DIY: Window of Opportunity
@story and image  CATHERINE FREDERICK

I still haven’t been cured of my Pinterest (Pinterest.com) addiction. Recently, during one of my relapses, I stumbled upon an old window frame at a local antique shop. The original white paint was weathered and chipped. One of the nine glass panes was cracked, but the others were intact. For only twenty-nine dollars, how could I resist?

I immediately scoped out my plan for this window. I would turn it into a large photo frame. Having spent millions of hours a little time on Pinterest, I knew my options were endless. One pin featured a different photo enlarged to fit in each pane, another placed objects into the panes, and another simply placed  4” X 6” photos in the panes and let the wall behind the frame show through, creating a border effect. I wanted something out of the ordinary, so I chose to enlarge one photo and fill the entire frame so that a portion of the photo peeks through each section.

This is a quick project and it’s a true DIY’er, as it requires no power tools- and as you know from my last project, hubby won’t allow me near those. So, you ready? Here’s what to do.Find your frame and chose your photo(s). Selecting a photo was the hardest part for me. Decide if you want to enlarge your photo(s). If so and you have a photo printer, you can resize and print up to an 8.5” X 11” image at home. A great online tool to resize and retouch photos is Picnik.com- and the basic options are free. If you don’t have a printer, or you need a larger image, reach out to your local copy center or camera shop for assistance. Next, decide if you’re painting your frame. I love the rustic/vintage look so I opted not to re-paint. It also eliminated hours of prep work.You’ll have a little mess and be using spray polyurethane so take your frame outdoors. Using a stiff bristled brush (I used the one that came with my dustpan), lightly brush the frame to knock down any chipping paint. Be careful to brush lightly or you risk removing more paint than you intended. If your frame has glass panes you’ll need to clean each one of them. I like to use Windex and newspaper for a streak free finish. Your goal is not to have them glistening. Just remove the dirt and dust before you mask off the panes prior to spraying with the polyurethane. Grab your painter’s tape and mask the panes off so no glass is showing. Do this for both sides.

Next, lightly spray the frame with the polyurethane (I like a non-glossy, matte finish) to secure the remaining paint and eliminate future chipping. Let one side dry, turn over and repeat.

You can use foam core, matt board, or unused cardboard to hold individual photos in their frames.  These items can be found at local craft stores. I used a staple gun to attach my photo to the wood, then cut craft paper to size and attached it to the back of the entire frame to give it a nice, finished look.

Next month: I’ll be trying my hand at reupholstering a chair- and I don’t just mean the seat. Start shopping now for one you’d love to repurpose- we’ll tackle it together.

Window Frame

Items needed:

Old window frame
Favorite photo(s)
Stiff bristled brush or light sandpaper (knock down any chipping paint)
Window cleaner and newspaper
Painters tape
Spray polyurethane (secures existing paint)
Hanging hardware 

CALL OUTS:

Follow me on Pinterest at pinterest.com/catfrederick.

Find more photos on Flickr at flickr.com/photos/urbanmagazine.