and make sure you remove the glass from the frames before painting. Rotate the frame around to make sure you cover all surfaces with the primer.

Paint the Frames
The sky’s the limit here! I was going for a “shades of green” theme, but you could use any color paint and any number of colors of paint. All white frames on a painted wall would look great or a mix of metallics all hung together. Check out your local hardware store to see what kinds of spray paint they have. If you’re in the Bay Area, the best selection I’ve found is at the Home Depot in San Carlos. A huge variety of really nice colors AND they aren’t locked up so you can actually look at everything without being guarded by an employee.

Plan Your Layout
To avoid putting too many extra holes in the wall, test your layout of frames on the floor first. Arrange and rearrange as much as you want and take quick photos (as I did above with my iPhone) both to have another perspective on the layout and to help you remember once you start hanging them.

Layout & Hanging Tips
The options are endless, but here are a few guidelines I use when planning a collection of frames on a wall.

Decide on a “gutter” width that will be consistent between frames. Mine are all spaced 2 inches apart here
Try to make each frame align with at least one edge of an adjacent frame. If you are going for the “random but organized look” this helps keep some order to the collection.
Once you are ready to hang the frames, measure the width of your layout and decide where the entire set will be placed on the wall. I wanted my collection centered, so I made sure there was equal wall space on the left and right sides by carefully measuring a few times and marking the edges lightly with pencil.
Start with one frame towards the center of the collection. I started with the open square one (with the hook hung in the center) since I could measure the gutter of 7 of the other frames from this one.
This is one instance where your eyes can play tricks on you, so measure carefully to find the correct distances and don’t count on your eye, no matter how spot on you think you can be. I ended up hanging all 10 frames with only one extra hole in the wall.
Use painters’ tape to mark edges of where you want your frames as another method. I prefer the great carpet layout plan, but do whatever works for you!

I plan on adding more frames in the future going up a bit higher on the wall. I also prefer having odd numbers in these situations, so I’ll at least add number eleven soon.