Mixed Media Frame

After a hiatus in December & January for me, it’s time for some more de-stashing fun with the Monthly Crafty De-Stash Challenge!  This month I’m making a fun mixed media frame to help display mini quilts & quilt blocks.

Every month, a group of bloggers are challenged by C’mon Get Crafty to create a new craft or project from their own stash of goodies!  Rules are to use mostly things from your stash & up to $10 in extra supplies if needed.  Check out some awesome creations you might be able to make from your own stash! #CraftRoomDestashChallenge

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[bctt tweet=”What crafty creations could you make today from YOUR craft stash?! #CraftRoomDestashChallenge” username=”Teadoddles”]

Empty Frame & Thrifty Finds

My craft room {and house} is filled with bits & pieces leftover from other projects.  I’m also always picking up little things at thrift stores that I find interesting.  I don’t always know what I’m going to do with these things, but I know they will be used – eventually!  For today’s project, I grabbed a large frame with no glass, some chicken wire bits, & old cheese graters.

My goal is to make a frame for my mantel shelf that will be a place to display quilt blocks & mini quilts.

After playing around with the arrangement, it was time to spruce up the frame.

Painting the Frame

Before painting the frame, I needed to remove the hanging wire.  It was barely hanging in there anyway!  Ha!  ; P  I’ll be moving the wire up towards the top so I can use it to hang things in the center.

I’m using Rustoleum 2X Ultra Coverage in Eden as a base coat.

Next I brushed over the frame with Americana Chalky Finish paint in Treasure.

One coat let too much green show through, so I added one more after the first dried.

Finally I scuffed up the corners and edges with some very fine sandpaper.

The paint came off a little more than I wanted in some places, but I think maybe it should have dried longer.

Since the overall effect looked good to me, I decided to leave it that way.

I may go over it with a clear coat eventually to seal it in.

Adding the Fun

I still wanted a wire across the back to hang quilt blocks & minis from, so I drilled some new holes close to the corners.

Then I reused the eye hooks from before. I used art wire instead of picture wire for a stiffer hanger.

Staples & some of the frame tabs helped hold the chicken wire in place.

To help hang things from the chicken wire, I borrowed some oval chain bits from my jewelry making stash.

The chain loops were too small for the largest cheese grater, so I made some hooks with the art wire.

I decided to add in a wood panel left over from a project I made with a veggie crate.  The wire across it was perfect to hang the second cheese grater on.

It’s held in place with the frame tabs in the back.

Ready to Display

Here it is all assembled & sitting on my mantel shelf!

I have a block from the Hunter Star QAL hanging in it currently.  It’s like a little sunshine in the room!

The hooks at the top on each side are two left from my jewelry box makeovers.  You can see what I did with the rest of the parts here, here, & here.  The drawer pull is a leftover from the drawer I turned into a dog bed.

This mixed media frame is perfect to display all those bits & pieces I hang on to.

It will be easy to change things out with the season & add things throughout the year.

I really love how this turned out!  Now it’s time to what everyone else made from their crafty stash!  : )

Pin it for later!

If you’d like to join in the Craft Room De-Stash Challenge, you can request to join our Facebook group here!

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