Framing Fantastic!

Need a gift for someone, but want it to be something that looks good, is one of a kind, and will involve the kids? Have them help, there are so many things that you can make with the kids or have them help with to make good looking gifts that are one of a kind. For this craft we will be decorating a frame with a kids touch.

You need:

One plain wooden frame
Decoupage
Paint
Paper
Paint brush
Foam brush
Ribbon
Two eye hole picture hangers (if the frame doesn’t have a place already attached on the back)
Any wooden decorator piece or add on to jazz it up!

First, start with the kid’s portion of this craft. Have them create a few different paintings either by finger painting or by painting with brushes onto a few different pieces of paper. Watch to make sure they don’t try to eat, rip, or attach the paper to themselves or the things around them while they are painting. Once, they have created what they want have them choose the add on to be attached once the frame is covered.

Depending on the age of the child the next few steps may need to be done by you. The first thing to do once the painting is dried is to cut it in strips. If the kids are able to use safety scissors this may be something they can do for you. If not naptime or after bed time may be good times to finish this project. Once the painting is cut into strips, using one of the strips figure out how long the strips should be by using one and placing it around the frame leaving the back of the frame slightly open for any attachments for the wall. Note make sure the paper will cover the front and sides of the frame with at least a centimeter going onto the back of the frame for attachment. Now, use this strip as a guide to cut all the other strips down.

Once, your strips are cut to size pick a place on your frame and start decoupaging the strips to the frame making sure to put some decoupage on the frame than coating the strip to hold it down. Make sure each strip slightly overlaps the one before it leaving the corners exposed for places to hold to reduce fingerprints being left in the decoupage. Once coated allow to dry. Once dry you can either cover the corners with the add on chosen, decoupage the strips to cover the corners, or hot glue on fabric scraps. Again, allow whichever you’ve chosen to dry. Repeat decoupaging if you wish for strength. Once dry, you can attach add on on top of the decoupage with a hot glue gun. Then, using a nail smaller than the eye hole hooks, hammer in the nail slightly and remove it to start the wholes for the eye hooks. Make sure to place them the same distance from the edge of the frame or the frame may hang crooked. Twist in the eye hooks until tight. Now, thread the ribbon threw and ties a bow. Use the scissors to cut down the left over ends of the ribbon and hot glue the ribbon and ends together to keep the ends from fraying and ribbon from coming untied. If you wish you may double knot the bow before gluing the ends down.

Allow the glue to dry, add your picture and you have a personalized one of kind amazing kid creation that looks just as good as many of the frames found in today’s store. The kids love to know that they got to put their own stamp on the gift and you have found a creative way to display their art work! Ask the kids why they are drawing or painting what they are for the person the frame is for and write it in your Kids’ Journal. Enjoy seeing the kids take the project serious because for many kids presents are serious business. Lastly, make as many as you want and decorate your own home is a special way that only your family could create. To end, some of the best artwork and crafts I’ve seen have been made by a child whose mind is still untainted by the events of the world around them and unrestricted by wither or not something is possible, while restrictions in the world exit the biggest ones we will face are the ones we give ourselves with the word won’t. Open your mind and discover the Monet in us all!

Abby