DIY photo frame: ideas for creating frames from improvised materials

A photo frame is an original element of room decor. Unusual or bright photo frames can serve as interesting accents when creating a holistic image of the interior of the room. And also a photo frame is also an accessory that provides additional protection for memorable and important family photos.

The most common option to choose a frame for a photo according to your requirements and the interior of the room is to buy a ready-made one you like in the store. The solution is simple and quick, but it is not always possible to find a ready-made one in the right size or shape. If there is a desire to create an original and stylish interior in the house, with non-trivial additions and the use of exclusive elements, it is better to think about creating a photo frame with your own hands.

A photo frame made by yourself, in any case, will turn out to be extraordinary and interesting. By creating this mini-work of art, you can use the color and texture solutions that are already present in the room. And then the frame or frames, if the designer’s flight of fancy unfolds wider, can serve as bright “highlights” and a harmonious addition to the overall space in the room.

Types of photo frames

There are many photo frame options. When creating them, materials can be used from the simplest to exclusively professional, requiring pre-order in specialized salons or online stores. The resulting hand-made thing no longer falls into the category of ordinary photo frames.

Photo frames can differ in the material of manufacture, installation method and type of execution. According to the type of placement, the frames are divided into: wall, desktop or universal. By execution type:

• single;
• multiframes – frames on several photos.

By the type of attachment to the surface, in addition to the classic – hang on a carnation, photo frames can be magnetic, which will allow you to place it, for example, on a refrigerator or on another metal surface.

With singles, everything is clear enough. Multi-frames are frame collages, which are arranged depending on the number of frames included in the module, and on the taste preferences of the author.

The multi-frame has a single base on which several photos are placed, each in its own frame is smaller. Multiframes can be:

• symmetrical;
• asymmetric;
• with inner frames of the same or different sizes, etc.

One large frame, for example, A2 or A3 size, can also become a multi-frame, the photo inside of which is attached with decorative clothespins or bright stationery carnations.

One of the examples of an original multi-frame for a photo is a panel designed in the form of contrasting puzzles, and each puzzle contains a photo. So, from what materials can you create modern photo frames if you have a desire to create and decorate on your own?

The main element in any photo frame is what the photo will be attached to. First of all, a foundation is required and it can serve as:

• cardboard;
• tree (processed and unprocessed, dry branches, etc.);
• plastic (for example, old CDs);
• glass or mirror;
• any other rigid material at hand that matches the design intent.

The most common and affordable materials as the basis for a future photo frame, of course, are thick cardboard, paper and wood.

Types of decorative frames by type of material for their design, decoration

The huge amount of materials for decor that currently exists provides craftsmen and craftswomen, as well as those who just want to start creating with their own hands, unlimited freedom of choice. As for the creation of modern photo frames, the most commonly used materials in the design are:

• colored paper;
• cardboard;
• felt;
• foamiran (“plastic suede”);
• decorative tape;
• fabrics and finishing materials (including jeans, lace, buttons, buckles, etc.);
• pebbles;
• seashells;
• dried flowers;
• artificial flowers;
• cereals and dough.

Also actively used by home craftsmen for decoration and decoration are various interesting small-sized products made of wood, plastic, metal, glass and stones.

And this is not a complete list of materials that can be used to decorate an original handmade photo frame. You can even use colored tape and pencils!

Photo frame sizes

The first frames appeared long before the advent of photographs and the possibility of photographing. They were used to frame pictures. The sizes of the canvases were chosen by the artists according to their taste, and for the finished painting, the owner himself ordered the frame. In those days, even painting a picture was an expensive pleasure, and the design led to additional considerable costs.

With the advent of cameras, manufacturers of photographic products came to the conclusion that the unified parameters of the frame and photographs significantly reduce the cost of production. It made photography more accessible. Photo frame sizes have also been standardized according to the size of printed photos.

Standard photo frame sizes now mainly depend on the size of photo cards printed in a photo salon or studio.

What are the sizes of photo frames?

