How to Spray Paint a Picture Frame

Last Updated on November 25, 2024

Get the easiest tips on how to DIY spray paint a picture frame to give your decor a fresh new look!

When we bought our last house, I decided to take our coastal style in a bold new direction. I’ve always preferred a more classic coastal style when it comes to decorating my home. I go for crisp whites, calming blues, and silver finishes in either satin or polished nickel. When it comes to the latest home decorating trends, I will never rush to incorporate them. I do not want to waste time or money on trends that aren’t going to stand the test of time. 

But gold, brass, and bronze finishes have been trending for quite a while now across so many decor styles, and I was finally ready to give it a try! The warm hues of gold metal finishes create a more modern take on coastal style. This can come through in cabinet hardware, lighting, faucets, art frames, and more.

Paint Picture Frame Gold

Once I decided I was all in on the gold train, I made updates across the entire house! From kitchen cabinet hardware to lighting, I chose beautiful champagne bronze and gold finishes. I already owned this adorable blue floral framed art set from Wayfair that I wanted to keep, but the frames were silver. 

This art fit perfectly in our new family room but the silver frames were clashing with the all-gold vibe I had going. I had never painted picture frames before, but I figured it couldn’t be that hard. Plus, it’s a lot more cost effective to paint my frames than to buy brand new gold art. So, I decided to go for it!

Best Paint for Frames

The best paint for frames is spray paint. Trying to use a brush to paint a picture frame would be really tedious. Plus, using spray paint gives you a much more even finish without issues with brush strokes. 

While I’ve never spray painted a frame until this, I have spray painted a lot of other things. We spray painted our mailbox, various hardware, outlet covers, vent covers, and more. A fresh coat of spray paint can literally revive metal and make it look brand new!

My go-to spray paint is Rust-Oleum. We have a shelf full of different Rust-Oleum shades. The quality is great, and they offer a ton of options so you can choose the perfect hue. Pick it up at Home Depot or you can order it on Amazon too!

For our frames, I chose Rust-Oleum Champagne Bronze, a gorgeous warm bronzy gold. It matched our kitchen and bar hardware perfectly. 

DIY Paint Frame

Spray painting a frame at home is simple. There are just a couple steps to ensure your DIY paint frame turns out perfectly. 

Step 1: Wipe Down Your Frame

Before you paint, you want to make sure your frame in wiped clean of any dust or debris. I just dampen a microfiber cloth and wipe the frame down really well. Make sure it’s clean and dry before you paint. 

Step 2: Cover the Glass

You can take the frame apart to paint it so that’s totally an option. You can remove the glass and set the frame aside to paint it. I did not do this! You can leave the frame totally intact and simply cover the glass with paper and blue tape. 

Use a grocery paper bag or packing paper to cover the glass. Tape along the edges and make sure you get the tape under the edges of the frame. To do this, gently press down on the glass so that you can slip the blue tape underneath the frame. This ensures that none of the actual frame is covered with tape. You want every bit of the frame to be painted evenly.

Once your paper is taped down, carefully look it over to make sure every seam is taped down and that the glass is 100% covered. When spraying, paint can seep into seams, so make sure you’ve got everything securely taped down.

Step 3: Lay the Frame on Cardboard

Find a large piece of cardboard to lay your frame on top of. This will protect any flooring from paint. If it’s a nice day outside, you can set up camp on the grass or back porch. It was snowing the day I painted so I opted to do this in the garage. 

Make sure you’re spraying in a well-ventilated area so you’re not inhaling fumes. If you have to do it indoors, open a window. Just know that when you spray, there can be “overspray”, which means it’s going to go outside of exactly where you’re spraying. Give yourself plenty of space for protection. Don’t paint near anything you don’t want to get paint on.

Step 4: Practice Spray First

Before you start spraying away, do a couple practice sprays to get a feel for how much will come out. I do this on a separate piece of cardboard. This helps you get comfortable with spraying before you work on your actual frame. 

Step 5: Spray Your Frame in Even Strokes

I like to do sweeping strokes back and forth with the spray can for a really even finish. Keep the can at least 12” away from the frame to avoid drips but still give you a good solid coat. Rust-Oleum paint covers really well, so you don’t have to spray too much. Spray until the old finish is no longer visible. 

You can add a second coat after just a few minutes if you see any spots that were missed. This paint dries to the touch after 15 minutes and can be gently handled after a couple hours.

Step 6: Remove the Tape & Paper

 After a full 24 hours, gently remove your paper and tape. Your beautiful new frame is now ready to be hung!

Painting these picture frames gold completely transformed this art! They fit perfectly into the more modern coastal style I was going for. And the cost was less than $10! This project was super easy, even for me (the novice DIY-er!). 

Honestly, you cannot tell these frames weren’t always gold. They look completely professional and beautiful! It’s amazing what new paint can do.

If you are considering painting picture frames, I hope this post gave you some good inspiration. Happy painting!

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This post is about how to spray paint a picture frame.