Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

I always end up taking a ton of photos at holiday gatherings. Some of these photos are so adorable that I can’t help but want to display them, but I don’t want photo frames cluttered on every surface. This is where having extra cardboard comes in handy. Rather than toss piles of cardboard into the trash or spend money on a bunch of photo frames that clutter up my home, I use one problem to solve another by using the cardboard to make adorable magnetic Christmas photo frames.

What you’ll need:

• Cardboard or chipboard
• Scrapbook paper
• Thick ribbon
• Red, white and green thin ribbon
• Green scrapbook paper
• Hole punch
• Red paper
• Mod Podge
• Magnet sheet
• Craft Knife
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler

Step 1. Use a pencil to sketch the frame out onto the cardboard. The best way to start is from the center and work your way out. Measure how much space you want for the photo, then for the frame.

Step 2. Use scissors to cut out the frame, then use a box cutter to cut out the middle. Pay special attention to the corners of the center square as they can sometimes be difficult to cut.

Step 3. After choosing the scrapbook paper you want, cut four pieces that are slightly larger than each section of your frame. Put a thin coat of Mod Podge onto the two side portions of your frame. Place the scrapbook paper down flush against the cut out center square, then press it down to smooth out any bubbles – don’t trim off the excess paper yet. Do the same for the top and bottom portions of your frame, but when you place it down, it’ll overlap over the corners of the first two pieces of paper. Give it about twenty minutes to dry before you trim off the excess.

Step 4. Cut two holly leaves out of green scrapbook paper, then punch three holes out of red paper to create the berries. Use the Mod Podge to attach the two leaves to the bottom center portion of the frame, then put the three berries over the point where the leaves meet.

Step 5. Cut three long pieces of red, white and green ribbon, hold them together and tie the ends together into a single knot. Braid the three pieces together, then tie another knot when you get to the end. Place a dot of Mod Podge on the braid in front of each knot so the ribbon hardens, then cut the ends off right above each knot.

Step 6. Coat one side of the braid with Mod Podge. Start at the end of one holly leaf, and pressing the braid down as you go along, work the braid around the entire frame until you reach the end of the other holly leaf; trim off any extra.

Step 7. Tie a long piece of ribbon into a large bow, then glue it to the top center portion of the frame. Before moving onto the next step, let the frame sit about an hour to ensure everything dries properly.

Step 8. Cut four small strips from the magnet sheet, remove the adhesive backing, then attach it to the back of the frame. Put it over a favorite photo on the refrigerator.

The cardboard gets saved from ending up in the trash (the cardboard I used was from a box of dog treats) and you get to make adorable magnetic frames in the process. They make really great gifts; they’re inexpensive, personalized, and include a memory in the form of a photo. You can make any type of design you like – write a child’s name on one, make one for your pet or make one large one for a group family photo.