Make Your Own Patterned Photo Mats

When I visit my friends’ homes for the first time, I always like to peep around (non-creepy peeping) and look at all their photographs, collections, and any special albums they may have. I LOVE IT. What’s weird is that on the flip-side, I do feel sort of self-conscious displaying photos of us in our home. I don’t know—it feels sorta weird. 

But after doing this project, I think I will definitely have more confidence displaying our family photos for the future because it totally changed our space! I instantly loved our entryway 10x more than I had in the past. It just feels more welcoming! 

Whether you are displaying photos of your family, or other special photos, this tutorial will help you make a plain black and white photo instantly more interesting, inviting and vibe-y. 

Today I’m here working with our longtime supporters Canon USA to share a simple method for cutting custom printed photo mats! 

Supplies Needed:
-mat board
-patterned paper to cover mat with
(I used two gift wraps and painted a large piece of art paper with watercolor paint for the third one.)
-spray adhesive or rubber cement
-X-Acto knife
-metal ruler
-cutting mat
–Canon PIXMA iP8720 Crafting Printer

First, print out your photos. B&W photos were pretty important for me on this project since I chose colorful mats. I didn’t want it to look too busy. In addition to wanting the large 13×19 printouts, I used the PIXMA iP8720 here because of how well it captures contrast in the prints. It looks SO good! Dull B&Ws can be a real bummer.  

Use your X-Acto knife and metal ruler to cut out your mat the size of your frame. Decide how wide you want your mat to be (I chose 3″ for my mat) and measure that distance in from the edge of each side to create a smaller rectangle within your mat. Depending on how big your photos and frames are, you can adjust the mat width to whatever looks best. Cut out your smaller inner rectangle.

Spray the back of your patterned paper and the front of your mat with the spray adhesive, and carefully place one side on top of the other to adhere. Smooth out any bubbles.

Use the X-Acto knife and ruler again to cut away the excess paper from the mat. Then tape your photo in place behind the mat. Place the mat and photo into the frame, and you’re ready to hang!

The cozy factor just skyrocketed in here! I really like how the textures mix and the colors work well with plants. My only regret is that I didn’t do this two years ago! Thanks so much for reading. xo! Elsie 

Credits// Author: Elsie Larson, Project Assistant and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.