When I was a child, I loved making things. I used to watch Blue Peter and Hartbeat and try to follow the tutorials and we went to pottery classes, which were amazing! I remember on one particular play date when I was probably about seven years old, I went to my friend Sophie’s house and we painted over doilies to make christmas decorations and we made decoupaged photo frames. I have kept the photo frame ever since – god only knows how it has survived.
The frame I made when I was seven years old. I’ve always kept this photo of my mum in it.
It’s a shame these days that none of us print our photos as we used to. I’ve got so many nice photos that I have promised myself I am going to print so I’ve decided to make a few homemade photo frames, just as I did twenty five years ago! I’m going to try to make the tutorial ‘child-friendly’ so that you could do it with your own children.
You will need:
Cereal box
Lightweight fabric of your choice – I’m using Liberty’s Edenham E Tana Lawn (the Tana Lawn prints are the perfect weight for this project)
Acetate – I bought this from The Craft Barn
Pritt stick (child-friendly, remember!)
Scissors, ruler, pencil and chalk
Your photo.
Tutorial:
1. According to the size and shape of your photograph, decide the measurements for your frame. Mine is going to be 15cm x 19cm.
2. Cut a back piece and a front piece for your frame from your cereal box, exactly the same size.
3. Use scissors, or a craft knife if you have one, to cut out a section from the front piece for your photo.
4. Spread pritt stick all over one side of your back piece and stick it on your fabric, leaving 3cm all the way round. This will be the right side, that will be seen.
5. Cut off the corners – sorry about the fuzzy photo!! Pull the fabric over each edge and stick down using the glue.
6. Spread pritt stick all over the right side of your front piece. Stick it on the fabric and cut round it, leaving 3cm all the way round. Cut off the corners. Using chalk, draw round the hole in the middle. Divide this section into four by drawing two diagonal lines. Cut along both these lines.
7. Spread pritt stick all over the wrong side of your front piece and pull the outside edges and inside edges over and stick them down well.
8. This is what your right sides should now look like.
9. Spread some pritt stick around three edges of the wrong side of the back piece. Place the front piece over the back piece – right sides out. Allow the glue to dry.
10. Slip the acetate and your photo into the side of the frame that is not glued together.
Done! This is a pic of my lovely grandparents.
Easy enough to do with your kinders? Maybe, this will be a craft you can do with your children that you might actually want to display!
How sweet! I’ve got two girls aged 6 and 8 and we are definitely going to give these a go. Thanks for the great idea. Kelly x
Thanks Kelly – hope you have fun with the girls!
What a great idea. Should keep the kiddies occupied for hours! Just need to find suitable materials. I am going on a hunt!
The beauty, Evelyn, is that you just need a cereal box, some scrap material, a pritt stick and a pair of scissors. I want to see them when the kids have had a go x
Amazing tutorial! Thanks for sharing katy!