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Picture
Frames |
Grammy has difficulty remembering the people in her life, including family members. We decided that if she had photos of us in frames showing our names and interests, it might help her to remember each of us.
On this page you'll find all sorts of information on making your own picture frames. Below is a list of the topics on the page. Click one to go directly to it, or start from the top and work your way down.
- Ideas for Decorating Frames
- Scoop On Picture Frames
- CD Box Frame
- Seashell Frame
- Omelet Mosaic Frame
- Floppy Photo Cube Frame
- Puzzle Picture Frame
- Twig Frame Craft
- Twig Easel Craft
- Assorted Tips
I’ve seen lots of different kinds of creative picture frames in stores and the first thought that pops into my head is, “I can make those!” You can find most of the supplies needed for picture frame projects in your own home. But make sure you check with an adult before beginning any project. Supervision is a must especially when working with a glue gun. Trust me; I know what I’m talking about.
Probably the best place to start is by deciding which photograph of you to use. I’d pick one where you’re doing something you enjoy. For example, I enjoy nature, doing crafts, making music, and playing softball. Therefore, a picture of me picking wildflowers, making a birthday card, playing the piano, or sliding into home plate would be excellent choices.
Then the trick is to find objects to make the frame really interesting,
personal, and fun. You might want to create a special border between your
picture and the frame. 
For
a photo of me playing the piano, I might cut an old piece of sheet music
to fit the frame and then put my picture in its very centre. Musical notes
would enclose me. I’d call that ‘surround sound’.
I might also consider using the border you see below to frame my photo. I downloaded this border off the Internet. My photo would go in the middle of the musical notes.
I
could even use an old compact disc or it's plastic case to frame my picture. I might even attach a ticket stub
from a favourite musical production (e.g.,The Lion King).
Here are some other objects I’d consider attaching to picture frames and the areas of interest they relate to in my life:
Nature
(leaves, twigs, grasses, dried flowers, acorns, nuts, shells, sand,
cinnamon sticks or whole cloves (spices) would smell wonderful)
Crafts
(brand new crayons would be an interesting way to frame the photo, paper
cut-outs from old cards or magazines, ribbon, buttons)
- Sports (miniature bat & ball, peanuts in the shell, pennant of favourite baseball team)
My
sister Kolet has different interests. She might want to frame the picture
Mama took of her at the Science Fair, fishing off the pier, using her
computer for research, snuggling with her pet mouse Squeaky, or reading
in the library.
These are some things that she might consider including on a picture frame and the area of interest they fall under:
- Science (e.g., slide, test tube, prism, magnet, butterflies)
- Books (title of favourite book, bookmark)
Technology
(use an old computer floppy disk to frame a small picture, computer
company logo)
- Fishing (spoon/lure without the hook, weights, float)
My
brother CJ would definitely pick a photo showing him skateboarding, clowning
around, playing games, or writing a story/poem.
Here’s a list of objects he might consider sticking on a frame plus ideas for borders:
-
Games
(e.g., playing cards, Cribbage pegs, old game pieces like Scrabble or
Bingo pieces, marbles, dice, an old checkerboard or sheets from a Yahtzee
score pad to use as background)
-
Humour
(clown’s red sponge nose, sticker of Bart Simpson or another funny
character, joke from a bubblegum wrapper)
- Skateboard (Band-aide!)
Finally,
there’s brother Adam who loves math, building things, making or
completing puzzles, studying and caring for birds, as well as playing
soccer.
He might consider using the following objects on a frame:
Math (pencil,
sharpener, eraser, paper clips, plastic numbers)
- Construction (tiny measuring tape, blueprint/diagram, Lego pieces,
magnetic letters)
Games
(create a frame out of an old puzzle that has pieces missing)
Birder
(birdseed/sunflower seeds, pictures of birds)
- Soccer (miniature soccer ball, favourite soccer team)
If that isn’t enough to get you started, here are other items you can consider attaching to picture frames:
General:
- Tiny silk flowers and leaves
- Left over doll’s shoes and accessories
- Left over action men accessories (e.g., helmets, boots)
- Tiny cars
- Wheels of assorted shapes and sizes
- Plastic dinosaurs, toy insects/farm animals
- Stamps
- Nuts and bolts
- Pipe-cleaners (coiled into shapes)
- Coloured raffia
For Special Occasions such as Christmas or birthdays:
- Tiny ornaments
- Little bows
- Fake holly and berries
- Red or green ribbon
- Christmas shapes cut out of craft foam (e.g., evergreen tree)
- Miniature wrapped-up presents you make yourself
- Sewing needs (e.g., thimble, safety pins, part of an old cloth tape measure, little sewing kit courtesy of hotels/motels)
- Birthday cake candles
Believe
me when I tell you that when it comes to finding a frame, there are scads
of them available to purchase. Here’s a sample of the different
types: Wood, Metal, Porcelain, Acrylic, Lucite, Moulded, Ceramic (e.g.,
frame made in the shape of a football/soccer ball), Paper or Cardboard,
Single, Double (bifold), Triple, Clip, Float, Magnetic, Collage, and Matted.
