Mixed Media Photo Frames – {Rising Up from the Broken Remains}

I break glass.
About 50% of the time it’s intentional – like when I need to remove glass panes from old windows.
The other 50% of the time – it’s because I’m a total klutz.

In my house, I’m famous (can you be famous in your own house?), for accidentally breaking glass.  It would be funny, if it wasn’t so pathetic how often it happens.  My workshop overfloweth with junk, so I have an old chair hanging by 1 large nail on my wall – it’s the only place I had to go with the chair.  I had brought home a bunch of old photo frames one weekend from yard sales, and didn’t know where to put them, so I used the seat of the chair as a shelf and put them there.

I know you’re thinking, “Wow, that was really stupid, Angie.” – and I agree with you.  Late one evening, I was out in my workshop, when the predictable thing happened…the chair came crashing down off the wall, bring with it about 6 photo frames…with glass…leaving a ton of broken glass on the floor…and 6 frames that no longer had glass in them.

I was seriously ticked off at myself, because I use those frames to make my Milk & Cream Co. signs, so that was 6 less signs I’d be able to make.

I had 2 large frames that were too big to fit on the chair (thank goodness), so I removed the glass from them and gave them a good cleaning in preparation to work on them.  Here comes stupid act #2….

I leaned the glass from the frames under my worktable.  My youngest son was sitting at the worktable, while I gave him his spelling words (we homeschool).  He was kicking his feet under the table, and I’m sure you know what happened next.  Now, I have 1 large frame that has glass and one that doesn’t.

Staring at those 7 frames without glass, I decided I needed to find some way to salvage them and feel slightly less stupid.

My husband has been cutting plywood sheets to use in our guest room remodel (more on that another day), so there was a bunch of scrap plywood laying outside.

Who needs glass?  I have plywood!  I started cutting pieces to fit inside the frames and then got to work creating new “art” to go inside them.  Here are several I’ve finished so far.

This was the largest frame.  I used a bunch of pages from an antique atlas as the background.

Layered over that is a beautiful cover from a 1914 Hearth and Home magazine sent to me by Audrey @ Timeless Treasures.

I finished off two of the corners with some old lace remnants.

This was a small, narrow frame, which was perfect from a page from an antique music book.

This is one of my favorites.  I love the Home, Sweet Home sheet music and had an antique doorknob backplate and a faux skeleton key to add to it.

This one is my very favorite though.  I layered several pages from antique hymn books as the background, then wired an old apothecary bottle through the board to hold flower buds.  I think the dried lavender looks so pretty in it.

I edged it with some pretty white lace.

I doubt you’ll start breaking glass to make these projects, but if you happen to be a little klutzy as well and want to salvage your frames, you just need some wood to fit inside the frame, some old pages, a paintbrush, and white glue mixed with just a little bit of water.

I put a very light coat of glue on the board and adhere one page first, then trim away any excess.  Smooth down as many bubbles as you can – a rolling pin or brayer helps with this.

I add another light coat over the base page.

Then I start layering the pages, with light coats of glue in between.  Let each layer dry a little bit before adding the next page to prevent bubbles.  I set my board outside on a hot day that had a good breeze and it each layer dried in about 5 minutes.

If you like that sweet grandmother in her garden photo seen on the chalkboard in the first image, you are welcome to print it for yourself!  I originally shared it HERE, along with several other printable antique photos.  (Click on photo to get the full-size image)

So, please fess up…are you a klutz that has a graveyard of broken photo frames too?

Blessings,

Angie

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