PHOTO FRAMES FROM CD BOXES

Project: Photo Frames from CD Boxes
by http://www.allcrafts.net

Grandparents, aunties and uncles and godparents always love to get photos of their favorite children. Nice frames can be expensive to buy and impersonal too. Why not get your children to help you create some frames with bits and pieces you have lying around your house? You will all have great fun doing it and will produce fun little frames that will be especially treasured because the kids had a hand in making them. Be warned – this idea is addictive!

You will need:

Empty CD boxes
Scissors and glue
Craft supplies and household bits and pieces (see suggestions below)

We always seem to have empty CD boxes lying around – and if you don’t, you can buy them very cheaply at computer stores.

Instructions:

Open your CD box and take out the paper inserts and the molded plastic piece into which the CD itself fits.

Cut your photo to just smaller than the box. You will be fitting it into the back of the box with the hinged edge at the top, so about 4 inches wide and 4 ¾ inches high is perfect, but don’t worry too much! Fix the photo against the plastic with a few small pieces of sticky-tape. Find a nice piece of cardboard, gift wrap or fun foam which will complement your design and cut this to fit snugly behind the photo and to the edges of the frame (4 ¾ inches wide, 5 ¼ inches high). Fix with glue or sticky-tape with the pattern, if any, facing into the box. When your frame is finished you will open the box out to stand it up, so this backing protects your photo.

Now all you need to do is draw a line of glue on the outside edges of the front of the CD box and start decorating! Use whatever you have to hand. You can build on the theme of the photo, the season, or the particular interests of the recipient. Our examples above are obviously on a Christmas theme.

Artwork instead of a photo
Another idea is to use some “artwork” which the children have created instead of a photo, and surround it with something which complements the work. Get a little one to write “I Love You Granny” in their best writing and then stick on their own choice of stickers and beads, and you will have created a present which will be treasured forever!

Here are some decorating ideas to get you started:

For photos of girls:

• Sparkly beads – either individual or pre-strung necklaces
• Pearl beads (you may be able to buy an old “pearl” necklace in a charity shop cheaply)
• Jewels (available from craft shops)
• Glass nuggets (for flower arranging, they come in gorgeous colours)
• Tiny silk flowers
• Pretty flower braid, with the individual flowers cut apart and interspersed with silk leaves or green ribbon
• Tiny Barbie figures (fast food give-always)
• Left over or “odd” doll’s shoes and accessories

For photos of boys:

• Jelly beans
• Tiny plastic soldiers
• Tiny cars
• Wheels of assorted shapes and sizes!
• Lego pieces. This looks great!
• Peanuts in shells
• Toy insects, plastic dinosaurs or farm animals
• Stamps (buy a collectors’ pack of football stamps, for example)
• Left-over or “odd” action man accessories – shoes, boots, helmets etc

More Craft Ideas…