Money Saving Tip: Making Mats At Home

Making your own mats can be a fun, money-saving activity. Since professional matting can be expensive, creative people will want to consider making their own mats for photos. Depending on your preferences, your mats can be simple or fairly complex. It's important to make sure that your mats draw attention to your art instead of taking away from it. Materials for making your own mats can be purchased from stores like Dick Blick Art Materials and Michaels.

What You'll Need

You'll need to buy a mat board that can be cut to size, made from rag board or cardboard. Tools you'll need include a carpenter's square, a straight edge, tape measure and a ruler for measuring, along with a sharpened pencil. For cutting, you'll need a razor blade, a utility knife and a mat saver file.

Making Accurate Measurements

Your mat's space needs to be big enough for the picture, with 1/4 inch to keep it from falling through the bottom. Using a square, mark the areas that you need to cut in pencil on the back side of the board. Make sure you mark the borders that you're using accurately before cutting.

Cutting Your Mats Accurately

Begin to cut using a utility knife with a new blade. Always bevel your cuts to keep the edge from casting a shadow. A mat saver file can neaten up any jagged edges. After you've cut your mat, it will be ready to use for your picture.

By: Amanda Demers

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

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