How to Whitewash a Picture Frame: Step-by-Step Makeover Tutorial

My sister recently moved into a new apartment and she’s hunting for cool decorative items. She dug through her trunks and boxes of old stuff and found this wooden picture frame. The wood carving was quite delicate, but she found the black and gold colors outdated. It did not match her new home decorating style. Now, onto how to whitewash a picture frame!

Supply List

• Frame
• Gray chalk paint: Dixie Belle Hurricane Gray or Dixie Belle Mason Dixon Gray, the choice is yours! 
• White Chalk Paint and water: Dixie Belle Cotton
• Paintbrush
• Paste Wax: Dixie Belle Dang Furniture Wax or FolkArt Home Decor Clear Wax
• 220-grit Sandpaper (optional)
• Single-Hole Hangers

1. Prepping the frame

First, I gave the wood frame a good clean using a damp wash cloth and let it dry for a few hours.

2. Applying an undercoat

For this makeover, I used gray chalk paint. After the first coat of paint, I found the gray color too dark. So, I decided to mix gray paint with white paint before applying the second coat.

I was satisfied with the lighter gray. Two coats of paint were enough to obtain complete coverage of the former black and gold coloring. No need for a third coat!

I let it dry for a couple of hours before starting to whitewash.

3. Light sanding for a better adhesion

After the paint has dried completely, I lightly sanded the frame using a piece of 220-grit sandpaper. Then, I used a piece of tack cloth to remove any sanding dust. Here is the result after the second coat.

4. Whitewashing the Picture Frame

I wanted a thin application, so I mixed equal parts of white paint and water.

I applied the watered-down paint with a brush, and I went over it right away with a cotton cloth. The technique was amazingly easy.

Since I sanded a little too hard on the left side, I added some more gray paint using a small brush.

4. (optional) Adding a top sealing coat

To seal the piece, I decided to use Clear Paste Wax. I used a lint-free cloth to apply wax all over the frame. I allowed the wax to dry for about 2-3 hours and then buff the wax with a clean, lint-free cloth. One coat of wax was enough.

5. Adding new glass to the picture frame

The old frame was missing protective glass and hardware on the back for hanging. To add a new glass to the whitewashed picture frame, I stripped the glass from one we purchased in a dollar store more than 20 years ago. The idea was to swap the glass.

The glass was too large. If it’s not a perfect square or rectangle, always make a template. Especially if the frame is old. Angles may look straight but they are rarely a perfect 90 degrees. Trust me! We didn’t use a template on the first try and the resulting piece of glass did not fit. We had to find a new piece of glass and cut again.

If you don’t want / can’t cut the glass yourself, you can purchase a pre-cut or specially cut piece of glass.

Then, we cut the back to the same size as the glass. This part was easier. We used the new glass as a template. The frame back that comes with the glass was an MDF board. We simply used a hand saw to cut the piece.

I cleaned the new glass and installed it into the frame. I also installed a new hanger on the back of the frame (sorry, no picture, and the frame already left for my sister’s place). Since the frame is small and light, I attached a single small triangle hanger on the back of the frame:

How to whitewash a picture frame: the result!

Here is the final makeover! My sister loved how it looks! I will share another photo once my sister has placed a picture inside the frame.

New art frames are usually quite expensive. But the good news is, you can buy them cheap at your local thrift store. At my store, it costs $1-$2 for a small size one, $2 – $5 for a medium size.  Revamping vintage frames are easy and cheap DIY projects.  

My recycled picture frame safely arrived at my sister’s place. It is now hanging on her guest bedroom wall!

In less than one hour and with some chalk paint, you can give an old picture frame a whole new look!

Pin it for later !

Happy makeover!

Lucie