Keyholder Frame « The Hybrid Chick

Keyholder Frame

By Mari Koegelenberg Monday May 18, 2009

Making your own Home Decor is so rewarding and so much easier than what we expect. I know from experience that sometimes I am apprehensive to try something new because I am scared it will look horrible but my best advice to you is just do it…you never know that idea you had might be a success or it will inspire you to make something else.

I love making these Keyholder Frames. They are so easy to make and they are beautiful gifts and keepsakes.This whole project evolved from my trying to do an altered canvas which quickly morphed into a Keyholder. Remember that you can really do anything with this project…customize it for Baby’s Room to hang momentoes on or as an Organization Board in your office.

Let us gather our supplies…

1 Photo Frame ( It can be an unvarnished one as I have here or even scour your local garage sales for a suitable frame)
Packet of Cup Hooks
Acrylic Paint in your desired color.
Modge Podge
Foam Brush
Photo Insert for your Frame and Tags (optional)…I used Kelley Mickus’s Whisper for this project; it is such a gorgeous kit! (Measure your frame insert and define a shape size as explained in detail in this project: Recycling Fun; I also added some Circles for my tags and decorated them with elements from Kelley’s Kit and Michelle Coleman’s Handstamped Alpha, Font used is AL Uncle Charles)
Distress Ink (Optional) and sponge
Cropodile/Eyelet Setter (Optional)
Eyelets
Circle Punch (Optional)
Trimmer/ Scissors
Pencil and Ruler
Star Sequins (optional)
Glue Dots

Step 1:

Prepare your Frame. I lightly sanded mine. If you have a varnished frame I suggest you sand off all the excess varnish with some sand paper.

I wanted a light white tint on the frame, more of a washed look. I diluted my paint with one part paint and one part water (about a teaspoonful of each…you are not going to use much depending on the amount of coverage you want!).

Paint the Frame and let it dry. Remember to make sure you get all the little nooks and crannies so you have an even and covered look. The grain of the wood will still be visible and this is just the effect I want to have!

I used Acrylic Paint because it is water based but if you choose to use an oil based paint this effect will not work. So keep that in mind when you decide on the paint you wish to use.

Step 2:

When your Frame is dry we can start distressing it to give it an aged look. I love using Tim Holtz’s distress ink’s for these kind of projects.

Using a Cosmetic Make-Up Sponge dabb it on the inkpad and very lightly smudge it onto your frame. You can do just the edges if you wish or do the inside of the frame with very light strokes. I used two different colors, the darker Walnut Stain for the edges and the Old Paper for the inside.

Remember that if you make a mistake you have 2 options…re-sand re-paint and re-do or embrace it and try either to make a feature of it or hide it!

Seal your work with a light layer of Modge Podge. Let it dry.

Step 3:

Measure and mark out where you want the Cup Hooks to go, with a pencil.

Start screwing in the Cup hook. Make sure it is nice and tight and facing forward. Because the wood is soft you dont really need any special tools…but you can always ask your Hubby to give a helping hand!

Repeat this with the remaining cup hooks until all of them are screwed in and aligned.

Step 4:

I wanted to add some additional tags to the hooks to easily identify our keys.

I punched them out with my Marvy Uchida 2 inch Circle Punch Using my make-up sponges.

I inked the edges with Tim Hotz’s Distress Ink – Old Paper.

Next I make holes with my Cropodile and set Eyelets to complete the tags.

Now they are ready to add to the cup hooks.

Also trim your Frame Insert and add to your Frame. I added star sequins to for dimension uisng my Mini Glue Dots.

Here is my completed project proudly hanging in my family room…

I hope you have enjoyed this project and would love to see your own creations! Dont forget to add a picture of your project to our Hybrid Gallery HERE or even just browse it for more inspiration!