Most
craft stores carry what’s known as a “base” for frames
made out of paper or cardboard. Children can add paint, stickers, trinkets,
glitter, and so forth. The finishing touch is to seal their work with
varnish or an equivalent sold at craft stores. Here’s a low end
frame showing its backside and a built-in cardboard stand.
Metal or wood frames having glass fronts have been around for years. They have a stiff back that comes off and a hinged cardboard stand so that the picture can be displayed in the portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) position. You may have some of these frames at home gathering dust. Ask your parents for permission to use them.
Some frames are made of Acrylic or Lucite (a tough, clear plastic material).
They can stand by themselves (free standing). Pictures are held in place
by clips or the frame is gently pried apart enough to allow a picture
to be slipped in. In the latter case, the picture is held in place by
pressure once the sides are allowed to spring back.
If
you are ever hard pressed to come up with a picture frame, consider
making one out of a CD box. I kid you not!
Instructions:
Prep
Remove any paper or plastic inserts in the CD box. Cut the photo you’re going to use to fit the front of the box (10 cm/4 inches wide x 12 cm/4¾ inches high). The front of the box has 4 plastic tabs on the inside. The hinged edge will be at the top when it’s standing.
Find a nifty piece of paper, cardboard, gift wrap, etc. to fit behind the photo. Make sure that it will fit snugly in behind the photo and extend to the edges of the frame. The dimensions of the backing should be 12 cm/4¾ inches wide x 13 cm/5¼ inches high.
Glue
Centre the photo and tape it so that it faces the front of the box (just like the paper insert did). Slip the backing for the photo beneath the plastic tabs and fix it with glue or tape so that it doesn’t move. Obtain the help of an adult to run a bead of hot glue on the outside edges of the front of the CD box.
Decorate
Decorate with your choice of ‘doodads’. If you are really ambitious, decorate the very back of the frame as well.
Stand!
When the frame is finished, all you have to do is to open the box out so as to stand it up. Merveilleux!
If
you love the beach, you can use part of it to decorate an Acrylic or Lucite
(clear plastic) frame. Make sure that the next time you vacation there;
you bring home seashells and white sand.
A photo of you beachcombing, swimming, or building a sand castle would be great. The photo would be at the centre of the frame with the sand and shells around the outside edge.
Put down newspaper as this project can get a bit messy. Spread white glue (that dries clear) on the edge of the picture. Don’t be too concerned if it isn’t even. Then sprinkle sand all over the edges so that the glue is covered. You can push some seashells into the glue wherever they’ll look cool. Make sure that you keep the decorations close to the edge of the frame so that your photo won’t be hidden. Let the glue dry and shake off any extra sand afterward.
To make the frame personal, write or print your name in the corner of the frame (just like a famous artist). I recommend Tulip Paints for that purpose. They are available in a variety of colours at craft stores.
Practice working with the paint before writing or printing on the frame. You have to squeeze the bottle, hold it steady, and write with it at the same time. Too much pressure and a glob of paint can come out of the tiny tip. When the pressure is just right, the result is worth it. The product will last forever (or so it seems) on wood, glass, fabric, ceramics, and more!
The
next time you make eggs, save the shells and dye them as you would at
Easter. Use two or three shades of color that go well with the existing colors in the
home of the person that will receive the picture. Crush the shells into small pieces and
glue them to the front of a frame made from cardboard.
Get cracking!!!
Do
you remember those old floppy disks for computers? Probably not but you
can be sure your parents do. Take a stroll down memory lane with them
by creating a cube (six-sided) frame. Call on an adult to assist with
hot gluing the disks together at the edges. Sides with metal should face
in. Stick a photo on each disk for a retro (Groovy) desk display. Decorate
to your heart’s content with items you see fit to attach.
Note: Omelet Mosaic and Floppy Photo Cubes - two ideas
for homemade picture frames ‘on the cheap’ were brought to
you by the online version of The Dollar Stretcher. Down home creativity
was provided by Tricia Goss (Frugal Photo Fun Article).
Puzzle Frame: A Waste Not Picture Frame
This easy to make and personalized frame makes a wonderful gift and is a great use for an old puzzle that is missing pieces.
Check out the finished product!
