Aqua Distressed Monogram Frame {Vaseline Method}

UPDATE! I'm now gradually making these and adding them to my Etsy shop, Distressed Beautiful. Check out the sidebar! You can request your color and letter...wait until you see the red too! The Etsy version might be a slightly different shape of frame moulding, depending on availability (see the pictures on Etsy), and the letter is not on "spacers" so that it won't risk breaking off during shipping. 

Today I completed one of my favorite projects ever! Last week I received my large metal letter in the mail. It was a Groopdealz, for $4.50. Surprisingly, I didn't have any thrift store frames on hand to paint, so I decided to try to make one. 

 I had leftover trim boards from framing my bathroom mirror last week. I had enough to make a 16x20 frame. Having a laser on my saw makes this the easiest thing ever! I lightly sanded any rough edges on the cut ends.

 I used Gorilla wood glue to hold it together and taped it in place.

 After the glue dried, I used wood filler for the corners. I wanted a seamless finish. Next, I lightly sanded the corners to make the filler smooth with the wood. I used a dark wood stain and allowed that to dry overnight. Then I used Shanty 2 Chic's Vaseline method for distressing. It couldn't be simpler! You simply dip your finger in a bit of the Vaseline and lightly swipe your finger along the corners and edges where you want the paint to come off. Then you paint over it all (I did three coats). When it's all dry, you use fine-medium sandpaper and lightly sand it. Seriously, you hardly have to try at all. Wherever you put Vaseline the paint will come right off and show the stain underneath. It instantly looks aged.

 TELL me that is not a fantastic finish for a distressed paint lover!

 I covered a piece of foam board in some chevron fabric I had on hand. Using a staple gun I attached it to the back of the frame, being careful to not staple through the thin sections of the frame.

 I wanted my letter to have some dimension, so I used these two metal pieces from something I removed from the wall and wasn't going to put back up. I'm sure you could find something similar at a home improvement store. I glued them to the letter with E6000 and taped them until they dried so that they wouldn't slide off.

 After they dried, I simply used more E6000 to glue the circles to the fabric board. I added a picture hanger to the back, and it's all done.

I am in love with this color, it's SO beautiful.