Faux Leather Framed Picture for Grandma and Grandpa this Christmas

Every grandparent knows that Christmas is the time that they will receive their annual copy of the school picture. We have pictures all over the house and love each and every one of them as much as we love the kids and their families. That is the problem, they are all over the house. Usually we get pictures that are in an envelope. I barely get supper on the table each night, forget to eat lunch, and have been known to sleep at the computer so taking the time to frame the pictures never happens.

One year we were given the children's pictures in a collage. The frame was like no other that I had ever seen. It was leather. Well, it looked like leather. I asked where they bought it since it was so unusual and was shocked by the answer. They made it. Hmmm this peaked my interest since I knew they didn't have a cow in the kitchen. It is a very simple process that will look like a shiny leather frame when you are finished.

You will need a rather wide picture frame that is plain and simple. Don't worry if the picture is small, there are still small frames out there that have wide bands of wood. Look for the frame at a local resale shop, auction, garage sale, or charity shop. Who knows, when you take the picture out that is already in the frame, you may find a hidden Picasso or Renoir. Save the picture and backing just in case you need it when you frame your pictures.

Begin by thoroughly cleaning the frame and removing the existing picture. Usually there are small nails on the back holding it in. Sand the frame lightly with fine grit sandpaper. Lay the frame on a floor covering of newspapers or plastic and spray it with a coat of tan semi-gloss enamel paint. Make certain that you are in a well-ventilated area. Apply a second coat to the frame once the first has thoroughly dried.

Here's the fun part. The kids can help with this one; just make certain their hands are clean. Put a thin layer of wallpaper paste on one section of the frame and immediately (You don't want it to dry.) lay a sheet of tissue paper, making certain to cover the whole area. Squish it around with your hands until you have the texture of heavy leather. Make certain that the tissue at the edges of the frame is well sealed. Finish the frame one section at a time. By breaking the job down into sections, you have more time to work with the tissue. I am certain that if you are like me, you will kick the kids out of the project. Squishing stuff around is a whole lot of fun.

Wait until the entire frame has completely dried and sand around the edge of the frame so that any tissue will not stick out the back. Spray a very thin coat of red (I like a burnt red, but was told any red will do, since the tan and black change the color.) semi-gloss enamel paint and while it is still a bit wet, spray a thin layer of black. Make the layer thin so you don't have as much work to do later.

You are probably looking at the frame now saying, "What the heck? It's too black." You'd be right but we're now going to solve that. Buff the frame out with 0000 steel wool. This will give more texture and allow the other colors to surface. If it is too black buff more.

Get some good furniture wax and coat the frame. When it is dry buff it with the frame again with 0000 steel wool.

If there is an indentation border you can spruce the frame up with a strip of gold in the indentation. Decide ahead if you are going to do this so you can sand the area smooth before applying the red and black paint.