DIY Oversized Picture Frame Mat
Last week I revealed our modern hallway makeover and this week I want to talk about one of my favorite elements, the DIY oversized picture frame mats. When I decided I wanted to tackle this space I knew I wanted to display some of the many family photos not being seen on my computer. I think we can all relate when I say too many photos never make it off the camera or phone. But I wanted to change that! So I came up with a simple DIY to show off these beautiful family pictures and tie them all together. Let me walk you through how I did it 🙂
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I definitely have a little bit of a love hate relationship with family photos. I love the idea of displaying cherished memories, but being a child of the 80s I am a bit traumatized by the old school spread of EVERY photo ever taken adorning the walls in dated oak frames. So you can see my hesitation, haha! Nonetheless, I was determined to find a modern solution. I must confess, I was definitely inspired by these oversized frames, but at over $100 a pop for the large size that was just not happening.
DIY Oversized Picture Frame Mat
Step 1
Picking a frame. If you have been around for a while, you know I love IKEA and I think they are a great resource for picture frames. I have used their frames all over and most recently on my DIY Art Ledge. So it should come as no surprise I chose the gold Silverhojden for this project. I liked the contrast of the gold with the dark walls and the price was right.
Step 2
Order additional mats. The IKEA picture frames I used do come with mats with an opening for an 8×10 photo but since I wanted to achieve that oversized picture frame mat look, I ordered these to take the opening down to a 5×7.
Step 3
Choose your photos. I’m not going to lie. This was the most time consuming part of the process. I may or may not have spent hours going down memory lane trying to select just the right photos for this project 🙂
Step 4
Add the second mat to the picture frame. With the frame back off, I lined up the smaller mat with the center of the larger mat and taped it with painters tape. I like using painters tape because it isn’t as sticky as some others and it allows you to peel it back and reposition without damage. Don’t worry, you can’t see the blue through the mat.
Step 5
Add your photos to the picture frame. Again, I used painters tape to secure my photos to the smaller mat so I can swap them out later or reposition them without causing damage to the mat or the photo.
Step 6
Hang up your photos and enjoy your new oversized picture frame mats! See, I told you this was a really easy project!
Designer TIP
When grouping multiple photos together, using black and white makes for a more modern look and provides a cohesive feel like they all go together rather than having multiple colors competing for attention. Repeating picture frames also gives a clean and consistent feel and keeps the grouping from looking cluttered.
I am so excited to not only have a new modern hallway design but also finally be displaying some of my favorite family photos! If you are part of my family and didn’t make it to the wall of fame that just means the next time I see you we need to take some pictures 😉 Make sure you follow me on Instagram stories to see our next project in action and all the behind the scenes!
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Are you kidding?? You are a genius. This is so damn beautiful in every way. The frames from IKEA are perfect and your re-engineering them with the 5 x 7 mats in back of the 8 x 10 mats looks so good. Also, printing photos in black and white (actually could print them in sepia too I think) makes them look very art gallery like. I’m always looking for ways to do unique framing, and this is wonderful. I also like that you can easily switch out the photos with the painter’s tape. Like I said, genius!!! Hats off to you.
Thank you so much Jacqueline! I am so glad you like it. You are right, sepia would make a really pretty gallery wall too 😉