DIY...at Home: Summer Craft for Kids, Decorated Photo Frame

Just a quick note before I start with the frame instructions.

My daughter and I created these frames for her 9th birthday party. All the children had a great time making them after I had completed the first two steps for them. If you’re only making one frame and not ten, like I did, go ahead and let older children complete all the steps themselves. Allow an afternoon to create this project, as the paint and Mod Podge will require time to dry in between each step.

Instructions
Start out by opening your frame up (removing any backing and/or glass) and placing it face down on the reverse side of a piece of patterned paper large enough cover it. This paper will be the background for all your embellishments, so be sure it’s a pattern you love. Use a pen to trace around the outside and inside of the frame. Next, use scissors to cut about ½” inside each of your marks. The end result will be a doughnut sort of shape. Cutting inside will create a shape slightly smaller than your frame. In the next step, you’ll be painting the frame and you will want to see some of your paint around the edges of your paper.

Using a paper plate as your palette, apply the acrylic paint to your frame with the foam brush. Paint around the edges and center and then onto the face of the frame about 1” all around. Take the background paper you cut in the last step and hold it over the painted surface, just to be sure you don’t have any unpainted part of the frame showing through.

Allow the paint about an hour to dry.

Once the paint is dry, use a second paper plate as a palette for your Mod Podge. You can use either matte or sparkle Mod Podge for this step. But if you have both varieties, use the matte, since most of it will be covered by your paper. Since it’s slightly more expensive, you can save the sparkle variety to use as the top coat for the project. Paint the Mod Podge onto the face of the frame. Gently place the background paper onto the Mod Podge. Try to place the paper as close as you can to where you want it. You can move the paper around to center it, but do it quickly. The paper will soak up the Mod Podge as soon as it’s placed and will tear easily after that, so be careful. Once the paper is centered, use your fingers to gently smooth out any bubbles on its surface.

Allow about an hour for the project to dry.

Before adhering the flat embellishments in this step, it’s best to choose the ones you plan to use and then place them on the dry surface of the frame. Arrange them how you like, being sure to allow some of the background design to show through. These embellishments can be placed entirely on the surface of your frame or allowed to extend past the surface of the frame. In this step, use only flat, one-dimensional embellishments. Save your buttons, rhinestones, 3D stickers, etc. for the final step. The embellishments added in this step will be covered over with Mod Podge. Take your arranged embellishments and lay them down around the outside of your frame, near where you will place them. Paint Mod Podge over the area where you will place an embellishment, being sure to paint a space slightly larger than your embellishment. Place the embellishment into the Mod Podge. Repeat, painting the Mod Podge and placing the embellishment for each embellishment you have left to decorate the frame’s surface.

You do not need to wait or allow drying time before moving on to the next step.

Once your flat embellishments are placed in the Mod Podge, put a top coat of Mod Podge over the entire surface and edges of your frame. Now is the time to use the sparkle Mod Podge, if you have it, and were using matte to apply your paper and embellishments. After you have covered the edges and surface of your frame with Mod Pod, run your brush through the Mod Podge, one last time, in one direction. This step will create a smooth surface for your frame, removing any random streaking from your top coat.

Allow at least an hour for this surface to dry.

After your project is completely dry, apply your 3D embellishments, either with their own self adhesive backing or with Glue Dots. Placing these items on top of your last coat of Mod Podge will give your frame and extra, fun layer.

Fill your frame with a fun photo and display it where you will enjoy it most!

Supplies
Chipboard or Wood Photo Frame – There are several sources for these frames including your local scrapbook store, framing shop or local crafting center.
Mod Podge – Use regular matte and/or Sparkle Mod Podge. It acts as the adhesive and top coat for this project.
Patterned Scrapbook Papers – Find a group of coordinating papers that will look nice where you plan to display your frame, whether that place is your living room or your child’s bedroom.  We used the American Girl paper pad from EK Success to create our frames.
Embellishments – Choose a few embellishments that coordinate with your patterned papers, die cuts, buttons, rhinestones, 3D stickers, etc.  We used the American Girl Stacked Flowers & Embellishments pad, along with a pack of their stamps to stamp on some solid cardstock.
Adhesive – If your 3D embellishments (buttons, rhinestones, stickers, etc.) are not self adhesive, Glue Dots will be helpful to adhere these items in the final step.
Acrylic Paint – Use a color that coordinates with your papers and embellishments.  We used KaiserCraft acrylic paint in Magenta to cover our frames.

Tools
Foam Brushes – for applying paint and Mod Podge
Paper Plates – I use paper plates all the time for many different projects. Use them here as palettes for your paint and Mod Podge.
Wax Paper – Use it to create a space for your frame while using paint and Mod Podge. You will be able to easily remove your project even if the paint sticks a bit to the paper and no newsprint will be lifted onto your project.
Scissors and Punches


***Stop by & party with me Saturday night at Ann's Virtual Girls' Night Out Party!  She's moving it to Saturdays this weekend to help it stand out from all those other Friday night parties out there.  And maybe those of us who're chasing kids all day Friday will be a bit more relaxed on Saturdays!  See you over at Ann's!