A Mermaid Frame with Waves, Sand, and Sparkling Treasure
Can a plain wooden frame become part of the artwork itself?
In this tutorial, Donna from Mason Creations etc. turns a simple 5x7 frame into a beautiful mixed media mermaid scene with ocean waves, shells, real sand, sparkling bubbles, pearls, rhinestones, and gold accents.
This project is full of helpful techniques, especially if you enjoy coastal crafts, dimensional clay details, or blending paint around rice paper images.
Watch the video below to see Donna create the full mermaid frame, then follow the steps to make your own.
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Materials You Can Shop Here
You can shop the featured finishes and supplies below, then use the tutorial steps to bring the project together.
- Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish
- Coastal Rice Paper
- Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint
- Pentart Acrylic Paint
- Air Dry Clay
- Silicone Molds
- Adhesives
- Antiquing & Metallic Wax Rub
- Brushes & Tools
Also Needed
Wooden Frame, Bubble Beads, Pearls, Rhinestones, Sand for Crafts.
Step 1: Prepare the Frame and Insert
Start with a plain wooden frame.
Remove the center cardboard insert where the photo would normally go. Save this piece because it will become the base for the mermaid picture.
Before decorating, identify which side of the frame will be the top and which will be the bottom.
Step 2: Prepare the Mermaid Rice Paper
Choose the mermaid image from your rice paper sheet.
Because the image is smaller than the cardboard backing, you will need to blend paint around it later. Use a water brush to soften and tear away the sharp cut edges and any excess white background.
A torn edge blends much better than a straight cut edge.
Step 3: Paint the Insert White
Paint the cardboard insert with Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Cotton, or another white or very light off-white paint.
This is important when decoupaging rice paper or napkins. A white background keeps the printed image bright and vibrant. A dark background can make the image look muddy.
Let the paint dry.
Step 4: Decoupage the Mermaid Image
Use Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish in Satin as your decoupage adhesive.
Position the rice paper where you want it, then lift one side and brush varnish underneath. Press the paper into place and add more varnish over the top with your brush.
Work in sections until the image is fully adhered.
Step 5: Smooth the Rice Paper
Mist a cut piece of plastic storage bag with water and lay it over the decoupaged image.
Use a folded paper towel to press out any bubbles or wrinkles, working from the center outward in all directions.
Carefully lift the plastic away and let the image dry for a couple of hours.
Step 6: Seal the Image Edges
Once the rice paper is dry, brush another coat of varnish over it.
Donna seals the edges before paint blending so the paper will not soak up the paint. This helps the added colors blend more smoothly into the image.
Let the varnish dry for about one hour.
Step 7: Add Small Rice Paper Details to the Frame
Paint white areas on the frame where you plan to decoupage smaller images.
Donna uses fish, shells, and jellyfish from the rice paper sheet. She removes as much excess white background as possible so the images will blend into the painted frame later.
Glue the small pieces down with varnish and let them dry.
If any paper hangs over the frame edges after drying, sand it away with medium-grit sandpaper using a downward motion. Avoid sanding upward because that can lift the paper.
Step 8: Make the Clay Wave Embellishments
Press DAS air-dry clay into your molds and scrape away the excess with a palette knife.
Smooth the back with a little water, then place the filled mold in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Freezing helps the clay release cleanly without breaking delicate details.
Remove the clay from the mold right away after taking it from the freezer. While the pieces are still slightly firm, smooth any rough edges or extra bits of clay.
Step 9: Glue the Damp Clay to the Frame
Use Aleene’s Tacky Glue to attach the molded clay while it is still damp.
This allows the clay to conform to the frame and to other clay pieces as it dries. Donna layers some clay pieces over others to create fuller rolling waves.
Wipe away any glue that seeps out with a clean damp brush, and gently press all the clay edges down so they make good contact.
Add a small crown at the top for the mermaid, then let the clay dry overnight.
Step 10: Add More Fish Details
After the clay has dried, add additional fish rice paper pieces to the frame.
Donna positions the fish so they face different directions, giving the frame more movement. Some fish point upward, while others point downward.
Glue them in place with varnish, let dry, and sand away any excess paper from the edges.
Seal the fish and shell images with another coat of varnish before paint blending.
Step 11: Paint the Clay Waves
Paint the molded clay waves with Pentart Turquoise Blue as the base color.
