"Quick Hitter" Project 1: Picture Frames with that "Hand-crafted" Touch

OK, for our first Quick Hitter project, we're going to look at a quick, easy, inexpensive and incredibly effective way to infuse some life and color into a boring bedroom.

What You'll Need:

• 1 Quart Hallmark Ceramic Matte Paint from RepcoLite (it's the best, afterall!)

• 1 Quart RepcoLite's Prime-All Waterbased Primer 

• 1 picture frame

• 1 scrap of wallpaper (or decorative paper) big enough to fit in frame

• A few sheets of heavy-duty artist paper

• Some old newspapers (to protect your work area)

• An old paper grocery bag

• Double-sided tape or photo adhesive

How to Do It:

This is a great project that will take you very little time, but that will pay off big in terms of visual "pop" in your home.

Just start with a standard picture frame. If it's already stained and finished, then do a light sanding with some 150 grit paper and prime with RepcoLite's Waterbased Prime-All primer. Once it's dry, apply the Hallmark Ceramic Matte finish paint in whatever color you selected using either a roller or a brush.

Set the frame aside to dry (with Hallmark, it will only take about 30 minutes or so to dry).  

While the frame is drying, take your scrap of wallpaper or your decorative paper (picked up cheaply at any hobby store with scrapbooking supplies) and cut it to fit inside the frame.  (A simple way to do this is to save the paper insert that came with your frame.  Use this as a template).

Anyway, cut the wallpaper or decorative paper to fit the frame and set it aside.

Once you've got these things accomplished, it's time to create the handprint in the center.  Now, this is not a difficult process, but there are a few things to know that will make your results turn out well.  First, you've probably seen this done before (at school) where the handprint is "globby" and, well, for lack of a better word...ugly.  The reason this happens is because kids usually mash their hands down on the paper while they're covered with way, way, WAY too much paint.

The easy way to fix that is this:  carefully brush the paint you used to paint the picture frame onto your child's hand (if you've used Hallmark Ceramic, it's perfectly harmless--though you will want to supervise for obvious reasons).  Making sure your child doesn't touch everything in site or eat the paint, help your child press his or her hand onto a paper grocery bag.  Do this a number of times until you start to see a clearly defined handprint.  Once you get to that point, shift from the paper bag to the sheets of heavy duty white artist's paper.  Help them firmly press their hand onto the paper and then help them lift their hand off without smudging the print.

Maybe make a couple just to be sure you get a good one and, while those are drying, wash your hands and clean up your supplies.

When everything's dry, cut the handprint paper down and tape it or affix it using photo adhesive to the center of the wallpaper scrap.  Mount everything in your frame, hang it up and there you go:  something cool, something unique, something that will serve as a great memory and something that will add some visual pop and interest to your room!