Beads Online: Beads & Beading Supply Website

Tips for Alter Art Frames

Creating your own personal picture perfect charms is as easy as 1,2 3 - before you start creating read below for further tips and hints.

Choosing images for your frames:
If applying a glaze,use images printed with no water-soluble inks . Images printed with regular ink-jet ink will bleed. Place cropped images in frame with small amount of adhesive and allow to dry.

Glaze and adhesive recommendations:
For ease and speed of use, we loved Judi-Kins Diamond Glaze™ and Aleene’s Paper Glaze. For designers with more time on their hands, or while working with materials printed with water soluble inks, we recommend EnvironTex Lite® High Gloss Finish varnish.

Where can I buy Diamond Glaze™?
Beads online stocks Diamond Glaze™ and you can find it here.

Where can I buy the blank frames?
Beads online stocks a large range of alter art frames and you can find it here.

How do I glue materials to the picture frames?
For paper and other thin inserts, a small amount of Diamond Glaze™ adhesive works perfectly. Just remember to let it dry. For larger materials like buttons, super glue is a better choice.

How much glaze should I apply?
Less is more. Apply the glaze in successive thin layers if you would prefer a more dimensional finish.

I’ve just applied a thick layer of glaze and the result looks very cloudy. What’s going on?
You’ve probably put too much glaze on the picture frame. Don’t worry though. It might take a while to dry, but it will eventually clear up.

How long does the glaze take to dry?
If you apply the glaze thinly as suggested, pieces can be handled in less than 2 hours. If you apply too much at once, the glaze can take as long as 2 days!

How do I avoid bubbles in my glaze?
Squeeze a little glaze on a scrap of paper to release any bubbles from the nose of the applicator bottle, then apply with steady pressure. If you still find bubbles, pop them with a dry paint brush or a tooth pick.

Have fun:
We played with lots of different material in the frames. Photos, playing cards, postage stamps, buttons, stones, crystals and, of course, beads. The creative options are endless.