How To Make Photo Frame Mats

Using a mat will make your picture and frame look more professional and finished.

How to make photo frame mats.

Of course you also need art or photos you ll put in the frame and the tape is for taping the art inside the frame if you don t have another way to hold it in. Just simply trace or measure the size on the back of the mat board then cut it using your ruler and some sort of cutting. Beginning with a turquoise mat add 1 2 foam board on top and end with the addition of a white mat on top of the foam board. And now for the best trick for budget friendly bright white diy photo mats.

The mat is the plain paper or cardboard border which goes around a picture inside of a frame. Carol duvall host of hgtv s the carol duvall show shares her discoveries about matting and framing artwork. It will also make it easier to see the picture. A well cut mat can make a huge difference in how a picture looks taking it from a simple snapshot to a framed piece of art.

Before you begin measuring your material you should determine how wide you want the mat to be. The standard mat isn t the same size as the frame i want to put it in. Here the image is cut apart each section mounted on 1 4 foam. If you want to create a more complex layered look cut multiple window frame mats each approximately 5 to 1 smaller than the previous one.

When using layered mats you can alternate various colors or designs making the space around the picture deeper and more ornate. Picture frames mat board ruler cutting mat exacto knife pencil tape or hardware for holding the art in the frame. If its a new frame i always use the paper inserts as a tracing guide. These frames are my favorite ikea stromby frames.

Prepare the mat board and the mount board by measuring them to fit in the picture frame and make careful cuts in the mat board to create the border for the picture. Such a great value at 7 99 each. Especially when the mat doesn t match the bright white of the frame. It drives me caaa razy.

If you ve ever used the ikea ribba frames you ll know that the mats are more of a cream than a pure white. Are you ready to have your mind blown.