{"id":28895,"date":"2019-05-20T10:25:40","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T15:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/?p=28895"},"modified":"2020-06-19T07:47:41","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T12:47:41","slug":"diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/blog\/advice-tips\/diy\/diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY Custom Photo Mats In 3 Easy Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Creating your own custom photo mats is a great way to upgrade your framed pictures.\u00a0 It&#8217;s also a way to save a few dollars when purchasing picture frames.<\/p>\n<p>In this post I&#8217;ll show you how to create your own custom photo mats in 3 easy steps.<!--more--><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/blog\/advice-tips\/diy\/diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps\/#What_Is_Photo_Matting\" title=\"What Is Photo Matting?\">What Is Photo Matting?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/blog\/advice-tips\/diy\/diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps\/#What_Is_a_Custom_Photo_Mat\" title=\"What Is a Custom Photo Mat?\">What Is a Custom Photo Mat?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/blog\/advice-tips\/diy\/diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps\/#How_to_Make_Photo_Mats\" title=\"How to Make Photo Mats\">How to Make Photo Mats<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/blog\/advice-tips\/diy\/diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps\/#Custom_Frame_Mats_in_3_Easy_Steps\" title=\"Custom Frame Mats in 3 Easy Steps\">Custom Frame Mats in 3 Easy Steps<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/blog\/advice-tips\/diy\/diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps\/#Step_1_%E2%80%93_Select_Your_Decorative_Paper\" title=\"Step #1 &#8211; Select Your Decorative Paper\">Step #1 &#8211; Select Your Decorative Paper<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/blog\/advice-tips\/diy\/diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps\/#Step_2_%E2%80%93_Cut_Down_to_Size\" title=\"Step #2 &#8211; Cut Down to Size\">Step #2 &#8211; Cut Down to Size<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/blog\/advice-tips\/diy\/diy-custom-photo-mats-in-3-easy-steps\/#Step_3_%E2%80%93_Complete_Your_Center_Cut\" title=\"Step #3 &#8211; Complete Your Center Cut\">Step #3 &#8211; Complete Your Center Cut<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Photo_Matting\"><\/span>What Is Photo Matting?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Matting within picture frames helps to highlight the photo or artwork you are framing.\u00a0 It creates a border between the frame itself and the picture.<\/p>\n<p>The thickness of the mat can vary, although most are anywhere from 1\/2 inch to 2 inches.\u00a0 Often times you will see two sizes written on the outside packaging of the frame.<\/p>\n<p>In the example below, you&#8217;ll see this is a frame that measures 8 inches x 10 inches and is matted to 5 inches x 7 inches.\u00a0 This means the area available to display your image or artwork is 5 inches x 7 inches with a 1.5-inch mat around it.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28903\" src=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-6.png\" alt=\"custom photo mat\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-6.png 600w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-6-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-6-258x215.png 258w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-6-409x341.png 409w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Custom_Photo_Mat\"><\/span>What Is a Custom Photo Mat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While the vast majority of photo mats come in a solid white color, there are also custom mats available.\u00a0 You can use any color or pattern you desire and have the mat created for you.<\/p>\n<p>However, you will have to pay for this service.\u00a0 Most craft stores like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michaels.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Michaels<\/span><\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/fxo.co\/9Di6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Hobby Lobby<\/span><\/a><\/strong> offer <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michaels.com\/custom-framing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">custom framing services<\/span><\/a><\/strong> in-store.<\/p>\n<p>You bring your image to them, select your frame, and your mat from their catalog and they&#8217;ll put it together for you.\u00a0 This service may take a few days and can cost quite a bit depending on the size of the frame.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re on a budget, however, this is not the way to go.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Make_Photo_Mats\"><\/span>How to Make Photo Mats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you want to save some serious cash without sacrificing style, a DIY custom photo mat is the way to go.\u00a0 It will not only elevate the look of your photo displays, but it allows you to save a few bucks and buy an unmatted frame.<\/p>\n<p>Typically, frames that come with the white matting are slightly more expensive than those that don&#8217;t.\u00a0 With the method I&#8217;ll share below, you can either replace the plain white mat that comes in your frame or add a mat to a frame that doesn&#8217;t currently have one.