How to Use Thrift Store Frames for Seasonal Decor – St.Patrick’s Day Framed Artwork & More

Hi friends! St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, and I wanted to share an easy craft to create seasonal decor. Just with some pretty frames you can create all sorts of seasonal artwork. Today I am sharing a St. Patrick’s day themed framed artwork masterpiece, but you can take this concept in many different directions for all sorts of occasions.

If you decorate for St. Patrick’s day, you will love this easy idea. If you aren’t a big St. Patrick’s day decorator, don’t worry, because you can use this for any upcoming holiday or even for a special event, fitting into your lifestyle.

Today I am using thrifted frames, but you can also pick up frames at the Dollar Tree or craft stores to serve the same purpose at not a big expense. Or you might even have some frames kicking around in your garage, which you can repurpose and dress up with holiday fancy.

*Affiliate links might be included for your convenience. These affiliate links mean a small commission is earned if you make a purchase using these links at no extra cost to you.?As an Amazon Associate qualifying purchases support this website. For more information: Full Disclosure Policy.

How the St. Patrick’s Day Framed Artwork All Started

I found this large cover leaf last year in Eugene, Oregon while visiting our son for spring family weekend at University of Oregon. One day Mr. M and Master M went fishing on the Willamette river and while they fished, I foraged. Yup, you know me, always looking at nature for inspiration.

Well, I found these clover plants with large leaves, and I carefully saved one. I placed it between a napkin and placed it in a book and forgot about it. I knew I wanted to use it for a St. Patrick’s day project and here we are.

I’ve always wanted to press flowers and leaves so I think this is a good start. It never crossed my mind about touching anything poisonous or dangerous, but please keep this in mind when foraging around Mother Nature’s playground.

How to Create a St. Patrick’s Day Framed Artwork Masterpiece

I like organic and rustic and vintage decor, which is the twist I put on my piece, but you can adapt it to your own style and design aesthetic. This is how I created my St. Patrick’s day framed artwork.

Supplies

• Thrifted frame
• Pressed clover leaf
• Graphic paper {s}
• Embellishments
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Ribbon
• Stamps {optional}
• Ink Pads {optional}

Directions

• Identify your graphics and focal point {I used the pressed clover leaf, scrapbook paper for the background and shamrock page I found here}
• Assemble your supplies
• Open frame and separate backing to use as a guide

• Cut your background to frame size {I cut green print scrapbook paper following oval picture form}
• Print shamrock graphic sized to fit in your frame
• I inked the edges of my shamrock graphic and used stamps to print green frames around “key” words {Ireland, Saint Patrick, Shamrock}
• Add embellishment(s) {I used green striped ribbon tape on the right side}
• Layer and glue everything together

• Assemble frame together with glass and backing.
• Add ribbon as textural detail

• Create a seasonal vignette around your frame & enjoy

Styling Your St. Patrick’s Day Framed Artwork in a Seasonal Vignette

I styled the St. Patrick’s day framed artwork on the sideboard in the dining room. I just shopped my home and used green pieces to compliment the St. Patrick’s day vignette. Green wasn’t hard to find in my home.

I placed the shamrock frame on a stack of green books with some vintage green floral frogs. On a stack of butter pats sits one of my DIY crown napkin rings as a tea light votive.

Flanking the frame sits a vintage, plaid thermos and a vintage French bottle. The milk glass basket I acquired last year has some moss balls and green baubles to keep the green theme going.

The large metal filigree frame I recently shared here {framed doily art work DIY} and here {mushroom inspired decorative vignette}, which shows you how versatile a thrifted frame can be. I will be talking more in depth about this frame tomorrow at the next Thrifted Goodies installment. Make sure to come back and visit.

For this project, I paired the frame with some St. Patrick’s day altered art I created a few years ago. Since the altered art has bulky pieces I assembled it with out the glass, simply pinning the pieces in place on the burlap background. A couple of years ago I attached the altered art to the hanging frame on the shutters.

Closing Thoughts about the St. Patrick’s Day Framed Artwork

When shopping for frames at thrift stores some of them are blank, stripped either by the owners who donated the item or the volunteers working at the thrift shop. Every thrift store has its own policies. But the point is do NOT let whatever the artwork might be deter you from buying a frame you like. This is what my piece looked like when I found it.

Side note: I did not pay $6 dollars for this piece. Orange tags were discounted the day I bought it, so I only paid a few dollars. Anyway, this is what the back looked like, which explains why the photo had not been removed. This is after I went through with my crafting knif to start to remove the gallery backing. It’s not as easy as popping open a tabletop frame, but it’s also not that difficult and totally doable.

Vintage oval frames always get me, and they do carry a little heavier price point some times. Anyway, the frame had me at gilding with the blue, green, gray detailing. The other piece of artwork I put together for the vignette is a simple arrangement pinned to the burlap backing, which I explained above.

Frames are a great foil to create seasonal decorations you can change and adapt through the seasons. The oval frame featured here today will go in my St. Patrick’s day bin. The bigger metal frame you will continue to see seasonally through the year with different installments. I hope this gives you some ideas to decorate for St. patrick’s Day or any other holiday. Thanks for being here and see you next time. Au Revoir!

More Related Posts

Most Recent Posts

“For each petal on the shamrock, this brings a wish your way: Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day.” 

Irish Blessing

---

sharing @ between naps on the porch