Have you ever been looking for inspo and stumble across something and think to yourself, “I think I have all the supplies to make that!”? Well, that’s pretty much what happened with this project that I took on for our Engagement Party. And by “I took on”, I mean that I ended up needing Mr. Ruthfull’s help for portions of it!
It all started with this picture:
As a self-proclaimed magpie/ supply hoarder, I already had a frame that was the right size and, bonus, was already missing the back and the glass. It had weird orange and black stripes painted over the gold finish and was wrapped in saran wrap and sealed with tape. I honestly have no memory of this frame making its way into my stash, but I’ve schlepped it through at least 1 move if not 2… its time had finally come.
After unwrapping it, it became clear that it had been stored for a very long time in very dusty conditions. The first order of business was a deep clean. I could not get over how thick the layers of dust were, but slowly but surely, I scraped it away. That’s when the ugly pebble texture made an appearance.
I have never seen this texture in a frame before and can’t for the life of me imagine why someone would want it, given what a nightmare it is to clean. The dust had obscured it but now that it was revealed, it was deemed too ugly to remain. Enter Mr. Ruthfull with some handy Gorilla Glue Wood Filler. Using a tub of the stuff, he patiently filled in the strip of texture, leaving a smooth finish behind. I used some of it to fill in a few scratches the frame had along the edges, and soon enough, it was ready for paint.
Our wedding colors are purple and blue (each of our favorite colors), so my brain immediately went searching for iridescent blue/ purple spray paint, and I found several options! After doing some research, (ie, watching some Youtube videos), I settled on the Rust-Oleum Color Shift in Blue Cosmos. You have to prime it with a matte black paint and we had just enough left in an old can to do the prime coats. Then Mr. Ruthfull did several coats of the Color Shift and we finished it off the a matte sealer.
The last part of the project involved taking a strand of LED fairy lights and stapling them in a snake pattern back and forth across the frame. Using borrowed mini clothespins, I added the childhood pictures of us and the project was done!
Honestly the hardest part was choosing which pics to use. I swear I am always in need of a good editor.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you are inspired to make your own!