Be sure to paint any clay that wraps around the frame edge so the sides and back edges look finished.
Step 12: Blend the Water Colors
Use turquoise blue, off white, and light turquoise shades to blend around the waves and fish.
Donna dabs the paint on instead of brushing it in strokes. This creates a swirly water effect and helps the rice paper pieces blend into the frame.
Go back and forth between the colors until the water areas look soft and natural.
Step 13: Blend the Sand Areas
Use hazelnut and white coffee paint to create sandy areas along the bottom of the frame.
Dab the colors around the shell images so the shells look partly buried in sand. Add a little white here and there to lighten the blend.
Donna darkens the area near the wave slightly to create a shadow.
Let the painted frame dry for about 30 minutes.
Step 14: Blend Around the Mermaid Image
Use the same paint colors to blend around the mermaid picture on the cardboard insert.
Donna adds lighter tones near the top center and mixes black into turquoise blue to match the darker areas of the image. She brings the paint slightly over the rice paper so the new colors merge with the printed design.
Blend the sand area on the picture the same way you did on the frame.
Step 15: Dry Brush the Waves
Once the paint is dry, dry brush the raised wave details with light turquoise.
Dip just the tip of the brush into the paint, wipe most of it off on a paper towel, then skim the brush lightly over the high points of the clay.
This highlights the molded texture without filling the cracks and crevices.
Paint the crown with metallic gold.
Step 16: Seal Before Antiquing
Apply a coat of varnish to the frame and mermaid picture.
This protects the paint blending and creates the shiny surface needed for antiquing. A sealed surface allows the antique to wipe away from the high points while remaining in the recessed areas.
Let the varnish dry for about one hour.
Step 17: Antique the Details
Thin FolkArt Antiquing Medium in Wooden Bucket Brown with a few sprays of water.
Brush the antique over the embellishments in sections, then wipe it away right away with a soft, dry cloth.
The antique settles into the molded waves and details, giving the piece more depth and dimension.
Add a little antique around the frame edges for a softly distressed coastal look.
Step 18: Brighten the Wave Tops
After antiquing, dry brush a little white over the very tops of the waves.
This brightens the raised details while still allowing the turquoise, shadowing, and antiquing to show underneath.
Let the paint dry briefly.
Step 19: Attach the Picture to the Frame
Run a bead of Aleene’s Tacky Glue around the inside edge of the frame.
Place the mermaid picture back into the frame and tighten the tabs to hold it in place. Wipe away any glue that seeps to the front with a clean damp brush.
Step 20: Add Real Sand That Stays Put
Mix real sand with a small amount of Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish.
The mixture should be saturated with varnish, but not dry and clumpy or too runny.
Apply the sand mixture with a palette knife and spread it with a stiff brush. Bring some of the sand over the edges of the shell rice paper so the shells look partly buried.
Because the varnish dries crystal clear, all you see is the sand, and it stays securely attached.
Step 21: Add Pearls, Rhinestones, and Bubbles
Use varnish as glue to attach rhinestones and pearls to the treasure chest and wave details.
For bubbles, drizzle varnish where you want them, then sprinkle tiny clear glass spheres over the top. Tilt the frame gently to guide the spheres into place.
Once dry, they catch the light and look like underwater bubbles.
Step 22: Seal the Project
After the sand, pearls, rhinestones, and bubbles have dried, apply a final coat of varnish over the picture and frame.
Donna varnishes over the sand and bubbles to seal everything in place.
Let the project dry for about one hour.
Step 23: Add Gold Wax Highlights
Finish the frame with Redesign Décor Wax in Eternal.
Rub a small amount between your finger and thumb first, then lightly catch the tops of the waves and the edges of the frame.
Because wax does not need sealing, this should be the final product applied.
Let the wax dry for a couple of hours.
A Coastal Frame Full of Texture and Sparkle
This project turns a simple wooden frame into a dimensional piece of coastal wall décor. The rice paper image creates the mermaid scene, while the frame becomes part of the artwork with clay waves, fish, shells, sand, bubbles, pearls, and gold highlights.
The real sand technique is especially useful for beach-inspired projects because the varnish holds the sand securely while drying clear.
A special thank-you to Donna from Mason Creations etc. for sharing this beautiful ocean project and demonstrating each technique so clearly.
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