Faux Marble Photograph Frame

That will fool everyone who sees them. Best of all recycle some craft materials for this home décor project will really save you some money.

With a little paint and some elbow grease you can easily paint your own faux Photograph Frame Over the weekend.

This project will cost you about $25 for the paint, but the paint will cover tons of Photograph Frames. You should be able to complete your faux marble Photograph Frames in one weekend, but a lot some extra days to apply coats of polyurethane to protect your hard work.

To Faux Paint Your Marble Photograph Frames You Will Need:

Paint tray
3 china bristle brushes
artists paint brushes
latex paint, eggshell sheen: (base coat: Antique White); three or four marble-like colors (Tatimi Tan, Jute Brown, Coyote Trail 1224, Leather bound) - These paint colors are form Sherwin Williams
sea sponge
water bottle
latex primer (Kilz)

Latex glaze
cheesecloth
plastic containers
fine sandpaper
paper towels, rags or old t-shirts
semi-gloss acrylic varnish
foam roller and handle

Photograph Frames

Painter's tape

Clean your Photograph Frames with an ammonia base cleaner. Make sure it is completely dry before moving on with this project.

Start by lightly sanding your Photograph Frames.

Now, prime the frame by painting on a coat of high quality latex base primer. Use a smooth paintbrush or foam roller. This latex base primer will be smelly, so open your windows if at all possible.

Now, take three different small painter's buckets and mix one part of each of the 3 marble-like colors with one part water and one part latex glaze. You want this to be a thick mixture, but not gooey.

Squirt the Tatimi Tan and Leather Bound mixtures onto a small area, and then use a clean dry rag to smudge the edges.

Next, add a vein for a realistic marble look by pulling the Camelback and Jute Brown mixtures into a natural flowing line with a dry brush or cheesecloth. The marble won't look realistic if you see brush marks on your Photograph Frames, so sweep your dry paintbrush in a sweeping motion across them. Turn you brush in a different direction and repeat.

To create three-dimensional marble Photograph Frames you need to rewet the painted area. Take one of your sea sponges and lightly wet it. Squeeze out any water. Now, tap it on the painted area to rewet it. Use your clean dry brush again in a sweeping motion to blend any lines.

Now, keep repeating this process over your entire Photograph Frames.

If any area of the faux paint treatment on the Photograph Frames needs more veins, coil and pull an artist brush with Antique White paint across an area. If the vein is too wide, use a dry brush to carefully blend the paint, then try again.

Allow your faux marble paint to dry then coat it with some varnish or polyurethane.

Tips for Real Looking Faux Marble:

Use a photo of marble or a real piece of marble for some visual inspiration on your Photograph Frames.

Always practice on another surface before attempting the real deal.