Picture Frame from recycled Fence Panels

Last year we change the position of the fence and ended up with a lot of fence panels that were not in the best shape. A lot of them were just rotting in the dirt and some were so weathered, I wondered how much life we could really get out of them. We stacked them into the backyard for the "just in case..." (aka, junk collection that probably will never have anything happen...)

After seeing the old panels sitting there doing nothing for so long, I have finally challenged myself with the task of finding useful purposes for these panels. So instead of tossing them out, I am now actively trying to find things for them to become.

Special note: I have found that the old fence panels are very similar to old pallet wood.

This post is all about my first creation from this wood: a beachy picture frame for a beautiful watercolor painting of Nubble Light House in Cape Neddick, ME.

I simply created mitered corners and pieced the fence panels in the arrangement of a square. Then I stapled the corners together from the backside and reinforced with small pieces of scrap wood.

The wood was dry brushed with a little bit of white paint and then sanded it to give the wood the look of old bleached out driftwood.

I sealed the wood with a rub on sealant.

Lastly, the frame was decorated with old rope that I tied into knots, sea glass (from a broken votive holder, I tumbled the glass in a rock tumber), sea shells and beach pebbles (that we actually picked up in York, ME), and a few small pieces of drift wood. All of these were attached with hot glue.

This was the perfect addition to the foyer. We had started a beach vignette, but it was always missing something. Now it looks complete!

This area was based around an Sam's Grandmother's antique cabinet. I like the way the vase on the floor has a beach scene with the lighthouse and then the glass vase on the cabinet draws your eye upwards with the driftwood pointing up to the newly framed painting!