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.
Then 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?
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
- 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.
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.
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 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!
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!
Celeste , that is the perfect addition to the frames. Now the paw prints really pop! And I love the color you chose.
Thanks so much, Mary! I just love the way the frame mats make the paw prints stand out! And of course, what other color would I choose? 😉
It’s amazing what a pop of colour can do! This craft is genius Celeste! Great colour choice, too. Just love this 🙂
Thanks so much, Jelica! I agree, it’s amazing what a little color can do! I am totally addicted to the color blue, if you couldn’t tell. 😉
Those mats look wonderful! And you’re right, the blue added just the pop of color to make the finished frames look perfect. I love acrylic paints, but I’ve never tried that watercolor technique. You’ve inspired me. Thanks! There are so many places I could try using it.
Thanks, Rebecca! There are so many fun crafts you can do with acrylic paints. You should definitely give it a try!
I am sooo glad that I found your site. I had a friend print flowers that are the favorite of the special ladies in my life. I wanted to do colored mats of their favorite color of that flower. After much hunting and idea tossing, I came across this idea and it is working out perfectly! I wish i could attach images of them. They are sooo pretty! Thank you for helping me solve my dilemma!