Photo Copyright 2000, FamilyCorner.com Magazine, Inc
What you’ll need:
A photo of you suitable for framing, a piece of cardboard a bit larger than the photo, 4 Popsicle or craft sticks, and 15 puzzle pieces (more or less depending on the photo’s size), tempera paint in colours of your choice, various buttons and items for decoration, glue for doing crafts (one that works with wood, paper, or fabric), hot glue gun and glue sticks, scissors, and newspaper.
Instructions:
Prep
Stick your photo to the centre of the cardboard using craft glue. Attach the Popsicle sticks around the photo as shown in Figure 1. Set aside to dry. Once dried, trim the cardboard so that it’s just larger than your photo.
Paint
Place the puzzle pieces face up on newspaper. Paint them in the colours of your choice. Extra coats of paint may be needed depending on the colour of the paint and the darkness of the pattern on the puzzle pieces.
Glue
Once the puzzle pieces are dry and the colour you want, get an adult to hot glue them to the Popsicle sticks. Work around the frame overlapping pieces and do not leave any gaps between pieces. You may want to vary the coloured puzzle pieces as shown in the ‘finished product’.
Decorate
Once
all the puzzle pieces are glued in place, have an adult hot glue the decorations
you’ve chosen around the frame.
Hang!
For a simple hanger, have an adult hot glue a piece of sturdy string across the back of the cardboard (see Figure 2).
Note: Waste Not Picture Frame was brought to you by Amanda Formaro, owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine where she operates several free newsletters, including kid’s craft ideas. She is the mother of four children.
Make
a rustic picture frame from twigs.
What you’ll need:
Twigs
- Twine or string
- Hot glue gun
- A photo for framing
Collect
2 bunches of twigs. One bunch (about 6 to 8 twigs) should be about 5 cm/2 inches
longer than your photo. The other bunch of twigs should be about 5 cm/2 inches
wider than your photo.
Arrange
the twigs so that they surround the photo and extend outward about 2½ cm or 1
inch in each direction. Tie the twigs at each corner using twine or string,
making an "X" pattern.
Hot
glue the photo onto the back of your twig frame and glue a small loop
of string to the top batch of twigs for hanging the photo. It doesn’t
get any easier than this.
Frame
a picture of yourself in twigs resting on a twig easel.
What you’ll need:
- Twigs (at least as big around as your little finger)
- Hot glue gun
- Twine or yarn
- Scissors
- A photo of you fixed to a piece of cardboard
- A border to go around your photo
- Decorative items if desired
With
the help of an adult, cut three long twigs and one short one and hot glue
two of the long twigs and the short twig together, forming an A shape.
Wrap
the joints securely with twine or yarn. Glue the remaining long twig to
the A shape forming a tripod (like a three-legged stool). Wrap that new
joint with twine or yarn as well.
Cut
a piece of cardboard that will fit on your easel. Then cut four twigs
to fit around the cardboard and have an adult hot glue them into place.
This will form a rustic frame.
Cover the cardboard with something that will complement the rustic look. Centre your picture on the cardboard and glue it in place. Add decorations if you wish.
What a truly novel look!
Note: Twig Frame and Twig Easel Frame were brought to you by the online edition of Enchanted Learning.
- Don’t want to ruin walls by scratching the paint with your
frame? Run a bead of hot glue along the bottom back of your picture
frame. That way the frame isn’t right next to the wall. Removal
is easy if you place the frame in the freezer for a couple of minutes.
The glue will peel off readily.
- A cheap way of creating a picture hanger is by poking a hole in the
cardboard with a nail near the top of the corners of the frame. Push
a piece of twine (10 cm/4 inches) through one hole and double knot on
the front side. Figure out how long you want your hanger to be and then
push the twine through the opposite top corner and double knot it.
- To fix a picture to a refrigerator apply Magnetic strips to the picture’s top
and bottom.
- To create a stand for a vertical frame out of its cardboard back,
you must find the middle of the cardboard and draw a straight line 1
¼cm/½ inch on either side of this midpoint.
Once you have found these points, use a ruler to draw a straight line from each point downward to the bottom corner of the frame. The shape will look like this symbol ^ - an upside down “v”. Using sharp scissors cut the cardboard from the corners to the end points of the line passing through the middle of the cardboard.
When you finish there should be a space of 2½ cm/1 inch at the top between the lines. Gently bend this section back to make the stand. The cardboard will break but not completely. Place a strip of duct tape vertically over this area to support the stand.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Photos are wonderful items to give away but consider framing
some of your own “artwork” too. Nothing says lovin’
like “I Love You Granny” in a child’s best printing
or handwriting and surrounding the art with decorations of your choice.
Such a present is bound to be treasured forever!
