Bedroom Makeover // DIY Art Frame
The very first item I purchased for our bedroom makeover was actually my inspiration for the entire space. Believe it or not, it was a piece of art called "Staredown" by Amy Carroll.
I found the print on Minted and ordered a 40" x 30". I opted to buy only the print (no frame) and had a coupon on hand so my order rang up to $112 - by far my most expensive art purchase to-date, but given the size, it actually wasn't that bad. Tyler and I decided we would attempt to create a frame ourselves to help save on costs.
Since we decided to tackle the framing on our own, that meant we had to figure out a protective material for the front. Glass or acrylic were our main options, and we ultimately decided to have a piece of acrylic cut to size at Ace Hardware. I believe it cost around $20. Arcylic was a much better option than glass because it weighs significantly less and it was a whole lot less expensive. We also purchased a 40" x 30" piece of poster board from Staples to act as the support in the back. That rang in around $7.
Next up was the frame itself. We decided to go for a natural wood tone, and purchased a piece of Sapele at the Frank Miller Lumber outlet in Union City. We bought this at the same time we purchased the walnut for our entry shelves. We found the exact width of board we wanted, so all Tyler had to do was cut it down to the correct lengths.
He handled all of the detail work, I just took the pictures. :) He did some practice on extra wood we had laying around to get his Kreg Jig joint just right, and then he did a whole lot work with a router to create the "lip" for the acrylic, art, and poster board backing. All I know is the planning process looked something like this...
Tyler worked his magic and we ended up with this!
Next up, we attached some brackets to hold the acrylic, art, and poster board in place as well as a hanging mechanism to affix the whole thing to the wall. Due to the large size and weight, we went with a wire hanging system instead of our usual 3M art strips.
Just last night, we finally got the whole piece hung, and I love the way it all turned out! This whole bedroom makeover just might be coming together after all.
In case you're interested in a "Staredown" print for yourself, West Elm has partnered with Minted and is currently selling a 40" x 30" in a black frame for $249. I was unable to find the print through Minted any longer, but they do have a bunch of other great art available!