Easy Crafts on a Budget for Kids 4 to 104: cool picture frames

Monday, July 15, 2013

More Cardboard Picture Frames

We added a couple more cardboard frames for our summer pictures. The "tiled" look is actually
painted to look like old painted wood pieced inside a frame. To create this look, figure out the size of
your frame, cut out the opening for your picture, then figure out what width and depth your tiles will
be. We used 1 inch widths, by 2 inches. After painting your colors, paint brown in between the "tiles" with a fine point paint brush. When the paint has dried, dip a fan paint brush in brown paint, wipe off
any excess and lightly go over certain areas, to create an aged look.

If you prefer a more formal look, you may purchase white picture frames with glass,
with a small one half inch frame border first, so that you can place your cardboard frames
inside.

This is a great project for kids of all ages.


Copyright c. 2013. Fuego Phoenix. All Rights Reserved.		F

For everyday craft projects, check out Easy Crafts on a Budget For Kids 4 to 104 here

Monday, July 8, 2013

Beach Theme Cardboard Picture Frames

Bring the beach home, with ocean colored picture frames made from cardboard.

I saved the picture (immediately below) of painted wooden frames, found in a magazine a while ago. The colors of the frames are colors you see when you go to the beach.

I wondered if these could be duplicated, by painting cardboard to look like painted wood.
In other words, authentic looking, but cheap!

This is a fun project for kids of all ages. The best part is these are cheap to make!

My 7 year old grandson and I made two of these frames today, out of cardboard. Luckily, I had the acrylic paints and the cardboard.

The trick to making the frames look like the ones in the photo, is leaving a minimum of 3 1/2 inches
around the space where you'll place your picture, and lighten all of the colors with the parchment
acrylic paint, so the colors are more subtle. When the painted stripes have dried, mix raw umber with each stripe color, and lightly paint over the stripe, to give it an aged look.

What's great about this is even younger ones, can do this. If they
paint outside the lines, it's no worry. They're laid-back beach frames.

What you need:    cardboard
   a ruler
   a knife
                             pencils, colored pencils
                             paint acrylic or poster paint
                             paint brushes
   acrylic paints in these colors:

turquoise
buttercup field
green meadow
unbleached titanium or parchment
fluor blue
raw umber

Cut out your frame. Draw stripes 1 inch wide, down the length of the cardboard (for the larger picture frame). Paint the stripes. Allow the paint to dry. For the smaller frame, draw stripes that are different widths, and then paint.


Copyright c. 2013. Fuego Phoenix. All Rights Reserved