Framed Quote DIY Project

So,  the landing at the top of the stairs is lookin' much better with my updated little dresser living up there now. Besides a coat of paint on the walls, this little space still needs a little something. Too small for another piece of furniture, or bookshelf -- what to do?

I decided pretty quickly that I'd just like a framed quote up there. I'm a quote nut, remember? :-) Something with either a family, home or bedtime theme -- since this space leads us to our bedrooms that are tucked up under the eaves there.

I settled on "if you're worried and you can't sleep, then count your blessings instead of sheep" -- quoted from the song sung in the 1954 movie "White Christmas". (go here to get a little taste of this wonderful little song, or go listen to it in my playlist on the sidebar over there; just scroll down 'til you see it) I'm pretty sentimental about this quote/song. Its message has helped me through some bumpy times in my life in the past -- and it's a great message for my little family to see each day and night now!

Now, to find it and buy it and put it up!  Uh... nope. Local boutiques stores? Nada. I know, I'll Google it! Nope! It's not anywhere! (except for a cute folk art take on it, but they butchered the quote! I'll pass.)   Time for a little DIY! Get what you want, but still  be a good little Fru-Gal -- can it be done? Yep! Here's how I did it:

1. Find the right sized frame for the space. Hello, thrift store! ($3)

I picked the birdie one on the bottom. Love that frame. Hatin' the green and mauve thing happenin' there...LOL

2. Spray paint the frame. I picked black: bye-bye mauve!  Primer is needed on a glossy surface. 1 coat is probably okay, 2 if you need it.  (I didn't need to prime, and did two light coats.)

3. Take a look at your matte. (mat? matte? not sure which one's correct. oh well.)  Hate it? You have options: take it to a frame or craft shop, and have them cut a custom one (it will cost you something; but you have *your* colors you want, and it will really give you the WOW factor for your project...), OR keep the one you have as-is (free!), OR keep the current one and spray paint it to the color you want! (almost free!) Go here to see how to do that. Keep reading to see what I did with mine...

4. Create your quote. I designed mine on the computer. I emailed a PDF of it to my local copy store, where they printed it for me on a larger piece of paper, so I could frame it without any 'cut and paste' lines... brought it home, and cut it to fit. Cost? 20¢. Dat's what I'm talking about! :-)

5. Put it all together. Remember to  clean your glass (wow, what a difference just *that* makes!) take your "new" frame, matte and quote and put it all together.

6. Enjoy! Mission accomplished. Lovely framed favorite quote. Total cost? $3.20. Oh yeah; still a Fru-Gal!

:::

Look what happened to that outdated matte when put next to a black frame!  I planned on replacing it, but loved how it looked once put together. Serendipity!

Here it is, all hung up.

Love it! ♥