• B7 – a well-known size for small photos – 9×13 cm. This size is more suitable for photos in an album, although small photos can be used in multi-frames or in modular ones, depending on the designer’s idea.
• A6 is also one of the most used photo standards – 10 cm by 15 cm. This is a ¼ sheet of the classic A4 paper size.
• B6 – photo size 13×18 cm, the largest of the common versions of classical photography. This format is large enough to place a photo of this size on the wall, you can already see the details from a distance.
• A5 – the size of a photo and a photo frame, respectively, appeared largely due to the same standard A4 sheet, since A5 is half of it and is equal to 21 by 15 centimeters. It is convenient to print this format yourself on a printer at home or at work. Photo frames for this size are most common.
• A4 – as in the previous case, we are actually talking about two slightly different standards – 20×30 cm and 21×30 cm. This format is widely used because not only in a photo salon you can print photos of this format. At home, many print certificates, thanks, letters, which are then placed on the walls of apartments and offices.

All of the above are standard frame sizes that are widely used for corresponding photo cards.

Custom sizes

It will not be difficult to choose the size of the photo frames discussed above, they are often used, and therefore in demand. You can find them in any major department of the office or in a photo salon. Things are a little more complicated if the dimensions of the required frame differ from the standard, have the shape of an oval or a circle. Or a large photo frame is required. You have to either order them online or make them individually.

Under the photo of standard large sizes, frames of A3, A2 or A1 are used, depending on the size of the photo, poster or picture. These parameters correspond to standard sizes of paper and cardboard sheets. So: A3 is 30×40 cm, A2 is 40×60 cm, A1 is 60×80 cm.

In addition to paper standards with the letters A and B, there is a relatively rare group of SRAs. These dimensions are a cross between standards A and B. For example, SRA0 is 90×120 cm, and SRA3 is 30 by 45 cm.

Rectangular shapes of photographs and photo frames are considered to be familiar, common. But the square frame is already non-standard, and finding it is more problematic. A frame with this shape looks unusual and original, and placing it in the interior is a little more difficult than a rectangular one.

Round and oval frames are mainly used for portraits. They are reminiscent of the photography traditions of the past. The very absence of angles in a photograph causes viewers to associate with something vintage.

How to make a photo frame with your own hands

Depending on the choice of material for the manufacture of the frame, completely different tools and fixtures may be required. When making a frame from paper or cardboard, in addition to a ruler and a marking pencil, you will need: PVA glue, double-sided tape, scissors or a clerical knife. For the manufacture of a wooden frame: saw, nails, wood glue, sandpaper. And to create a photo frame with your own hands from improvised materials, you may need: a glue gun, thin wire, decorative braid or jute. Each individual case of creating a case for a photo has its own subtleties and nuances, but let’s consider them in more detail.

DIY photo frame made of cardboard – step by step manufacturing

Cardboard is a durable and easily accessible craft material and is easy to work with, but you still need tools.

The following tools may be useful for working with cardboard and corrugated board:

• scissors (including manicure or small ones);
• stationery knife;
• a ruler (preferably metal) and rulers-corners;
• PVA glue;
• glue heat gun;
• Double-sided tape;
• protective cutting mat.

This is not a complete list of what can be useful for convenient and safe work.

If the frame is planned to contain round or oval elements, then you can not do without a compass. If the process of making a photo frame involves painting the product in any colors, then you will need spray paint or acrylic paint in ordinary cans, plus a brush.

Here is a simple instruction for making a classic frame from a cardboard base with subsequent decoration:

1. take a sheet of cardboard with suitable parameters for the photo;
2. measure and cut off a part of the sheet a little larger than the photo size;
3. cut out the inside of the resulting blank (the photo itself will be placed there).

And then you need to decorate the cardboard base. You can take knitting threads or jute and carefully wrap the cardboard blank, then decorate it.

If you use threads of different colors, you will get a cheerful rainbow frame for a children’s photo, which will work well in a nursery.

If you use kraft-colored jute or raffia (natural fiber) for winding, then the frame will turn out in an eco-style. Photos in it can be placed in the living room, and in the kitchen, and even in the study, as this style is now very popular, and the decorative elements made in it fit well into any interior.

You can also glue the cardboard blank for the frame with decorative tape. Drawings and patterns on decorative adhesive tapes are so varied and bright that additional decoration of the photo frame with beads, beads or other small decorative elements may not be necessary.

From cardboard bobbins of different diameters

The frame of cardboard reels looks original and is easy to manufacture. You will need bobbins from finished rolls of paper towels, foil, toilet paper or cling film.

It is necessary to cut the bobbins into rings of the same height and glue them together. At the same time, they can be given any shape – an oval, a rhombus. The resulting shape can be painted with spray paint, and if you want to create a brighter frame, then paint the rings in several colors before gluing. Let them dry and then glue them together.

