Kids and adults can follow these easy directions for making festive Christmas photo frame ornaments for display on a holiday tree or as unique decorations.
The first Christmas picture frame ornament holds a 4-inch by 6-inch photo, and it will surround your picture with a lovely winter scene. For this simple Christmas craft project you will need several sheets of craft foam in various colors, faux gemstones, craft scissors, thick craft glue, a fine-tip marker, a ruler, a handful of white pillow stuffing. Optional supplies are glitter glue, snowflake-shaped confetti, 1/8 inch wide satin ribbon, decorative-edge scissors, and magnetic strips.
Begin by using a fine-tip marker to carefully trace around a 4 inch by 6-inch photo on a sheet of colored craft foam. Use a ruler to draw a 1-inch wide border around the completed rectangle. Cut it out using either straightedge or decorative-edge scissors. Next you will need to draw a rectangle within the rectangle you just drew. Make it approximately ΒΌ inch from all sides of the outer rectangle. Use your ruler to make the lines as straight and as accurately spaced as possible. Cut out the inner rectangle, and turn the craft foam over. The side you drew on will be the back of the frame.
Next you will need to make the backing for the frame. Trace the outer edges of the frame on a matching sheet of craft foam. Cut it out, and glue the bottom edge and the sides of the frame to the backing. Be sure to leave the top open so you can insert a photo when the frame is complete.
Now it's time to make some Christmas decorations to embellish the frame. Draw and cut out a Christmas tree on a sheet of green craft foam. Make the tree approximately 3 inches tall. Glue it to either the right or left side of the frame. Decorate the tree with either dots of colored glitter glue or glue on faux gemstones. Use your imagination to create a beautifully decorated tree.
Make a candy cane to display on the other side of the frame. Draw the shape of a candy cane on a white sheet of craft foam. Make the candy cane approximately 3 inches tall. Cut out the shape, and glue it to the side of the frame opposite to the tree. Draw and cut out stripes for the candy cane. Space them evenly, and glue them on.
Glue a small amount of white pillow stuffing across the bottom of the frame to create a snow bank. Either glue snowflake-shaped confetti to the rest of the frame, or make dots of silver or white glitter glue to simulate falling snow. Put several snowflakes on the tree as well.
If you want to use the frame as a refrigerator magnet instead of an ornament, attach magnetic strips to the back. To use your Christmas photo frame as an ornament or wall hanging, simply glue the ends of a piece of 1/8 inch wide satin ribbon to the back of the frame. Another option is to make a stand by cutting out a rectangular piece of craft foam that's approximately 1 inch wide by 3 inches long. Glue the top of the rectangle to the top back portion of the frame. Allow the glue to dry completely, and carefully bend the rectangle so the picture will stand on a desk or table. After the frame is complete, insert your favorite holiday photo.
You can make various other Christmas shapes and designs to embellish the photo frame ornament. Try using small Christmas cookie cutters as stencils, or consider drawing the designs freehand. Use your imagination to create a unique Christmas photo frame ornament that will be passed down as a cherished holiday decoration year after year.
