This is a a project that comes in handy when you need to make some sort of display or an inexpensive keepsake for an event. I have used these frames many times for Cub Scout banquets as place cards and for the cast board at my son's plays. They are fast to make, easy for kids to do (an adult probably needs to do the knife work), very inexpensive and parents always love to take home pictures of their kids from events.
For each frame you will need two pieces of 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" fun foam. At the hobby store I go to you can usually find these bundled together in a package of 40-50 already cut to size and in various colors for around $5.00. You also need a set of markers made specially for drawing on fun foam, usually sold right next to the fun foam at the store. Also required is a good razor blade type craft knife, hot glue gun, pencil and a ruler. (Fig. 1)
Figure 1 - Materials Required
These frames are designed to hold a 4x6 picture. Start by drawing a rectangle whose edges are 1 3/8" in from the long direction of the foam and 7/8" in from the short dimension. This will leave an opening slightly smaller than the photograph. Use your craft knife to remove this rectangle intact. You will need it later. (Fig. 2)
Figure 2 - Remove Rectangle for Picture.
Turn the piece of foam with the rectangle cut out over so that any pencil marks made during the previous step will be hidden. Now use the markers to create some sort of border pattern around the edge of the frame. For this one I did a sort of leaf and vine thing. You need to create a border such that there is a continuous line that runs around the outer edge touching the edge at several spots. Some examples of different frames are shown at the end of this post. Using the line you have drawn around the edge of the frame as a guide, use the craft knife to cut away everything beyond it. You will end up with a piece that looks like the one below. (Fig. 3)
Figure 3 - Design Drawn and Edges Removed
Hot glue the frame face to another piece of fun foam of a complimentary color. The picture can either be taped to back of the frame face before gluing it down or the frame can be flexed and the photo slid in afterward. ( Fig. 4)
Figure 4 - Frame Face Attached to Back
Now take the leftover rectangle cut from the frame face and cut it in half diagonally. Hot glue the two pieces together to make one right angle triangle. (Figs. 5,6)
Figure 5 - Cut Rectangle in Half
Figure 6 - Glue Halves Together
Measure over about 4 inches and up 1 inch from the lower left corner of the triangle as shown above and make a mark with the pencil. Draw a line through the lower left corner and that point and make a straight cut along it. (Fig. 7)
Figure 7 - First Cut of Frame Stand
Now mark a point about 2 1/2" from the lower corner and another about 2" from the top corner. Cut straight line through these points. (Fig. 8) This will give you the shape for the stand of the frame. Hot glue it to the middle of the back of the frame. The frame can be made to view either horizontally or vertically depending on your picture. (Fig. 9,10)
Figure 8 - Second Cut of Frame Stand
Figure 9 - Glue Stand in Place
Figure 10 - Finished Frame
Below are a couple of other designs I have done using this technique. The third picture is from a play my son Matthew was in last summer. After the last performance I attached the stands so that the parents could take them home.
No comments:
Post a Comment