{"id":9038,"date":"2022-02-14T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T09:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/?p=9038"},"modified":"2022-02-21T11:17:13","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T11:17:13","slug":"how-to-make-a-photo-frame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/how-to-make-a-photo-frame\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make a photo frame"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s no better way to capture those memorable moments than with the perfect picture. But as nice as it is to have all those great occasions stored on our phones at just a button\u2019s press away, sometimes, it\u2019s even better to have the physical thing.<\/p>\n<p>The way we take and develop photos might have changed since the advent of smartphones, but that doesn\u2019t mean any of us have stopped wanting to decorate our homes with cherished memories of times past. Plus, if you&#8217;ve got a special\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/photo-cards\/birthday\">birthday photo card<\/a>, you could always keep it in a photo frame to keep it safe.<\/p>\n<p>Problem is, the nicest photo frames are often a tad pricey &#8211; or don&#8217;t fit your chosen photos. So, how do you get a photo frame that not only looks great but also doesn\u2019t break the bank? You make your own, of course! Not only is it easy to make photo frames at home, but they also help to make those favourite pictures even more special by giving them a personalised, handcrafted frame to sit in. They make brilliant,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/gifts\">thoughtful gifts<\/a>\u00a0for loved ones to go with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/cards\/christmas\">Christmas cards<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/cards\/birthday\">birthday cards<\/a>, and you can even get the kids involved when making them.<\/p>\n<p>So free up your weekend or evening and get your crafting gear together &#8211; we\u2019re taking you through four ways you can make photo frames at home at minimal cost.<\/p>\n<h2>What do you need to make your own photo frame?<\/h2>\n<p>Before we get started on crafting a home for your fave couple selfie snap or family holiday photo, it\u2019s important to make sure you have everything you need.<\/p>\n<p>Besides the craft materials we\u2019ll be using throughout this article to make your own photo frame, all of which you\u2019ll be able to get from your nearest hobby store, you\u2019ll also need a few tools.<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll need:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A pair of scissors<\/li>\n<li>Crafting glue<\/li>\n<li>Craft knife and a cutting board<\/li>\n<li>Sandpaper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Most importantly, always remember to put safety first, especially if you\u2019re working with kids. If the use of a craft knife is required, you should handle this yourself and let them take over the decorating.<\/p>\n<h2>How to make a photo frame with cardboard<\/h2>\n<p>The classic way to make your own photo frame, crafting cardboard or construction paper makes for a simple yet flexible material to make any kind of frame you desire.<\/p>\n<p>Cardboard frames take little time at all to make, but can be decorated in any number of ways. Buttons, ribbons, cloth, paper, or thread-wrapping &#8211; you name it, and it can probably be used to decorate them.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Use your photo to trace the right size onto your cardboard<\/li>\n<li>Cut out your cardboard, making sure that it\u2019s a few centimetres larger than your chosen picture. Hearts and circles can make for a more visually eye-catching shape, but for our example, we\u2019ll be sticking to the classic rectangle.<\/li>\n<li>Once you\u2019ve cut your shape out, cut out the same shape again on its inside, this time making sure that it\u2019s slightly smaller than your picture.<\/li>\n<li>Next comes the best part, decorating the frame! However you want your frame to look, take the time to style it to perfection, using your craft glue to attach things like buttons or ribbons, or keeping any wound thread connected to the frame.<\/li>\n<li>With your frame decorated, the next step is to take some more cardboard and cut out the same shape as your frame, making it slightly smaller than the whole of the frame. Again, decorate it so it matches your chosen style, then glue it to the frame\u2019s back, making sure to leave the top side open so you can slide your photo in.<\/li>\n<li>Last, but not least, depending on where you want to place your photo, you can either glue some thread to the back-top of the frame to hang it, or add a flap of cardboard to the back to act as a stand.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Then, all that\u2019s left to do is slide in your photo, position it perfectly, and you\u2019re done!<\/p>\n<h2>Making a frame with lollypop sticks<\/h2>\n<p>As good as a decorated cardboard frame can look, if you\u2019re after something a little more stylish or chic, then look no further than using your old lollypop sticks.<\/p>\n<p>For this design, you\u2019ll need two long lollypop sticks that are just longer than the width of your photo.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Start by positioning these two sticks apart at the length of a standard lollypop stick.<\/li>\n<li>Then, take as many lollypop sticks as required to cover the longer lollypop sticks, leaving a small gap at either end.<\/li>\n<li>Before you assemble your photo frame, now&#8217;s the time to decorate your sticks how you see fit; though if you plan on using things like buttons, we recommend covering the entirety of the top of the sticks with them to ensure a smooth seal for your picture.