Today I’m back with an idea for more easy to make coastal Christmas decor.

Previously I shared my coastal styled poinsettia pillow which was beautiful and simple to make.  When it comes to holiday decorating, I love handmade items, but I want to get them done in a snap and I want them to look fabulous.

All the criteria were met with this whimsical art, plus it was inexpensive, too!

Lucy from Craftberry Bush heard her friends ask for coastal styled art and she nailed it with this fun and FREE watercolor printable.

I downloaded mine to a memory stick and drove over to Staples.  The helpful clerk printed it out for me on a 11×17 sheet of white cardstock for the grand total of $1.97!  I couldn’t believe how inexpensive it was.

We hit the road and drove to Walmart for a yard of burlap and to check out their frames.  I had in mind a 10×14 frame.  They have some nice frames, but nothing really hit me and most that would work were a little pricey for this project.  But then, I spied a frame with some rope that gave it a nautical flair.  It was small and not a design I wanted, but was just the inspiration I needed.  So, I popped over to the hardware aisle to look for rope.

Happy Day!  I found some wonderful 3/8 inch twisted sisal rope and went back to the frame aisle, hoping to find a frame in the size I needed that would work.  For the magical price of $6.84, I found a document frame.  With the addition of my new sisal rope I had the perfect coastal style frame for my fun and whimsical art.  Easy to make coastal Christmas decor that makes your budget super happy, too.

Don’t you just love the seagull with his little Christmas stocking cap?  I totally flipped for the wording on the watercolor… Seas & Greetings.  Too, too fun!!

This is a ten minute project with a big WOW factor.

How do I know it’s a WOW?  Every time my neighbor popped in… she saw it and commented on it.  That’s a sure sign!

I’ve put together a little tutorial for you, so you can create one too.

Easy to Make Coastal Christmas Decor

Inexpensive Whimsical Art and Frame Tutorial

Supplies

• Document or Photo Frame
• 3/8 inch Twisted Sisal Rope
• Hot/Cool Glue Gun
• Scissors
• Wallpaper Cutter or X-acto Knife

Note: affiliate links here for your convenience and to support my blog

Assembly Instructions

Here’s a tip that will make you fall in love with using printable art for home decor…

Lay your art on a cutting safe surface.  Then lay the glass to your frame on top of the art.  Position the glass until it is precisely over the area you want framed.

Using your cutter, lightly run it around the glass to perfectly cut out your art.  It’s sooo easy!

Now… lay your  sisal rope in the channel of your picture frame… carefully.  Note:  if your rope is a little stiff, you may need another pair of helping hands or some painters tape.) I also worked my rope around the corners to “un-stiffen” it.  Then I carefully held it down bit by bit and when I got to the end… I trimmed it a wee bit long.  I did not trim the rope straight across but on an angle so that I could “knit” the two ends together.

Working in short sections… add a small bead of hot/cool glue and firmly position your rope in place… continue inching around the frame repeating the gluing process.

You can start and end on the bottom or the sides… but since it is difficult to match exactly, I thought the bottom was the least noticeable.  If you like you could also decorate this portion with one or more pretty shells.

Open up the back of your frame and place your art inside.

Because I didn’t want the glass to glare as the art print is right next to a lamp, I positioned it in the frame on top of the glass… or maybe it makes more sense to say that I placed the seagull on top of the glass.  That way the glass was safe and I didn’t need any filler for the space.

So there you have it!  Easy to make coastal Christmas decor!

This inexpensive whimsical art would make a terrific gift, too.  Perfect for all your boating or beach-loving friends.

I created a smaller, but similar coastal embellished frame here.

For more everyday coastal inspiration click here.

Coastal Advent Candles Tutorial | Preparing My Heart for Christmas

Simple to Make Coastal Style Poinsettia Pillows