It is necessary to cut the bobbins into rings of the same height and glue them together. At the same time, they can be given any shape – an oval, a rhombus. The resulting shape can be painted with spray paint, and if you want to create a brighter frame, then paint the rings in several colors before gluing. Let them dry and then glue them together.

The design will look airy, attracting the attention of others.

Frame decorated with corrugated cardboard

Another interesting option for making a wall-mounted cardboard photo frame is using corrugated cardboard. You can use unnecessary cardboard boxes as a material for creating a frame.

A small instruction for manufacturing:

1. we make a cardboard base for the frame;
2. cut out the sides 1,5 cm high and glue them inside and along the edge of the future frame;
3. remove the top layer from the corrugated board, previously moistened with water, to make it easier to remove;
4. we cut corrugated strips with a width of not more than 1,5 cm and various lengths;
5. lay out in the form of spirals, eights or leaves inside the sides of the frame;
6. we fasten the resulting decorative elements to the frame using a glue (“hot”) gun.

From paper

To make do-it-yourself paper photo frames, we again take cardboard as a basis and, for example, glue it with colored paper. Add decorative elements to decorate. And the frame is ready.

Another option for creating a photo frame out of paper is pasting the base for the frame with multi-colored paper tubes:

1. thin sheets are taken from brightly colored magazines or newspapers;
2. the required number of strips is cut with a length of 10–15 cm and a width equal to the width of the blank for the frame;
3. each strip of paper is rolled up with a knitting needle or skewer, the end is fixed with glue;
4. the resulting tubes are glued to the base.

You can attach the tubes to the base by placing them in one direction, and diagonally, and in a checkerboard pattern. You can combine in color or mount the tubes mixed, thereby obtaining a bright photo frame made of paper. If there were no color magazines or newspapers at hand for the manufacture of tubes, then black and white ones can also be used. Get an original photo frame in a newspaper style.

Additionally, we recommend reading the article “Weaving from newspaper tubes – interesting DIY crafts.”

XNUMXD frame

They look interesting in the interior and are easy to create with your own hands volumetric paper frames. This will require:

• scissors;
• pencil;
• ruler;
• paper.

And you can start making a template:

1. a photo, a picture is placed in the center of a sheet of paper and outlined along the contour (or a rectangle of the appropriate size is immediately drawn on the sheet);
2. strips 1 cm wide are deposited on all sides of the rectangle, then 1,5 cm, again 1 cm and 1,5 cm;
3. recesses are made in the drawing;
4. template is cut out.

Next comes the assembly of the three-dimensional structure:

• • the drawn stripes on the template are bent along the ruler;

• carefully, so as not to wrinkle, the sides of the future frame are wrapped;
• first the short sides are folded, then the long ones;
• for tight fixation, the corners of the long sides are inserted into the corners of the short sides.

For more reliable gluing of the sides of such a photo frame, you can use double-sided tape or a little glue. The DIY frame is ready.

If when creating such a frame for a picture with your own hands, glossy or fairly thick paper was used, then it is more advisable to first insert the picture, then fold and fix the sides.

A three-dimensional frame can be obtained by winding a sufficient amount of fabric or thread around the base.

How to make a wooden frame

Another type of frame that you can make with your own hands is wooden. Making a wooden frame is a little more difficult than making it from cardboard or paper. But it is quite within the power of having the necessary tools, materials and the desire to create. You will need:

• board, plywood or slats;
• wood glue or glue gun (possibly nails);
• saw, clamp and miter box;
• sandpaper;
• paint or varnish;
• decorative items at hand.

Photo frame from glazing beads or slats

Creating a photo frame from wood yourself is a laborious process and requires some skills and craftsmanship when working with wood. For the first experience in making a wooden frame, slats are best suited.

1. You need to decide on the size of the frame.
2. Size markings on rails.
3. Sawing laths, cutting edges at an angle of 45 degrees.
4. Fastening with glue the joints of the frame.
5. After the glue dries, painting and varnishing.
6. Mounting decorative elements, if desired.

Here are the step by step instructions for making:

The photo frame from the rails is ready and you can fix the photo in it.

plywood frame

Easy-to-use and well-workable material is plywood. In the absence of experience with it, it is better to start with a sheet of small thickness, and as you gain dexterity, you can move on to manufacturing from thicker plywood sheets.

