It's been a while since I have written, and I have never shared a project I have done. So, I'm back and I am sharing this cool project!
My inspiration came from a picture I saw on Pinterest, that rabbit hole of ideas where crafty people get lost for hours. You can check out my Pinterest boards here.
Here are some of the supplies you will need. A ruler or T-square will also be helpful.
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| TOP: Chicken wire, thrift store wood picture frame, tin snips, spray paint, sandpaper, plastic sheeting or other surface covering; BOTTOM: Painter's tape, lint roller, hammer and small nails or brads, picture hanging wire (you can use other types of picture hangers), hot glue gun and sticks, needle-nosed pliers with wire cutters, general-purpose staple gun and staples, scissors, backing fabric (I used black felt). |
First step is to prepare the frame surface for the paint you have chosen. Use the sandpaper to lightly roughen the surface, so the paint will adhere well. Any oils or adhesives must be removed, or the paint will not stick. Always sand in the direction of the grain of the wood, or the surface will be uneven.
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| Sand with the grain! 60-100 grit sandpaper should work fine. |
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| A general-purpose staple gun and staples will do just fine here. |
Next, we paint! Spray paint works best when shaken well, held about 18" from the surface, and sprayed in short bursts with long strokes. If you spray too long, or stay in one place too long, the paint will pool or drip. I wanted the chicken wire to be the same color as the frame, so I painted both sides of it with Rustoleum Aged Metallic in Rose Gold.
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| Most of the paint will go through the wire. Use light strokes, and lean the wire up against something. Don't leave it laying down, or the paint will stick to the surface and will be marred when you pick it up. |
Next, paint one side of the frame and let it dry completely before painting the other side.
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| It may take more than one coat to get full coverage. Let dry completely between coats. |
If you want to paint the back a different color (I used Rustoleum in Hunter Club Green) , use blue painter's tape to mask off the front side. Press down the edges well, so no paint gets underneath. Fully mask off the front, as the paint floats through the air and sticks to whatever it finds.
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| Painter's tape comes in a variety of widths; use what works best for the size of your frame. |
Once the paint is completely dry on the frame and the wire, usually 24 hours, it is time to fit the wire to the frame. Place the frame front down, and lay the wire on it to measure the size; be sure to leave a small bit on the edges. You'll see why down below.
To reduce cutting, line up the wire using two
existing edges, then mark the cut line on
the other two sides.
Using the tin snips, cut in the middle of the row to leave the edges needed to help hold the frame in place later.
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| If you don't have tin snips, you can use wire cutters. It will take longer, and your hands might be more sore |
Now you will attach the wire to the frame. Lay the wire in position. You will use the needle-nosed pliers for the next part: bend the frame into the corner using the pliers, making sure to keep the wire evenly distributed across the opening.
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| Use the side of the pliers, not the nose, so you don't mark the frame. |
Once you have all of the edges bent inward, you will use the staple gun to attach the wire to the frame. It might take a little practice, but you can pull any misfired staples with the pliers. I forgot to take a picture of this step! Make sure you place the staple across a wire; it won't take many to secure the wire, 3-5 per side.
Now that you have the wire secured, you can put on the backing (if desired). I chose black felt; the black will set off the jewelry I planned to put on this holder. Measure the backing to slightly overlap the opening, so it can be glued down. Be sure not to stretch the fabric, or you will have wrinkles. Use a lint roller on the front side to remove any dirt or debris, then use painter's tape to hold the fabric in place as you glue it to the frame.
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| This piece of felt just happened to be the right size! |
Plug in the glue gun, and put a glue stick in the chamber. Be sure to put something under the tip, as the glue will ooze out as it melts. The tip is VERY HOT, so don't touch! Use only a thin bead of glue, it won't take much, and take your time, squeezing the trigger of the glue gun gently and evenly.
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| Move the painter's tape as you go, so the fabric does not get misaligned. Press down on the glued part to make sure it adheres fully to the frame. |
Allow the glue to dry, and carefully check all the edges to make sure that it is competely attached. Touch up as needed. Next, you will measure the placement of the nails or brads that you will hook the hanging wire onto, if this is the method you use (you can use other methods, this is what I had available at the time). Use a ruler or a T-square, measuring the same distance from the top on each side of the frame. Mark the location of where the nails/brads go.
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| Be sure to place a thick towel under the frame, so you do not mar the front when hammering in the nails. |
When you put the nails in, make sure they are angled slightly.
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| No, it's not drunk |
Using the wire cutter part of the pliers, cut a length of wire a few inches longer than the width of the frame. Find the middle of the wire, and center it on the frame; wrap the ends of the wire around the nails a few times, then any extra around the hanging wire itself; allow it to be slightly loose, not taut. Another picture I forgot to take....
Now you are finished! Time to decide where to hang it, and what to put on it; I use it to hold my hook earrings and fancy hair pins.
Tadah!
You can use these for all kinds of things! I made one for my collection of hair flowers. It looks like a piece of artwork! I used S hooks to hang ponytail holders.
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| This frame was already a neutral grey, which sets off the colors well. Also, there is no backing. |
And that's it! Hope you enjoyed making this project :)
