Christmas Elsewhere: Faux Wood Frames

Did you know there are some seriously talented ladies out there on the internet?  When I was thinking of ways I could decorate with portable, flat Christmas decorations, I was lucky enough to come across insanely cute Christmas printables!  I loved the yuletide pics I found at On Sutton Place, Jones Design Company has this beautiful Christmas Essentials print that I had to use and this amazing print by Craftbury Bush.

I got a value pack of 11x14 white mats so I could print them out and tape them for simple decorations but I wanted something with a little more oomph.  Since we'd be in a cabin, I wanted a rustic look and decided to make these...

Here's what you'll need:

11x14 White Picture Mats (affiliate link) 
8x10 printable of your choice  (I used Craftberry Bush's for this tutorial)
12x12 Wood themed scrapbooking paper (I got these at Hobby Lobby)
Mod Podge (affiliate link) 
Big paint brush
Scissors
Tape
Pen
Xacto Knife (optional)

Make sure the "wood grain" is going across the bottom and top of the mat and line it up with the bevel on the mat.

Like so..

Use the back of the pen to run under the bottom of the paper against the mat to make an indent for you to follow (or you can trace it if you prefer if you flip both over)

Cut just over the line...better to have a little too much you can trim than not enough.  Don't ask how I know that.  You'll have about 2" left over.  Trim that off.

Line up and repeat with the sides after you've done the top and bottom.  I like to add an extra 1/4" to the measurement for insurance.

If you want to see how it will look, you can dry fit the pieces you just cut.

That'll give you an idea of what the finished product will look like.

Put down something you don't mind getting Mod Podge on and get ready to apply it by adding some to the lid of the bottle.

You don't need a ton, just a little bit.

(Annie Sloan devotees are probably losing their minds that I used my paint brush.  :-O)  

I like to start with the side pieces first.  Make sure to lightly cover one side of the mat with Mod Podge. 

Line things up the way you like before you press down because it adheres pretty quickly.  Do each side.

Repeat with top and bottom of the mat.  Make sure to smooth out from the middle so no bubbles form under the paper.  You may notice as it's drying, it will try to bow up on you.

It usually relaxes as it dries but if you're concerned, just weight it down as it sets

Flip the mat over and trim any excess if you're kind of anal about that like I am.  You can trim with scissors but I used my Xacto knife and mat for mine.

Now time to secure that adorable print!  (I wanted to use wood paper that resembled the wood paneling on the wagoneer.)

Tape it up on top, bottom and each side.  Because we're traveling with these, I also taped the corners so nothing would snag as I pull them out of their box.

How freakin' adorable is that!?  You can't even tell its not wood unless you get up on it!

Want to use a different look/wood?  I used this birch scrapbooking paper for the Christmas Essentials print.  I love the way it looks with it!

Finally with this adorable ornament print, I used a white chippy wood piece of scrapbooking paper.  I can't even.

I've gotta admit, I didn't know I would love how much it adds to what these talented ladies already did but damn, I'm good!  LOL  Obviously if you like the clean look of just plain white, you could totally do that.  But if you want a fun way to display these adorable holiday prints, this could be an adorable option!

Make sure to visit the links to the blogs of these ladies and check out all of their gorgeous offerings for this and most holiday seasons!  I'm glad I did!

* This post contains affiliate links

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