DIY decor: making frames from a ceiling plinth

Nothing decorates the interior of an apartment, bringing a touch of home comfort, like handmade things and decor items. When looking at the trimmings of pretty fillets that remained after the repair, the thought probably comes to mind that they can be used not only for their intended purpose. We will tell you how to make wonderful frames from a ceiling plinth that can be used to decorate photos, paintings, panel, mirrors.

Production of frames from ceiling plinth of different types

For work, molding made of foam or polystyrene foam is suitable. A foam baguette frame will be the most budget option. If the product is not made from excess material, but is specially bought in a store, then creating a frame will require minimal costs. However, it must be borne in mind that the foam is quite fragile and crumbles easily. Expanded polystyrene is stronger, can bend, which makes it more comfortable to work with. The most durable basis for the frame will be trimming a wooden plinth.

Necessary materials and tools

To make an original frame you will need:

baguette made of foam or polystyrene;
glue "Liquid nails" or universal adhesive ("Moment", "Dragon");
construction or clerical knife;
ruler;
miter box or protractor for measuring the cut off angle;

marker;
acrylic paints;
acrylic putty for wood;
thick cardboard (corrugated cardboard).

Step-by-step instruction

A fillet frame can be made in many ways. Consider step by step the option using corrugated cardboard, which will add rigidity to a rather fragile craft. If it will serve as a frame for the mirror, there is no need to use cardboard.

Cutting parts and gluing the product

The first step is cutting out the base for the future frame. The parameters depend on the size of the photo or picture that will be framed using a homemade frame. The cardboard rectangle that will serve as the basis should be slightly larger than the image being drawn up or match it in size.

In the rectangle, you need to cut out a window that will be slightly smaller than our picture, so that its edges will hide under the frame.
We cut out a second cardboard piece of the same dimensions, but with a smaller window, each side of which will be 5 mm smaller than the first.
Both cardboard parts are glued together, forming a place for inserting an image. If the frame for a mirror or for a picture will be attached to a thick base, the previous paragraphs of the instructions are omitted.
Now you need, using a ruler, measure 4 pieces of the plinth, which will be the sides of the frame. With the help of a miter box, the panels are cut at an angle of 45 degrees. If there is no such device, the necessary slope and cut line are drawn on paper, applying a plinth to it. A mark is made with a marker, then the baguette is carefully cut off.

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Check the alignment of the sides by attaching the individual parts of the workpiece to each other. Glue the plinth pieces onto the cardboard blank. If you are not using cardboard, simply attach the pieces of foam board to each other by applying glue to the ends of the planks and pressing them firmly. It is most convenient for these purposes to use a glue gun.

The most difficult thing in making a photo frame from a ceiling plinth is to achieve even joints at the corners of the product.

Plastering, painting and decorating

Most often, gaps form at the junctions of the skirting board, but they can be easily masked with putty and painting.

After the glue has dried, putty the corner slots, the junctions of the plinth with the cardboard base and the back of the frame.This will not only hide defects, but also make the structure solid and more durable. The ends of the product will have to be puttied in several layers or glued foam strips between the cardboard and the plinth before puttying.

Wait for the putty to dry and start painting. It is best to use acrylic or water-based paint. Other types of compounds can spoil the foam, so before using them, you need to cover the surface with PVA glue in several layers.

Advice. A dark frame painted in a shade obtained by mixing black and red or dark brown will look spectacular. A light milky shade is obtained by combining white with ocher. Antique product can be gilded with acrylic gold paint or construction water-based enamel. Gilding is applied with a semi-dry brush in circular motions on a completely dried previous layer.

After painting, the frame is covered with a water-based varnish.

If necessary, fastening is made on the back side. To do this, take a piece of twine and cut a rectangle out of thin cardboard, the length of which will be slightly shorter than the width of the product. Attach the rope to the back of the frame and glue the cardboard so that it presses the ends of the twine.

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Video instruction

The following video shows a master class on making a spectacular frame for a mirror from a ceiling frieze with a three-dimensional relief.

