In this instructable I am dressing up a cheap wood frame to look like something a little more fancy and special. I ended up with a lovely frame that my mother was very happy to receive as a gift.

Just a note: I did not mention in the instructions, but I did let everything dry between steps.

Materials:
Cheap wooden frame – wide frames give you more room to work.
Wooden appliqués – available at craft stores
Spray Primer
Spray Paint – Black with Satin finish
Spray paint – Metallic, I am using Copper here but I think silver or bronze would also look good

Other stuff:
Sand Paper
Old rag or sock for applying paint
Disposable dish
Wood glue
Joint compound (if needed)

Step 1: Step 1

Inspect your frame and make any necessary repairs. My frame did not meet up neatly at the corners so I needed to fill it with joint compound. Sand the frame until smooth. If I had covered the entire frame with joint compound here, the wood grain would not have been visible in the finished frame.

I played with a few different layouts of the appliqués just to see what I liked.

Step 2: Step 2

Prime it. I primed the frame and the appliqués separately. The frame was easier to sand without them attached.

Attach the appliqués. Wood glue works great for this.

Step 3: Step 3

Paint it. Make sure the frame has a good coat of the satin black paint. Get all the edges and any part that will be seen. If you think it needs two coats, sand lightly in between.

Break out your stray sock and a disposable bowl. Spray a small puddle of the metallic paint in the bowl. Use the sock to dab and swirl the paint onto the frame. This is the fun part. Go crazy.

There you go. You now have a wonderfully antique-looking frame for putting special pictures in. Enjoy.