These Homemade Picture Frames are easy to make with some cardboard from the pantry cupboard and some paint. They’re simple enough for toddlers and preschoolers to make, and such a sweet homemade gift for kids to give at Christmas.
A homemade picture frame is a such a meaningful gift for a child to give at Christmas. I mean, who among us would not melt receiving an adorable photo of our kids framed in a piece of their own unique artwork?
Our homemade frames are easy for young children to make. We’ve repurposed some cardboard, and added a little paint and some sequins to make the frame festive. Once your child tucks in favourite photo of themselves, it’s the perfect homemade gift for a toddler or preschooler to give to a grandparent or parent.
If you’re looking for a framed gift that older kids can make and give at Christmas, check out our scratch art family portrait. It’s a fun art activity for elementary kids and tweens.
Supplies:
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- photo of your child
- light weight cardboard (think cereal box)
- metallic acrylic paint
- craft sequins or craft gems
- glitter or glitter glue
- scissors or X-ACTO Knife
- paint brush
- glue
How to make our cardboard picture frame
- Cut out your frame
To cut out the front of your picture frame, you need to cut a piece of cardboard slightly larger than your child’s photo. We traced our photos on a cereal box and added a little to each side and then cut them out.
- Make a window in the frame
Next, you need to cut out the window in the picture frame that your child’s photo will be displayed in. Draw a rectangle slightly smaller than your child’s photo and cut it out. Cutting this inner rectangle is easiest if you use an X-acto knife.
- Decorate
Now have your child paint the front of the frame, and decorate with glitter glue and sequins or craft gems.
- Make the back of the frame
To do this, cut another piece of cardboard a bit smaller than the decorated front of the frame. Glue it to the back of the front of the frame (get what I mean there?) but leave one end open to slide your photo in and out.
- Add a photo
When the paint and glue are dry, pop a photo into the frame.
Let your kids get as creative as they want painting their frames. We got out lots of paint colours, and we used glitter-glue and sequins to as well.
Kids love to paint so let them just create freely so their frame will truly be a reflection of who they are. It will be most fitting for a frame that’s going to display their unique little self.
I took some photos of the kids in front of our Christmas tree so they’d have a framed holiday photo to give to their parents for Christmas.
Then we wrapped them in some of our homemade wrapping paper.
A beautiful, gift for the kids to give their parents at Christmas. I’m pretty sure there will be some hearts melting on Christmas morning!
More kid-made-made gift ideas:
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
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Inese Bokiša
I made these kind of frame last year, but found tricky how to make hanger on the back, specialy if you want to hold on table! Do have any suggestions? Otherwise- great idea!:)
happyhooligans
Inese, I had planned to use my glue gun to attach a loop of ribbon to the back so they could be hung, but I ran out of time. I’d also thought of using a piece of cardboard glued to the back that could be bent out so you could stand the frame up, just like a real stand up frame has on the back.
Valerie @ Glittering Muffins
Very nice, photos are awesome as well 🙂