I have had the idea of using washi tape to decorate picture frames for some time now, but my latest visit to Michael’s kicked things into gear: they are selling these perfect blank picture frames for $1 each! I’m sure it is related to Mother’s Day, so do not drag your feet too long before your run out to snag yours. This craft came together so well, you do not want to miss out. Read on to learn more!
Supplies for DIY Washi Tape Picture Frames
Frames of your choice (the more basic, the better; these are just plain, unfinished wood)
Washi tapes (as many or as few as your heart desires)
Scissors
Rotary cutting tool and mat (and/or a small, sharp knife and cutting board)
Modge Podge in your preferred finish (I used satin, came out really nice!)
Paint brush
Making Your Custom Washi Tape Picture Frames
After assembling my supplies, the first thing I did was start to swatch my washi tapes to get an idea of how I wanted each frame to look. This is, just like my planning swatches, is an imperfect science; you can see on the lower swatch I tried mixing things up after I did not love my initial idea.
Once you have your combos picked, time to start on the frames. I began at the bottom edge of each frame and worked upwards, laying my washi tape one strip at a time with ample extra on each edge to make it easy to position.
Lo and behold, it will not be long until your frame is nicely covered with your washi pattern!
Next, I turned my frame washi-side-down on my cutting mat and used a rotary cutter to trim away the excess tape both on the inside and outside edges. The rounded corners of these frames did not play nicely with my rotary cutter, so I did end up doubling back with a sharp parring knife to trim up those areas. All and all the trimming was not nearly as involved as I feared it would be! Then I was left with a nice, neat picture frame.
To be honest, I probably could have called it done here. But, living in humid Texas, I was afraid that the edges of the tape could start curling in the long run. To prevent that, I brushed on a quick coat of Modge Podge over the front and sides of the frames.
I used washi from several different sources for this project and while 90% took the Modge Podge just fine, two tapes did not seem to “absorb” it like the others. While it looked really funky during the drying period, once the Modge Podge was set I could only barely see the difference.
The End Result of DIY Washi Tape Picture Frames
All in all, this craft is a little more intensive than others I have shared, but not nearly as difficult as I expected. Picking/arranging the washi probably was the longest step! I used one frame to hang the Hufflepuff Head Girl pin I got as a gift from my mom, and the second frame is going to be a picture of me and my darling boy (y’know, if I can ever get a picture with him sitting still…).
I hope you try this out and create your own masterpieces! Tag me on Instagram @WashiTapeWarrior so I can see!
