 | I love collecting postcards, and I have a shoebox full of them. Here's an idea to display some of these miniature pieces of art! I found some frames at a second-hand shop for this, which made it a fairly inexpensive project. Check out our selection of illustrated postcards for inspiration. |
 | Supplies: Postcard Wooden frame Acrylic paint Paint brush Fine grain sandpaper Optional Supplies: Acrylic or enamel spray Ribbon Saw tooth hanger/screws Hand drill Step 1: Set up your space Protect your workspace with some newspaper, and decide on a paint color (or colors). Pick a matching color to the postcard, or something with contrast! |
  | Step 2: Sand your wooden frame Depending on what kind of frame you are working with, you may want to lightly sand down the wood. Take off the back of the frame, remove the glass, and set aside. The frame I'm using here is unfinished wood. It had some permanent marker stains on it as well as some splinters. Some of the other frames I worked with had a stain and finish on them, so I lightly sanded the surface to make sure the paint would easily be applied. |
 | Step 3: Begin painting Decide where you would like each color to go, and apply a layer of paint. I wanted to make the inner bevel of this frame white, and then the border teal. |
 | Step 4: Apply several coats You will probably need to apply several coats of each color in order to get an even color. |
 | Step 5: Let dry Let the paint completely dry. At this point you could re-assemble the frame and put in your postcard, and be finished. However, there are a few other ideas that might make your frame a little sweeter. |
 | Step 6: Spray a protective coat You may want to spray your painted frame with a protective coating of acrylic or enamel spray of some sort. Follow the directions on the package, and then let completely dry (probably at least a day, until you move on to the next step). |
   | Step 7: Attach some ribbon Add a saw tooth hanger to the back of the frame. Measure to the center, place the saw hanger, and screw in place. I used a small hand drill to start the holes. Cut a piece of matching ribbon and slide through the hanger. Tie a loop at the top, and then tie into a bow if you'd like. |
 | Step 8: Assemble the frame Put the frame back together. If your postcard is a little too big you may have to trim it down. If it's a little too small, cut a sheet of colored paper to place behind it in the frame. |
   | Step 9: Hang up your frame Use the ribbon loop to attach the frame to a nail or other hook. I'd love to see how yours turned out! Post a pic on The Inky Octopus Facebook page! P.S. - view our collection of postcards, or our entire collection of free project ideas & printables. |
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