Homemade Tortoiseshell, Beaded and Gilded Frames: Simple Christmas Crafts

Since we were so appreciative of the faux leather frame, the kids decided that framing all the pictures was the best idea. Great colors and inventive ideas now were coming fast and furious. We have pictures all over the house from the bathroom to the basement, and they are all appreciated. Two easy and inexpensive frames are tortoiseshell and beaded. Making a gilded frame will run a little more for supplies, but it is so elegant. Once the supplies are purchased, the cost per frame reduces dramatically. Which ever one you choose, give it to several people.

Every project needs to begin with a clean frame. You can get these quite inexpensively at auctions and second hand shops, but clean them up before you begin.

Tortoiseshell Frames

Sand the frame down first with coarse grain sandpaper. Lay the frame on newspapers and spray a layer of gold paint on it. Make certain that you have adequate ventilation. When the paint has completely dried, do a second layer. The waiting is the hardest part of this project.

When the frame is completely dry, you will need to have oil-based faux finishing glaze and some universal tints. If you can't find the tints then artist's oils of brown, black and burnt sienna will do. Mix a drop of black into a small amount of the glaze. Do the same for the sienna and brown.

Brush the entire frame with clear faux finishing glaze. Quickly dip the brush in the black and make small strips of black around the wet frame. Make certain that they are all going in the same direction. The outcome of the project depends on the first coat of glaze to mute the colors so work fast. Do the same with the brown and burnt sienna. You want to make certain that the glaze is still wet enough to blur and smudge the colors that you added.

Allow the frame to dry and you have a wonderful tortoiseshell frame. Some frames I have seen since have also added a burnt orange or red to the mix.

Beaded and Bangled and All Painted Up.

We now have so many different frames it is impossible to list them all. They all begin with a good sanding and a coat of paint. One child is a carpenter and has used a jigsaw to cut stars out and paint the frame and stars contrasting colors for his framed family pictures. Another used creative designs in paint. We do have one that is quite ornate and easy to make. I checked. You will need a glue gun for this.

Clean and sand the frame. Spray paint it any color that you choose. Ours was painted black, but we have all white walls in the house, so it was a striking contrast. This particular frame has rows of flat backed glass ovals glued all around. The colors are light and I suspect that the beads have silver backing painted on them to glisten. The edge of the painted frame is alive with pearls. Let me correct myself. It is alive with a string of faux pearls. This creation only took one spray can of paint, a glue gun and beads.

A Gilded Frame

You can gild a frame by first priming it with an acrylic primer on both the front and back and then spraying both with either a red or yellow coat of semi-gloss latex paint. Red will give the frame a darker gold color.

Once the frame is dry you will need to lightly sand it and paint the entire front with a water-based gold size. While the gold size is still tacky, dust your hands with talcum and use a single sheet of imitation gold leaf. Place the leaf on part of the frame and use the bristles of a soft sable brush to tap it smoothly in place. Cover the entire surface the same way.

After the frame has sat for about an hour or two you need to use the brush to dust off any excess gold leaf. Use a piece of cotton cloth that has been dampened with hot water to rub over the frame and remove more loose particles.

The final step is to rub on a dark stain such as walnut or mahogany. Wipe it down to remove excess stain, but leave the recessed areas darker to enhance the appearance of the gold.