Monday, July 11, 2011

Polka dot frame

Today I'm going to show you a SUPER quick and EASY way to transform something old into something new!

I'm talking 20 minutes people!

I'm going to take an old frame I found at a garage sale for .25 cents and make it a much better home for my new Valentina print!
(I'll be introducing you to Valentina tomorrow)

I started out with an old beat-up frame I found at a garage sale for .25 cents.

Seriously, a frame for a quarter? Yes, PLEASE!
I power sanded it down so the shiny finish was gone.
Then I took my hot glue gun ...
I know there are some crafty people out there with negative feelings towards glue guns, but I tried a few other mediums and the glue gun gave me the outcome I was looking for.

Just embrace the hot glue for a sec.....

and I made raised polka dots.
You might be thinking ... where is all that stringy mess that comes with a hot glue gun?
Well, if you work that gun just right you won't have a stringy mess!
There might be other techniques, but here's how I do it...


Hold your gun at an angle and disperse the amount you want that will create the desired size dot.
there we go.
then, lift the gun straight up from the dollop.

and when you see the stringy mess begin, gently move the tip of your gun around the dollop in a circular pattern, which will wrap the stringy mess back around the dollop and allow those strings to re-melt
(if that's even a word) back into the hot glue.

Your strings will then disappear and you will be left with this:
You might have to clean up a few little scraggly pieces or a few strings here and there, but the hot glue cooled down is really easy to just rub or scrape right off!

Keep going until your frame is filled and you are happy with it.
The last step was a run with the spray paint can and there you have it!
Something new and fun in 20 minutes!
You can most definitely squeeze THAT in!
You can do so many things with this ... here is another idea to start your wheels a turning:
My love jars


10 comments:

Sara, Nick, and kids said...

Omg! Thank you so much! I have been looking everywhere- seriously everywhere for cute white frames to match the ones in lillys room and that would be perfect!
I'm so excited now!

Lindsay said...

Ooooo! I LOVE it!!!

Deborah March said...

Great idea...cute frame!

Jessica Jo said...

I love hot glue. It is my favorite. I don't see why people DON'T love it. Now I have another reason to love, well, a rediscovered reason. I love how you can take something and use it for something that it was completely NOT made for.

ShannonSews said...

You are so smart! I LOVE your polka dot frame. It is so cute. What a great idea!
shannonsews.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Adorable! I love this idea. Definitely something my teenagers can do while they're bored this summer, too!

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy said...

What a great idea! I would love it if you would link up to my Tuesday Confessional party going on now. There is a really great giveaway going on with it. I hope to see you soon! http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2011/07/tuesday-confessional-linky-party-and.html
~Macy

HomeDefined.com said...

Now that is just toooo cute! I would have never thought of the glue gun.. it almost looks like rain drops.

Debra
http://homedefined.com

Kevin and DeNiel said...

I have seen this in person and it is BEAUTIFUL!

Mimi Collett said...

Good grief those are cute!

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