I love going to the antique store and finding beautiful old frames. Or art with intricate frames. They used to be made so well and you just can’t buy anything new that touches it! But sometimes, the frames are damaged. I thought I’d try my hand at picture frame repair and show you how to do the same!
diy picture frame repair
Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:
If the video doesn’t work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. It’d mean so much if you’d watch the video! I’m trying to get better at my video skills so I can grow my YouTube channel. If you have a few minutes to watch this and/or subscribe, I’d so appreciate it.
SUPPLIES
Supplies for the art print
Shop all these supplies on my Amazon Storefront
antique frames
The frames I’ll be working are made from thick wood. The carving on the front is not carved wood, but made of compo. Compo is a material like plaster that is made of chalk, hide glue, resin, and linseed oil. It is fragile so over time, it can break off. My frames both have sections where the compo carving has come off. That is what we’ll be repairing today.
I love buying this type of frame from the store. The quality is amazing and usually the cost is good because of the wear. I always flip my frames over when shopping to see the age. What I keep my eye out for is thick wood and metal hardware. Usually on the old frames, the wire is attached with an eye-hook and that’s a mark of a very old frame that I love.
The big frame I got from the antique shop will be going in my bathroom. We built in some shelves and the frame will create hidden storage.
step 1- clean the frame
Start by evaluating the condition of the frame. Note any damage to the carving of the frame such as cracks, but mostly missing pieces. Which part of the frame has the carving that each section is missing? Notice that the frame has a repeating pattern so the missing bits are represented other places on the frame.
Clean the frame with a Q-Tip dipped in water to remove any loose dirt from the carved areas of the frame. Be careful to not break off any more of the picture frame.
Pay attention to the corners and intricate details where dust tends to accumulate.
step 2- create a mold
Next, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for mixing the silicone rubber compound. For the Silicone Mold Making Kit I bought, it has a 1:1 ratio- so you mix equal parts A (blue) and B (white) by hand. Use a Scale to weigh each part so they’re exactly the same.
Thorough mixing is crucial to ensure the silicone cures properly. I fold the putty between my hands and press it back together to mix it nicely.
Note, only mix a little bit at a time because it hardens up very fast.
Place on the surface of the frame where the ornament on the frame is intact and there’s a full repeat of the pattern that makes up the frame. Press the putty firmly onto the surface frame detail in order to push out any air bubbles. Work fairly quickly- the mold has about 3 minutes of working time so you want to get right to it!
Repeat on each section of the frame that a mold is needed. For example, this might be on the corner or an inner section of the frame.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommended curing time for the silicone (usually this takes 20-30 minutes).
Finally, de-mold each of the silicone molds. Once the silicone has fully cured, carefully remove the mold from the picture frame. It’s exciting to see all the imprint and detail from the original frame captured in the mold!
step 3- make the reproduction
And now, use Air Dry Clay to fill the mold. This makes the positive parts of the carving (or the casting) that’ll be attached onto the frame. The reproduction is what will fill in the gaps on the frame!
Find the area that has the carving missing and needs to be replaced. Notice the part of the repeat of the pattern that is missing. Locate those on the mold.
Next, I like to soften the air dry clay by kneading it with my hands and then rolling it so it’s long and skinny (like making a snake out of play doh).
Take the clay and put it into the mold and press it firmly into the negative spaces of the mold.
Note- don’t overflow the mold. That’ll make it so you have to trim it down more later.
Carefully pull the clay out of the mold. It’s important to make the clay a little longer than needed for each section. Why? Because when pulling it out, the carved section tends to get damaged from my fingers removing it from the mold.
It works really nicely to have a Cutting Mat under the clay work. This protects the work surface from getting dirty.
It’s fun to see the beautiful carving on the clay!
Note, keep a wet rag or washcloth nearby so its easy to wipe off fingers while working. The clay covers everything and is messy so I find it nice to be able to quickly clean up.
step 4- attach the clay
Cut the clay down with Sculpting Tools to the section needed. It can be a little tricky to cut it exactly the missing parts. Clean up the edges. Sometimes the depth needs to be cut down too. This step is a little finicky to get it right.
Put Wood Glue on the frame where it will be a-fixed to.
Note, I like using a small artist’s Paint Brush to apply the glue. That way I only get it where I want and don’t get too much.
Put the clay onto the wood glue. Press the clay down so they will meld together. This fills the missing areas of the frame.
Use your fingers to soften the edges of the clay piece so it fits nicely with the frame.
If needed, use some of the clay sculpting tools to help clay transition nicely onto the existing parts of the frame.
Seeing the new pieces become part of the old frame feels really magical! This is the fun of restoration! It’s becoming usable and new again.
Another method I like to do is to glue some clay directly onto the frame. Then use the mold onto the clay that’s attached to the frame to shape it.
Parts of my frame had tiny cracks. For that, I’m using Wood Filler to fill the hairline spaces.
Let the wood filler and clay dry out for 12 hours.
step 5- painting and color work
Finally, it’s time to paint the clay parts (and any areas where the gold leafing has worn off). To do this, use Rub ‘n Buff. They sell a bunch of gold options. Get a few to test out.
In an inconspicuous spot on the frame, use an Artist Paint Brush to apply some Rub ‘n Buff to test out the colors.
For my little frame, the color Spanish Copper is working for the base layer.
Then I’m layering it with European Gold for the highlights.
Once a match is found, brush on the gold paint to any areas that aren’t gold. This is when the frame comes to life and looks like a restored object!
For my larger painting, since most of the repair work is taking place on the flat edges. I’m using a Finger Sander to smooth out the clay.
Then I’m using the European Gold Rub ‘n Buff with a paint brush on the repaired areas. It’s slow because this one had lots of repairs, but it’s looking so good!
I do wish I’d have laid down a drop cloth before starting this step. I ended up getting the paint on my table and I think it’ll be permanent. So make sure to add one!
step 6- art print
For my smaller frame, I’m not a fan of the art that came with the frame. So I bought a Flower Art Print that I’ll layer on top of the art.
To make it look more like a painting, I’m using Mod Podge in a satin finish and brushing it on with a paint brush.
After letting the first layer dry, I’m repeating the last step- painting on the Mod Podge. I’m trying my best to mimic the strokes an artist would make to make it look more realistic.
Let dry and then put in the picture frame.
step 7- hidden storage
The last thing that needs to be done is to turn the frame I just restored into hidden storage. To start, my husband is attaching the art to the frame with push points. They just need to be hammered into place around the frame.
Next, we are attaching two hinges on the back.
Then, the hinges are attached to the wall.
And finally, a magnetic closure is also attached to the wall. This will keep the frame closed unless in use.
Ready for the reveal?!
after
The frames are done, and I have to say thy look super good! They feel restored and look amazing.
The frames are not perfect, especially my bigger frame that had the most problems. But! They are so much better!
The paint really finished everything off nicely. It covered up the clay and wood filler and now they still feel old, but not damaged.
I love that this is a way to keep picture frames in use longer. These frames are generally more affordable because of the damage, and it’s not too hard to do the repair work.
This gives me more options when antique shopping. Now there’s tons more frames I can buy! They don’t make them this fancy anymore, so I think it’s great to be able to repair the old picture frames.
price breakdown
I already had these items on hand (so they didn’t cost anything)
In total I spent $53 on the picture frame repair. The clay, mold making kit, and Rub ‘N Buff have plenty left over so now I’m stocked up to repair lots of vintage frames!
It’s been so fulfilling fixing up these frames! I love that they have a happy new place to live and are in much better condition. If you have a damaged old frame would you try this? Do you have any questions about the process? Please let me know in the comments!
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
If you love it, pin it!
