I have a weakness for the sad little frames at the back of every thrift store: the ones with somebody's faded graduation photo still in them and a dollar sticker on the glass. I bought two on a Saturday run, mostly because they were fifty cents each and I couldn't help myself, and by Sunday afternoon they were the prettiest thing on my wall. Fabric scraps and a bit of watercolor did the whole job. This is the kind of project I love: cheap, forgiving, and pretty enough that people assume it cost more than it did.
Gather your bits
- A couple of thrifted frames: mismatched is better, don't overthink it
- Fabric scraps: old bed sheets, a worn shirt, anything with a soft floral, gingham, or stripe
- A few sheets of watercolor paper
- Watercolors and one brush
- A glue stick
- Scissors
Clean them up (barely)
Pop the old artwork and backing out, and give the frames a wipe. That's the whole prep. Don't sand out every ding or worry about a chipped corner. The wear is the point here. A frame that's clearly lived a life is exactly what makes this look collected instead of bought-in-a-set.
Back them with fabric
Cut a piece of fabric to fit the frame opening and glue-stick it to the backing board, smoothing the wrinkles out with the flat of your hand as you go. This is where the whole mood gets set, so lean into the soft stuff: muted florals, a faded gingham, anything earthy or pastel. If you're torn between two fabrics, use both, in two different frames. Mismatched reads as cottage-core; matched reads as a store.
Tear the watercolor paper instead of cutting it: a soft ragged edge is what sells the whole handmade look.
Paint something small and imperfect
Tear or cut a piece of watercolor paper a touch smaller than your fabric so a little border of fabric peeks out around it. Then paint something simple and loose: a sprig of wildflowers, a couple of stems, a few leaves, an abstract wash of color if flowers aren't your thing. Keep your hand loose. The wobbly ones have more charm than the careful ones, every single time. This is also a lovely way to frame a kid's drawing, if you've got one you can't bear to recycle.
Put it together
Once the paint is dry, glue the little painting onto the fabric, set the whole thing back in the frame, and close it up. Hang one on its own, or make three or four and cluster them for a proper gallery wall. It costs almost nothing and it warms up a blank stretch of wall faster than anything I know.
First published in my Gulf Coast Woman column - flip through the full issue online →
