DIY thrifted wall decor for our bathroom reno

Before I share the entire bathroom reveal, I wanted to show you how I made a nice piece of wall decor for super cheap.

 I went to Goodwill and found this botanical print.

  I chose this one because it has a nice double mat inside and a good quality wood frame. And it was on sale for $5 - marked down from $8.  But we're not buying it for the print.  We're scavenging the mat and the frame which would cost big money at a craft or framing store.

 I removed the backing, and pulled off the print. 

  I would normally have saved the print - it wasn't bad! But this one was glued on to the mat and got torn when I pulled it off.  No biggie.

 Our co-worker and friend Keith was nice enough to print off a photo of Ms. H and my parents, as well as Keith and his wife when they all went to Ireland a few years ago.  He printed it in black and white, 11x14, to fit the mat. 

I took the mat and frame and grabbed a can of Zinsser BIN Shellac Primer which is oil based - it will cover beautifully.  Just be sure to use it outside or in a well ventilated area.

It took several coats and several times repositioning the mat and frame before all sides and angles of the pieces were covered. 

Once the primer was dried, I was actually fine with the color of the mat - so I didn't bother to spray it with a white paint.

I grabbed a black gloss spray paint and hit the frame.  Again, several times repositioning the frame and it was done.

 

 We put it all back together and Dad added some picture wire to the back.

 Wa-la!

 Personal, chic wall art for less than $10!! Big bathroom reveal is next....

XO,

Anne