DIY patterned photo mats

DIY patterned photo mats

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Do you ever have those *headdesk* moments where you realise that something you’ve been looking for has been right in front of your face the entire time? That was me the other day after I was hit with the idea for this project!

As a self-confessed pattern junkie, I’m always on the look-out for new ways to incorporate spots, stripes and scribbles into my decor. Which means I’m constantly creating new prints to adorn my walls. But it never occurred to me that I can cover the mats that come with my frames too! Hello instant pattern facelift!

It’s probably a bit cheeky to even call this one a project because there’s really only one step and just two items on the materials list. But that makes it my fave kind of project – super easy and super cheap! For a nice spin on your every day wall-art, follow along below..

Materials

  • Photo mats (you can buy these at a frame store, but I just got mine with the frames I bought)
  • Photo frame
  • Sharpies

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Step 1

Umm… start drawing? Yeah, it really is that simple! Just pick a pattern that you feel comfortable hand-drawing and get started.

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To my fellow perfectionist pals out there, you’ll need to check your precision at the door – this project is all about the hand-drawn look! The more irregularities in your patterns, the better.

I went with simple dots and stripes. Both are very easy to draw and lend themselves well to imperfections, which is fantastic. Even if you stuff up, it’ll still look good 😀

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These mats definitely work best with prints that are simple and classic. I have a feeling if you try to pair them with artwork that’s also got a lot of pattern going on, it might end up being a bit overwhelming (and this is coming from a girl who loves her clashing patterns!).

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The absolute best thing about these mats is that it’s very easy to create your own artwork to go with them. Since you’ll be pairing them with toned-down prints, you could just do what I did and type up an inspiring quote or print out a simple shape. Totally do-able in Word, Pages or any other office program you have on hand.

But if you’re not particularly computer savvy, I got you covered – you can use mine! Simply download the prints I made below and you’re all set. Don’t say I don’t take care of you 🙂

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Choose your own adventure printable

Heart printable

xx Steph

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