Clear Scraps Project Post

Hi everyone!  It's Annie, and today I'm sharing a tutorial to make this simple photo frame pallet project using pallet shapes, wood quotes, and chipboard embellishments from Clear Scraps.

I started by giving the Rectangle Medium DIY Pallet Shape a quick sanding with a fine grit sanding sponge and then added a coat of white satin finish acrylic paint.  Once dry, I quickly sanded the piece again with the sanding sponge, cleared away any dust, and added a second coat of the same white acrylic paint.  This two-coat process yields a smooth and even base to allow for further alterations.

For some fun texture, I then painted the entire piece with Crackle Medium.  Allow this to dry completely before proceeding with your topcoat (it will dry virtually clear with a glossy finish).

Using a wide brush, I next applied teal acrylic paint over the entire surface of the shape.  At first the paint will appear normal, but as it dries you'll begin to see cracks and your basecoat color will show through.  Thicker layers of your topcoat paint often lead to larger cracks, so play with different techniques to get the result you're looking for.

Because the pallet was so bright and textured, I decided to paint the "Keep Life Simple" wood quote a smooth white with acrylic paint.  Two coats with a light sanding in between resulted in a nice finish.

The photo frame on my pallet is actually just the border (packaging) from the dragonfly chipboard embellishment.  Once I clipped the dragonflies out of the packaging, I cleaned up all of the edges with scissors and my sanding sponge.  Then I applied Versamark Ink all over the chipboard pieces, added white or platinum embossing powder to the frame or dragonflies, respectively, and melted it with my heat tool.  A second coat of embossing powder to all of the pieces ensured a smooth and sturdy faux enamel finish.

I adhered the white frame to my pallet using thin foam strips on just three sides.  Leaving the top open allows me to slide out the picture and change it seasonally or whenever I want.

The wood quote and dragonfly embellishments were adhered to the pallet with hot glue and I created a hanger for the piece out of thick natural jute that was stapled into the back of the boards.

I hope you enjoyed this simple and pretty photo frame pallet project and thanks so much for stopping by today.  What's your favorite wood quote in the Clear Scraps shop?

~ Annie

Additional products used: white and blue acrylic paint, crackle medium, Versamark Ink, white and platinum heat embossing powder, heat tool, sanding sponge, natural jute, hot glue gun