DIY Halloween Frog Art in an Upcycled Frame

Halloween doesn’t have to mean store-bought skeleton decorations and plastic pumpkins. I had some fun taking a quirky, inexpensive frog-in-a-tophat canvas from Temu, and gave it a dramatic new life inside an ornate upcycled frame. It’s the perfect mix of whimsical and spooky, and such a fun way to add DIY Halloween decorations to your home. Whether you’re hunting for Halloween decor DIY ideas for cheaper. Or love repurposed Halloween decor, I hope this wall art project has you digging through your stash of old frames or heading to the thrift store.

Why Upcycled Frames Work for Halloween

An ornate, upcycled frame instantly adds drama, making it perfect for DIY Halloween decorations. Subtle Halloween decor can actually be more effective than over-the-top props. A piece of Halloween decor that seems both pretty and harmless at first glance becomes much creepier once you realize the story behind it. A good startle at Halloween is always fun, and that is the goal of today’s Halloween decor DIY project.

This framed frog canvas works as a subtle DIY Halloween prop. It blends in with your decor but still gives guests a shiver once they recognize the story behind it. This year, I decided to stick with a pretty witch-inspired theme. Instead of using an obvious witch image, the frog hints at a witch turning someone into a toad, which feels seriously creepy for adults while staying subtle enough that it will not frighten children.

Free Alternatives To Buying a Canvas

If you would rather skip buying the frog canvas, there are free options you can use instead. I always recommend public domain art as it’s a great place to find vintage images that can be printed at home, or you can print larger sizes at Walmart or Staples. Look for anything vintage, mysterious, or sort of spooky. To get you started, here are a few links I have used for free vintage and public domain art. The Graphics Fairy has lots of specifically Halloween resources.

400 Free Vintage Halloween Images – The Graphic Fairy

RawPixel Public Domain Collection

NYPL Digital Collections

DIY Halloween Frog Frame Instructions

This Halloween diy is quick, fun, and inexpensive to put together, especially if you already have an old frame at home. A few simple supplies are all you need, and feel free to substitute with whatever you already have on hand.

Supplies

• Thrifted frame (choose one as ornate as you can find)
• Frog in a Tophat canvas(Temu) or printed public domain art
• Double-sided tape (Dollar Tree)
• Scissors and a cutting knife
• Duct tape
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Florist wire
• Embellishments: I used a Dollar Store fly from the toy section. From Dollar Tree, a black plastic stem, and a piece of creepy cloth. You could use faux spider webbing with a plastic spider, but I avoid spiders at all costs, and the fly is more subtle.

Step 1 – Assess and Prepare the Frame

Begin by dismantling your frame and giving it a thorough cleaning. I started by vacuuming mine, then washed the frame with hot water and Dawn dish soap.

Remove the glass and clean it with glass cleaner, then let everything dry completely.

My frame already had a gorgeous copper finish, so I skipped painting or distressing and left it as is.

If your frame has a stand you don’t want, cut it off and repair the back. I cut a piece of the velvet from the stand arm and covered the blank center in the middle using hot glue.

Step Two – Prepare the Artwork

Temu canvas comes in a roll, so I had to unroll the canvas and smooth it flat first with my hand and then with a Cricut roller. Place the canvas face down, and use the back of the frame as a guide for sizing.

Flip your image and double-check that the image is exactly where you want it before cutting. With the cutting knife, trim the canvas to fit the frame. You can use scissors to tidy up the cut if you need to. Again, make sure the canvas is sitting in the right orientation and exactly where you need it before cutting.

Step 3 – Secure the Canvas

After trimming the canvas to size, add strips of double-sided tape all around the “front” side of the frame’s back. Place the tape along the top, bottom, both sides, and across the middle. Once the tape is in place, peel of the backing to prepare it for mounting.

With your canvas face down, press the sticky side of the frame back onto the back of the canvas. Make sure the edges align neatly and rub along all the spots where the tape will be.

Step 4 – Decorate the Frame

To add some whimsy, I decorated the bottom corner with a fly, a piece of plastic stem from the Dollar Tree, and some creepy cloth. I placed the cloth first but chose not to glue it directly to the frame, so the frame itself stayed undamaged. Instead, I cut the fabric so it fit right around the frame and then wired the cloth together at the back, securing it with good-quality duct tape.

Next, I wove a six-inch length of plastic branch into the creepy cloth, adding hot glue in places just on the cloth.

Next, I used florist wire to attach the fly to the draped cloth, wrapping the wire securely around its legs. A dab of hot glue gave it extra strength. The little fly adds just the right amount of grossness, like a creepy, unaware toad snack waiting in the corner. Ick!

To finish securing everything, I added more duct tape to the back where you won’t notice it.

For the final touch, I tucked the frame onto a shelf and tucked in a couple of Dollar Store crowd peeking around the edge, and even added a vintage wooden snake from my stash.

Pin this DIY Halloween frog frame to save the idea for later. A quick, inexpensive project that makes subtle but spooky Halloween decor.

Creating something fun and unique for Halloween doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With Christmas right around the corner, most of us want to be a little extra frugal in October. Splurging big on Halloween decorations isn’t always possible, but that’s where creativity comes in. A thrifted frame, a quirky piece of art, and a couple of dollar store items are all you need to add some spooky to a mantel or tabletop.

Other Inexpensive DIY Halloween Decorations