Easy Upcycled Frame for Kids Artwork

We are still working on our Basement and decided to begin to tackle the 2 rooms that we have.  I even updated our play house a little bit more by painting the door molding and adding 'grass' a bright green shaggy rug.  

To refresh your memory of what it looks like, see here.

We decided to make Room 1 more of a Hang Out Room next to the play room.  We have an armorer and an L Shaped couch that we brought with us from our apartment in Chicago.  


Next, we have this crazy large frame that I 'saved' from the trash in Evanston that I wanted to use for decoration on the wall.  I knew that it would have some cool use in the future, so I made Mr. BBH take it with us when we moved!


I always wanted a place my child could display their artwork and be proud besides the fridge. 

Materials

Large Frame

Spray Paint & Protective Gear

Ribbon 

Staple Gun

Clips or Clothes Pins

Glue Gun

Chalkboard Paint

Other Embellishments

Make sure the frame is clean.  You may want to rub a damp cloth on it prepare the surface.  Then lay it out with a drop cloth under it.  Remember that You should only spray paint in a well ventilated area and preferably outside.

 If you do not have a large frame, go to an estate sale or garage sale before you purchase a new one. It is one of those random things that people just seem to have and they have much more character then painting something that is new.

I wear a respirator when I use any spray paint so I do not breathe in any harsh chemicals.  I also put on glasses for protection.  

Shake that spray paint before painting per the directions.  You don't want to skimp on that step and risk clumps.  Take long strokes around your frame for the first coat.  I did 3 coats until I was satisfied with the coverage.  Let the paint fully dry before you go onto the new step.

In the meantime, start your clips!  I used chalkboard paint on large Popsicle sticks so that I could write about the work or date that Baby Bear did.  I used my hot glue gun to glue the ribbon scrap embellishment to my clip.  

Here is what the finished clip looks like.  

Lastly, stretch the ribbon across the back and the height that you need it at.  Make sure to pull it super tight so it will not sag.  Staple it in place with a few staples. You may need to add hardware to the back so that the frame can hang on the wall.  Ours had something already so we just hung it up.

Here is our final piece.  We are going to put Baby Bear's name on it with wood letters for a final touch.