We're recycling @ Frosted Designs!

This week's Fabulous Friday challenge @ Frosted Designs to use recycled items on your project.
For my project, I recycled an old photo frame and used a lot of patterned paper scraps to create this country-style photo frame.

I started with this double picture frame that I found when I was cleaning out my attic.  There wasn't any glass or backing in it, so I started to throw it out but thought there had to be something I could do with it instead.

I thought about sanding and painting it, but decided I liked the vintage look of the white paint with worn places.

For the backing pieces, I cut four pieces of thin chipboard to fit inside the frame openings, then layered two on each side for some thickness.  I cut two pieces of white cardstock slightly smaller than the chipboard to use as background for the photos.   Then I started cutting paper scraps and laying them on the white cardstock in a crazy quilt style.  

 Once the cardstock was covered, I adhered the pieces.  Since I was going to be stitching over the "seams", I put the adhesive in the center of each paper piece.  If you aren't going to sew the pieces down, you would want to adhere the paper a little more securely so the edges wouldn't lift up.  I used zigzag and feather stitches on my machine to stitch around the pieces so the end result looks like a fabric crazy quilt.  I adhered the finished "quilt" pieces to the chipboard backing and inserted them into the frame openings.

To finish the project, I matted my photos and then tucked them under the edges of the frame, using a couple of mini glue dots to help hold them to the wooden edges of the frame.  This way I can easily change out the photos. 

If you don't have a sewing machine or don't like to machine stitch, you could use stitch stamps or pen stitching around the edges of the paper pieces.  You could also add ribbon or buttons or other embellishments to the finished piece.

I hope you'll join in our recycle challenge this week.  We'd love to see your creative ideas!