Comments:

Anna

Ksenia, why did you decide that such a frame looks like cheap foam? After appropriate processing, the foam is almost impossible to distinguish from wood, or at least plastic. You can not just gild the surface, but artificially age it. We have several paintings at home (grandmother painted), so the guests not only admire the canvases, but also the frames. Just the same from foam (the old wooden ones were too rough and heavy, they were replaced with lighter ones).

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marina

We have been making frames for a long time, though we don’t do mirrors, although it will look great to paint antique. My daughter learned how to make boxes, it turns out very beautifully. First they did it for themselves, then for relatives and friends. And now all the products are not bad even buying. They call and leave their measurements. People like it, and we have additional income.

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Oleg

The idea itself is not bad, but I categorically do not advise making it from a foam plinth! Very brittle and easily breaks and loses shape! From expanded polystyrene, yes, I quite agree - any decor in the room comes out very cool. More expensive of course, but the quality is worth it!

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Kseniya

There are interesting ideas in the article, but I see few options for myself. First of all, use the baseboard as a frame for the mirror. But this is only possible in the bathroom, it seems to me that it will look cheap in other rooms, it is clear that it is made of foam. Pictures are not relevant for me, and for photographs there are purchased frames that are more elegant than a baseboard. It is better to save the remnants of the panels in case of sudden repairs.

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Vlada

Hmm, I just have a few meters of plinth left - it’s a pity to throw it away, but I don’t know what to do with it. They gave me an idea) Now they sell sets for drawing pictures with real paint according to the scheme, I have several of them. You can not buy a frame for them, but make it yourself)

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Angelina

I pre-painted the plinth with black paint, then, when dry, applied gold strokes, as shown in the examples in the article. I made one large frame for a mirror, two smaller ones for posters from a fashion magazine. It turned out great.

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Andrey Platonov

I'm all for these crafts! This is part of the decor of your cozy house. My wife likes to do something like this, and she has already made frames from the plinth many times, and I helped, paint for example. Yes, and the material is unpretentious, after repair you can find all sorts of things that can be used for something, and make your corner even more comfortable. Create, and you will be happy and joyful!

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Leah

As a club frequenter in the artist's workshop and an amateur designer, after reading your material, I discovered new possibilities for using ceiling plinths. Many, I think, will find unused material after repair, which can be so interesting to beat. I have already decided that my frames will be painted in ivory color with gold splashes. I will design not only for myself, but also for a gift to friends.

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Vlad

I think that decor in a modern apartment or house is an integral part of comfort. I love all sorts of unusual decorations. For example, my bath is stylized as a large lake, soft ducks are everywhere. Various antique painted boards hang in the kitchen. I love the smell of coffee, so I have coffee bags all over my apartment. I love decorating, it's interesting and exciting.

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Tatyana

It's good to have a video. I will do the same. I liked the mirror idea, but I wouldn't have thought of it myself. And it turns out great. And that the plinth can be painted, I had no idea.

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Anna

Julia, I'm the same. I like to make decor from any scraps and natural materials. True, my "masterpieces" adorn exclusively a country house. From the plinth I made frames for the herbarium and embroidered pictures. The advantage is that the frame is light, fastened to any surface and does not fall off. And from the article I got a great idea for painting with gold paint and decorating with an “antique” patina.

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Ivan

I know people who are interested in doing such fakes. In principle, for a start, just buying the cheapest miter box is enough, fillets are normally cut with a knife for plasterboard. Many do not putty the seams, but simply go through them with white acrylic, paint normally falls on it. The main key to success is the selection of the color of the paint and the coloring itself.

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Julia

I love stylish decor at home, and I try to do it myself. For example, in a wine glass in the kitchen I have a small figurine of a bird, and in a champagne glass there are coffee beans with a chocolate candy in foil. I really liked the idea of a frame from a ceiling plinth! You can paint a picture yourself, and even without knowing how to draw, you can create a stylish abstraction in tones to match the color of the frame.

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