To make a plywood frame, no worse than a store, you need to prepare all the necessary materials and tools. In addition to the above tools for working with wood, you will also need:

• jigsaw for cutting plywood;
• bed;
• scissors;
• furniture stapler or decorative nails;
• files.

Plywood has an advantage over solid wood and slats – it is easier to process and can be used to make frames of non-standard shapes:

• oval;
• round;
• heart;
• in the form of a drop, etc.

Standard forms of photo frames (square and rectangle), of course, can also be easily made from plywood.

First, a product layout is drawn, then the drawing is transferred to plywood and carefully cut out with a jigsaw. For beautiful and high-quality carving when working with plywood, as a rule, several metal blades are used for a jigsaw. Interchangeable blades have different thickness, shape and tooth pitch. The thinner the plywood, the more fragile the tool will be required to work.

After cutting out all the necessary details, they must be sanded and varnished. After assembling the product, it can be decorated with an interesting decor.

From ice cream sticks – nowhere easier

If you want to use wood, but do not want to fiddle around for a long time making a frame, then you can use wooden ice cream sticks. The maximum that is needed: glue, threads, paints, clothespins.

Decorative

Making decorative frames for photos and paintings is an exciting and creative activity. When creating original frames, extraordinary materials are used or, conversely, what lies under your feet, but with the appropriate design looks very unusual and attractive.

As a decor for photo frames, you can use:

• nutshells, dyed, for example, in the color of gold from a spray can with paint or without staining;
• buttons of different sizes, colors and textures;
• old puzzles are well suited to decorate a photo frame for children;
• rice grains, lentils, anise stars, etc. – a beautiful and fragrant decor for the kitchen;
• coffee beans or ground coffee are also fragrant decorative elements.

 Decoration with twigs and moss

A frame using natural materials can be made even with a child. Pick up suitable branches for a walk and dry them. If you cannot find green moss, you can buy dry moss in flower shops.

In addition to moss and branches, you will also need:

• the base for the frame is wooden or cardboard (you can make it yourself or take it ready-made);
• dark brown acrylic paint with a brush;
• glue gun;
• 3-4 small, artificial flowers.

The sequence of execution is as follows:

1. painting the base of the frame with acrylic paint (you may need to paint in 2-3 layers);
2. cutting branches of the required length, corresponding to the length and width of the base for the photo frame;
3. fastening the branches to the base with a glue gun – the branches are placed alternately, layer by layer;
4. decoration with moss and artificial flowers.

An unusual eco-style frame made of twigs and moss is ready. Such a frame can be placed in the bedroom, and the living room, and in the nursery. Looks very gentle and interesting.

Fabric decor

Using fabric or pieces of fabric to decorate the base of the frame, you can also get a beautiful frame. The fabric can simply be glued onto the base, wound in layers or stitched with a sewing machine. Such a product will look unusual, but very aesthetically pleasing. To keep the style of the rooms, just choose the right color. For the bedroom, it should be something calm and monochrome, and for the children’s room, it should be cheerful and colorful.

Decorating with wine corks

The frame is easy to make, especially if a lot of wine corks have accumulated at home.

As in the case of making a structure from twigs and moss, you will need a base for the frame. Depending on the color of the base and the author’s idea, you can use preliminary staining, or you can leave it as it is.

Wine corks must be cut with a sharp clerical knife into circles of various thicknesses and lengthwise. If the photo frame is planned in bright colors, for example, for a nursery, then cut blanks from wine corks can be painted in different colors. Let dry. After staining, attach them to the base with a glue gun.

Frame for 2 photos

If you need to place 2 photos side by side, you can make an appropriate photo frame. The technology does not differ from a single assembly, it is enough to take into account the dimensions and make two compartments instead of one. For example, 4 photos A2 5 * 15 cm are placed in A20 size.

You can do the same when you need to make a photo frame for 3 photos. The shape can be any, and the dimensions depend on the size of the photographs. For example, in A4 you can place 1 photo A5 and 2 photos A6 – 10-15 cm.

Сonclusion

As you can see from the examples above, if you have a desire and some free time, then making your own frame for family photos is not difficult. There are no restrictions on materials and you can use everything that is available, and by connecting your imagination, you can decorate the photo frame for any style.