2.17.2011

Anthropologie Frame - TUTORIAL

When I first saw this frame on Anthropologie, I wanted it, but there was no way I was going to pay an insane price because it is one of a kind. You can see the original here but you can't buy it because there was only one and it's gone.  So, the next best thing (and way cheaper) make your own!!!

There are a few things with my frame that I don't love, but it is a whole lot better than paying hundreds of dollars for a cardboard frame.


Materials Needed:

Oval frame
Long pieces of cardboard... thinner is better
hot glue gun
spray paint
silver trim


 This is the cheap frame I bought at Michaels for $1.

Then cut your cardboard into long strips... about 2-3 inches long.  Make sure you get an exact width the entire length of the strip.  I didn't, hence my annoyance with the right side of the finished frame :)

I stapled it down.  You can just glue it.  I just wasn't sure if glue would hold it but it does.

 Find something round... a fat dowel or a wooden spoon works great.  Squish the cardboard around the spoon to make a loop.

 Glue it down.

 Continue around the frame, lining up the edge of the cardboard with the inside edge of the frame.

 Continue until you run out of cardboard.

 Put a line of glue along the end of your last piece of cardboard.

 Now lay the end of your next piece on top as above so the raw edges will not be seen.  Then continue around.
Once you get to the end, put a line of glue on top of the other end of the cardboard.

Trim your cardboard to an appropriate length to make one more loop.  Start wrapping it around the spoon.

 Push the loop down to secure it to the glue.

 You should now have this.

 Spray paint it.  Do as many coats as necessary to get the color intensity that you like.  It's hard to tell in this photo, but I used a lot because I wanted it more intense than the original.  The original seems a bit more splotchy.

Once it dries, hot glue some silver trim to the outside and a thinner one to the inside.

I love it, but you can see how the right side is wider than the left.  I might rip off the trim and cut it down to match.


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4 comments:

Amy said...

I like yours better then anthro's .... Cute.

Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on Top said...

This is really pretty. I'm with Amy above, I like your version better.

Sue@creativetryals.blogspot.com said...

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Screaming Sardine said...

Wowzers, I really like this! As Amy said, it's better than anthro's. I wonder if you could try this with scrapbooking paper, but cardboard would be a lot cheaper.

Thanks for such an indepth tutorial,
Tracy http://allthumbscrafts.blogspot.com