Just in time for the holidays, these easy and crafty frames can hold Christmas memories past or present. And, if you can re-use a frame you no longer like, any of these projects will be budget-friendly, too!
Santa Hat
Supplies:
- Wooden frame
- Fine grit sand paper
- Red craft paint
- Foam brush
- White feather trim
- Hot glue
Remove the easel back and glass from the frame. Lightly sand the front and sides of the frame – anywhere you plan to paint. Wipe off the dust with a damp paper towel. Apply two to three coats of the red craft paint using a foam brush, allowing to dry between coats. When the paint is dry, cut the feather trim to fit the frame (I used two rows of the feathers to create more volume) and wrap the trim around the top edge of the frame, securing in place with hot glue.
Cinnamon Sticks
Supplies:
- Wooden frame
- Cinnamon sticks
- Hot glue
- Acrylic craft paint
- Foam brush
I got lucky for this project and found cinnamon sticks pre-painted with a silvery wash that perfectly coordinated with a silver-toned frame. If you can’t find painted cinnamon sticks at the craft store, paint the frame out in a color of your choice. Then, hot glue the cinnamon sticks around the opening of the frame, layering them and cutting to size with scissors or wire cutters as needed. When all the cinnamon sticks are in place, paint the sticks to match the frame and allow to dry.
All Buttoned Up
Dig through your button box or head to the craft store where you can purchase packets of buttons in specific color combinations with a variety of shapes and sizes for a few dollars.
Supplies:
- Picture frame (a flat front surface works best)
- 1 piece of craft felt, approx. 8” by 10”
- Scrap of cotton batting
- Hot glue
- Buttons in your choice of colors – lots of them!
Remove the easel back and glass from the frame. For a puffy frame as shown, attach a layer of cotton batting to the frame with hot glue. (Cotton balls that have been pulled and fluffed a bit may be substituted.) Lay the frame flat on a table, and place the felt on top. With a pair of scissors, make a small hole in the center of the felt. Carefully cut a diagonal slit from the center hole to one of the corners of the frame, taking care not to cut all the way to the corner. (Leave an eighth of an inch or so.) Continue with the other three corners. You will have an “X” in the felt. Turn the frame over, and beginning with the top edge of the frame, wrap the felt flap to the back of the frame, pulling the felt taut. Trim any excess and glue the flap in place. Repeat with the bottom edge of the frame, then the other two sides. Now wrap, trim and glue the outside edges of the felt to the back of the frame to complete the “upholstery” of the frame. Using hot glue, attach the buttons randomly to the face of the frame with as much or as little density as you like.