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28900\" src=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-2.png\" alt=\"custom photo mat\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-2.png 600w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-2-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-2-258x215.png 258w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-2-409x341.png 409w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Custom_Frame_Mats_in_3_Easy_Steps\"><\/span>Custom Frame Mats in 3 Easy Steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_%E2%80%93_Select_Your_Decorative_Paper\"><\/span>Step #1 &#8211; Select Your Decorative Paper<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what you do. Go to your craft store and head to the scrapbook and decorative paper section.\u00a0 Here you&#8217;ll find a wall filled with hundreds of different colors and patterns.<\/p>\n<p>In Hobby Lobby the sizes I found were 8.5 inches x 11 inches and 12 inches x 12 inches.\u00a0 They cost anywhere between 39 cents and 79 cents.\u00a0 However, they often have sales where you can buy 4 for $1.<\/p>\n<p>To determine what size you&#8217;ll need, you&#8217;ll first need to measure the inside edge of your frame.\u00a0 This is the size of the clear glass where an image is displayed.\u00a0 Select a scrapbook paper size that meets or exceeds those dimensions.<\/p>\n<p><em>Note: If you have a large frame like an 11 inch x 14 inch and don&#8217;t see paper large enough for your project look for a roll of decorating paper.\u00a0 This should be in the same aisle.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28904\" src=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-7.png\" alt=\"custom photo mat\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-7.png 600w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-7-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-7-258x215.png 258w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-7-409x341.png 409w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_%E2%80%93_Cut_Down_to_Size\"><\/span>Step #2 &#8211; Cut Down to Size<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Cut your scrapbook paper to the inside dimension of your frame.\u00a0 In the example below I&#8217;ve cut my paper to 8 inches x 10 inches.<\/p>\n<p>Then I measured 1.5 inches in from each corner and drew a faint line connecting the points on each side.\u00a0 This created a guide for where to cut out a 5 inch x 7 inch home in the center of the mat.<\/p>\n<p><em>Note: If your frame came with a plain white mat that you wish to replace; skip the measuring and simply trace the existing mat to get your size.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28901\" src=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-3.png\" alt=\"custom photo mat\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-3.png 600w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-3-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-3-265x200.png 265w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-3-258x194.png 258w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-3-409x307.png 409w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_%E2%80%93_Complete_Your_Center_Cut\"><\/span>Step #3 &#8211; Complete Your Center Cut<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Use a Xacto knife or box cutter to carefully cut along your guide.\u00a0 Cut along all 4 sides and pop the center out of the scrapbook paper.\u00a0 You&#8217;ll be left with your custom mat.<\/p>\n<p>To reassemble your frame center your picture, place the mat on top, place your glass, flip it over, and secure your backing.\u00a0 That&#8217;s it!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28902\" src=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-4.png\" alt=\"custom photo mat\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-4.png 600w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-4-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-4-258x215.png 258w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-4-409x341.png 409w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s another look at the completed project.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28899\" src=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-1.png\" alt=\"custom photo mat\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-1.png 600w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-1-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-1-265x200.png 265w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-1-258x194.png 258w, https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/custom-photo-mat-1-409x307.png 409w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you try this project please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.\u00a0 For more content from Dianne Decor sign up for my newsletter <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/e668e389ae7e\/blogoptin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a><\/strong> and be sure to follow me on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/dianne_decor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Creating your own custom photo mats is a great way to upgrade your&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":156813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22173],"tags":[23261,23259,23256,23257,23262,23263,23260,23258,23264],"location":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28895"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28895\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28895"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diannedecor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=28895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}