Framed Agates

Remember when I was talking about this DIY project? Well, it took me a little longer than I thought to actually tackle it, but I am happy to report that it is complete and my framed agates are now hanging in my den! So, how did I do it? Well, it all started when I saw these Agate Coasters at West Elm. If I had done better research I could have found cheaper agates on ebay or etsy, but I was in a "hurry" and jumped at West Elm's Agate Coasters when they were on sale. Regardless, I love the color and am very happy with my purchase!

With my agates purchased, I then needed to find a frame. I really didn't want to spend a lot of money on this project so I headed over to Michael's and found this...

What I love about this frame is that the matting is raised up a touch so it allows my agates to fit perfectly. Otherwise the glass may not have gone on so easily, or at all. The next thing to consider was how to get the agates to stay put inside the frame?? When my father-in-law was in town he suggested using loctite. He is an engineer so he knows what he is talking about :) and I went with it.

After applying the adhesive we kept the frames lying flat for at least 24 hours before hanging on the wall, and I am happy to report we have not had any agates falling out of place! So, here is the final look...

As you can tell, I am not a photographer!! I wasn't sure how to get rid of the glare, so I apologize for these images, but you get the picture right?? I think all in all this cost me around $150. Better than paying the $150 price I've seen for just one framed agate!! What do you think??