Let me just say, I am completely in love with my DIY paw print wall art. It is without a doubt one of my favorite handmade home decor pieces of all time. It’s the most personal memento I have of my fur babies. But after I made it, I didn’t hang it up on the wall. Something was still missing, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was one project I wasn’t quite finished DIYing.
I just LOVE these gorgeous watercolor picture frame mats! This is the perfect way to add a pop of color to those plain picture frame mats! The best part is, you can seriously make these in less than 5 minutes! Such a quick and easy way to spruce up your home decor. | decorbytheseashore.comThen I realized that the white frame with the (almost) white paper and the black print was a little too colorless for me. It looked wonderful and classy, but if you know me, you know that I need some color in my life! I really didn’t want to change the frame color, so I decided to add some color by sprucing up the frame mats!

I was able to create a beautiful watercolor picture frame mat using acrylic paint. The possibilities of crafting with acrylic paint are really endless! I think it turned out wonderfully and adds the perfect touch of color to my paw print wall art. What do you think?

I just LOVE these gorgeous watercolor picture frame mats! This is the perfect way to add a pop of color to those plain picture frame mats! The best part is, you can seriously make these in less than 5 minutes! Such a quick and easy way to spruce up your home decor. | decorbytheseashore.com

If there’s a piece of artwork in your home that you want to add a bit of color and personality to, I highly suggest making your own watercolor picture frame mat! It is super easy and literally takes less than 5 minutes to create a gorgeous, custom look for your picture frame mats.

Materials Needed to Create a Watercolor Picture Frame Mat

I just LOVE these gorgeous watercolor picture frame mats! This is the perfect way to add a pop of color to those plain picture frame mats! The best part is, you can seriously make these in less than 5 minutes! Such a quick and easy way to spruce up your home decor. | decorbytheseashore.com

  • Water-based paint
  • Paint brush
  • 1 TBSP water in a small cup
  • Frame mat

Steps to Create a Watercolor Picture Frame Mat

1. Mix a little bit of your water-based paint into the water. Do this slowly a little at a time until you have the desired color you want. More paint will make the color darker and less transparent and vice versa. I used 1 TBSP of water and a few drops of paint to get the color for my photo frame mats. (I used a ramekin to mix my paint… nothing is off limits when it comes to crafting in this household!) I recommend experimenting with the color on a scrap piece of paper beforehand so you can make sure the color looks right before you begin painting your photo frame mats.

I just LOVE these gorgeous watercolor picture frame mats! This is the perfect way to add a pop of color to those plain picture frame mats! The best part is, you can seriously make these in less than 5 minutes! Such a quick and easy way to spruce up your home decor. | decorbytheseashore.com

2. Dip your paint brush into the paint mixture and blot off the extra water on the side of the cup. Then gently draw the brush across the frame mat for a neat watercolor effect. Every so often stop to reapply the paint until you get the desired coverage on your frame mat. If you want to create patterns, you can paint diagonally back and forth or swirl the brush around on the frame mat in different directions. Another neat technique is to create an ombre effect by starting out with light colors and then eventually mixing in more paint for darker colors.

I just LOVE these gorgeous watercolor picture frame mats! This is the perfect way to add a pop of color to those plain picture frame mats! The best part is, you can seriously make these in less than 5 minutes! Such a quick and easy way to spruce up your home decor. | decorbytheseashore.com

3. When you’re finished painting your photo frame mat, let it dry and then display it in your photo frame for everyone to see!

I just LOVE these gorgeous watercolor picture frame mats! This is the perfect way to add a pop of color to those plain picture frame mats! The best part is, you can seriously make these in less than 5 minutes! Such a quick and easy way to spruce up your home decor. | decorbytheseashore.comI just LOVE these gorgeous watercolor picture frame mats! This is the perfect way to add a pop of color to those plain picture frame mats! The best part is, you can seriously make these in less than 5 minutes! Such a quick and easy way to spruce up your home decor. | decorbytheseashore.com

I just love love love the way these turned out. I am thoroughly obsessed with the color, and they add such a wonderful dimension to my paw print wall art. It was definitely the perfect finishing touch to this project. Now that I am completely satisfied that this project is finished, the only question I have left to answer is where I’ll hang them up!

I just LOVE these gorgeous watercolor picture frame mats! This is the perfect way to add a pop of color to those plain picture frame mats! The best part is, you can seriously make these in less than 5 minutes! Such a quick and easy way to spruce up your home decor. | decorbytheseashore.com

Do you have a picture frame in your home that is in need of a little pop of color or some personalization? I hope you’ll consider watercolor painting the frame mat. It’s amazing what a big difference a small amount of paint can make! And this seriously takes less than 5 minutes. You could do it during a commercial break of your favorite show. So you really don’t have any excuses not to give it a try! 😉

Will you be giving any of your frame mats a watercolor makeover? Shout out about it in the comments! If you’d like to make your own paw print art, you can find the tutorial for it right here. And if you enjoyed this post, you’ll love my newsletter. Sign up below for weekly craft, DIY, and home projects and tips!