Paper decoupage picture matte project

December 20, 2014: After getting the hang of using Mod Podge with my wood letter monogram canvases, I was cuckoo for decoupaging projects. Here’s a quick one I did on a Saturday afternoon to update the look of a framed colored pencil sketch using strips of decorative paper and Mod Podge.

I used one of Bruce’s framed pictures (this one, a watercolor painting). We’ve had it sitting behind a couch collecting dust for years.

I took the matte out of the frame and applied cut pieces of decorated paper with Mod Podge. I held paper in place with tiny clothespins.

Here’s how the matte looks now, 20 minutes later.

I placed the matte back into the original frame and went to work on finding it a new home in the condo.

There was a thin acrylic cover over the picture before the project. But I decided not to use it again so that the texture of the paper would stand out.


After searching for a place in different rooms, I decided to hang the updated framed picture in our bedroom.

This project was simple and fast. I was looking for something else to make (or update) 30 minutes later. V-