DIY Vintage Frame from a Walmart Frame

Make a DIY Vintage Frame from any plain ol’ frame you have, thrift, or buy new.

I wanted to name this something like “how to vintage-ify a Walmart frame”. Vintify? Vintage-ify? Antiqu-ify? But I didn’t think that would show up in searches very well. So, instead, I’ve settled for the classic “DIY Vintage Frame”. But know, in my heart, it’s actually “Walmart frame gone vintage” or “How to vintage-ify a frame from Walmart when you can’t find what you’re looking for in a thrift store.” Something cool and inspiring like that.

If you live in an area where there aren’t a ton of great options for vintage thrifting and antiquing (as does I), or you just can’t find the size of frame you need for a particular piece of art, sometimes you have to make your own from something new! Have you ever taken a wander down the picture frame section of Walmart? They have some great options at very reasonable prices! It’s almost like you can save money and live better.

See what I did there?

Ok I should just walk away from the keyboard right now and come back when my brain is functioning better. But I’m on a roll so let’s just … how you say … roll with it. And hopefully Walmart doesn’t sue me for using their tagline. BTW, this is not sponsored by Walmart.

But for real – Walmart is one of my favorite places to find affordable frames! I feel like they’ve stepped up their home section a LOT in the past few years. It’s a hidden gem of beautiful home goods!

What You’ll Need

I picked this frame up a little bit ago for just $8 and have been planning to vintage-ify it ever since. Let’s not get into specifics about exactly how long ago I grabbed it. Or how long it’s been hanging in the living room with the stock photo still in it. But today’s the day. I painted the frame. I printed the photo. I hung it back up. Why do we put those small tasks off for so long when they’re so satisfying to complete?

DIY Vintage Frame

All you need is a frame and a bit of rub ‘n buff. I ordered a set of three to test out a few of the colors. From left to right: Antique Gold, Gold Leaf, Grecian Gold.

All the colors are beautiful, but the right two leaned a bit too yellow-y. So I went with Antique Gold (left).

Simply rub it on with a brush and then buff with a cotton cloth. I ended up not buffing it at all and just painted it on with the soft brush.

How have I never used this stuff before?! It’s so simple and beautiful.

Some people recommend using a stencil brush [HERE] to dab the rub ‘n buff on. But the soft brush worked well for me. I just applied a light coat and left a bit of the dark bronze showing through for a more vintage, worn look.

We took this photo on a family trip last summer – the first time the kids saw the ocean! It’s one of my favorite photos of all of them. I used lightroom to edit and turn it black and white. Then I printed the photo on canvas paper – one of my favorite papers for printing at home. It adds just a bit of texture to the print that look so nice.

Bye Bye Glare

To avoid the glare you sometimes get across glass frames, I put the photo mat in the frame, then the photo, tuck the glass in behind it, then the back of the frame. That way, you still have the glass if you ever want to use it for something! But it’s not in front of the photo catching a glare.

I’m not sure yet if I like the black mat but thought I’d give it a try here. It might be too much with the painting below … verdict is still out. But the rub ‘n buff worked great to give this frame a more vintage vibe!

Affordable Frames

Here are a few more favorite frames from Walmart. Frames can get pricey, especially if you’re doing a group of them. Walmart is one of my go-to places to find them. There are so many options and they are all reasonably priced!

Where do you usually buy frames? Any tips for mixing and matching? I’m planning a couple gallery walls for our hallway and staircase once the half wall renovation is done and am starting to collect photos and frames. I’m thinking collected, mixed and matched, and full of our favorite family moments!

| Tylynn |

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