<\/li>\n<li>Next, carefully glue your standard lollypop sticks on top of the longer lollypop sticks one beside the other, making sure that no glue seeps up through the gaps.<\/li>\n<li>Once done, place a mug or two on either side of the lollypops to act as a weight and help the glue stick more thoroughly.<\/li>\n<li>Once the frame has set, decorate it further if you\u2019d like and then attach your photo with glue, pins, or lodged under a few decorative items.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>To hang your photo, you can glue thread behind it to act as a hook, or if you want it on your fridge, you could glue some magnetic strips to the longer lollypop sticks.<\/p>\n<h2>Making a photo frame with wood<\/h2>\n<p>Of course, making a photo frame doesn\u2019t just have to involve normal crafting materials. If you want something a bit more old-school and rustic, you could make your own photo frame from wood.<\/p>\n<p>But don\u2019t worry if you\u2019re not familiar with wood crafting; we\u2019re not going to ask you to build a table. All you need is a wooden slat to fit your picture and a smaller piece to glue to it to act as a base.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Start by finding a wooden slat that fits the size of your photo &#8211; you might have to print your photo to fit or sand the wood slat\u2019s sides down if it\u2019s a little large.<\/li>\n<li>Next, sand the corners of your wood slat so they\u2019re smooth and rounded, doing the same to the corners of your smaller wood piece as well.<\/li>\n<li>Using a wood stain of your preferred colour, coat your wood so you get a nice even finish across it. Alternatively, if you want a more rustic feel, you could make the coat much thinner, so it still reveals the wood&#8217;s natural texture.<\/li>\n<li>Once dry, use wood-friendly adhesive to glue your smaller piece of wood to the base of your larger slat so it sits just above the bottom edge.<\/li>\n<li>For finishing touches, glue a clip near the top of the slat to hold your photo in place, and then add other decorative touches, like shells or bows, around the edges until you\u2019re satisfied.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Making a photo frame with magnets<\/h2>\n<p>For our final option, how about a unique design to make a frame that you can easily replace the photos in? All you need is four thin strips of wood of equal length, a length of thread, and some magnetic strips.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Start by sanding your pieces of wood to remove any sharp edges and rough spots.<\/li>\n<li>Then, clamp your magnetic strips into pairs if they aren\u2019t already and glue both pairs to a separate piece of wood.<\/li>\n<li>Next, glue the other remaining pieces of wood to the other sides.<\/li>\n<li>Apply pressure with a few mugs and wait for the glue to dry.<\/li>\n<li>Once dry, you should be able to pull them apart and be left with four pieces of wood with magnetic strips.<\/li>\n<li>The last step is to take your thread and knot it around one of the wood slabs at either end of its magnetic strip.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>After all this, simply clamp your photo between the strips and hang it where you want!<\/p>\n<h2>Making a photograph frame with other craft materials<\/h2>\n<p>These are just four ways that you could try to make photo frames at home, but there are plenty of other ways to get crafty with it.<\/p>\n<p>You could try making frames out of old magazines and doweling rods, cover your cardboard frame in crochet or embroidery or even try your hand at making a full wood frame yourself. Just remember to be safe when using any sharp tools.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s not just photos you can make yourself. If you know your friends and family love a good homemade gift, check out our How To guides and find out how to make creative presents, from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/blog\/how-to-make-candles\/\">how to make a candle<\/a>. You can also visit the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/blog\/category\/how-to\/\">how-to<\/a>\u00a0part of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/blog\/\">thortful blog<\/a>\u00a0to see what other creative gifts you can make to go with your photo frame.<\/p>\n<p>Here at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/\">thortful<\/a>, we have thousands of uniquely crafted cards made by hundreds of independent creators. Whether you\u2019re after a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/cards\/valentines-day\/funny\">funny Valentine\u2019s card<\/a>\u00a0or a \u00a0we\u2019re sure to have something to suit your needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s no better way to capture those memorable moments than with the perfect picture. But as nice as it is to have all those great occasions stored on our phones at just a button\u2019s press away, sometimes, it\u2019s even better to have the physical thing. The way we take and develop photos might have changed&hellip;<\/p>\n<a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\" https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/how-to-make-a-photo-frame\/ \">Read More<\/a>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":9039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[469],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Make a Photo Frame | Making a Photo Frame | thortful<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everyone wants to frame their favourite photos, but photo frames can be expensive. 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