How to Design Photo Frames
Designing photo frames is a wonderful craft for sleepovers, birthday parties and kids' clubs. They can be created with a variety of small items that the crafter can use to personalize the frames. Gather small trinkets to give the children plenty of choices when designing their photo frames. Photo frames and trinkets can be picked up inexpensively at yard sales and thrift stores, making this an economical project for a large group. Design a photo frame for a special friend and include a picture of the two of you in it.
Things You'll Need
- Wooden photo frames
- Sandpaper
- Old rag
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brush
- Craft glue
- Hot glue gun
- Game pieces, silk flowers, buttons and pom poms
- Scissors
- Wire cutters
- Photo
Instructions
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1
Choose a frame that has a fairly wide border to work for embellishing. Remove the glass from the photo frame and set it aside. Lightly sand the wooden frame to give the frame a tooth to accept the paint and adhere objects with glue. Wipe off the sand and dust particles before continuing. Choose an acrylic paint color that coordinates with the miscellaneous trinkets you have chosen for your photo frame design. Paint the frame. Repeat with additional coats for complete coverage. Allow the paint to dry.
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2
Choose one trinket theme to decorate your photo frame. Design your photo frame and plan the placement of trinkets by laying them on the frame. Move them around until the desired look is achieved. If using game pieces, they can easily be overlapped and stacked. Silk flower blossoms should be popped off the ends of their stems and the plastic tip cut from the backs. This will allow them to sit flat. A button frame can be completely designed with flat buttons and accented with decorative shank buttons. Cut the shanks from the back of buttons using wire cutters, so that they fit flush against the design. No special preparation is needed for a pom pom frame.
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3
Apply glue to the backs of the chosen trinkets. Use craft glue for heavy game pieces and buttons, and use hot glue for lightweight silk flower blossoms and pom poms. Allow the glues to dry or cool.
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4
Replace the glass in the newly designed photo frame and insert a photo.
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Tips & Warnings
Design game-piece photo frames for game rooms or kids' rooms. Dominoes work well on flat frames and can be spaced and stacked to fit any-size frame. Buttons and silk flowers make beautiful frames for vintage photos and cheery pom poms look adorable in a nursery or a little girl's room.
