Saturday, January 29, 2011

Floating frame

I discovered floating frames the other day while I was browsing through other craft blogs. I had a project to make wood blocks with presiden't Hinkley's 6 Bs on them and that gave me an idea. This is how it turned out:

Here's how to make this
Supplies:
a frame with an extra glass insert (hobby stores usually sell those really cheap)
get a frame with a nice thick cardboard backing that you can use for your squares
a hand saw
craft knifescrapbook paper
sand paper
mod podge
vinyl words
ink for edges (optional)
ribbon (optional)glue gun...not optional!

1. I started by using one of the blocks I had originally planned on decorating as a guide to trace my squares (they measured about 5.5 cmX5.5cm and my frame measured 20.5X25.5 cm).

2. use your hand saw for the easy lines.
3. use your craft knife for the rest. I didn't cut all the way through with my knife, I just cut a bit and then bent it till it snapped, I didn't really care to have even edges.
4. Choose your paper and trace your squares on the back of your paper and cut them out.
5. cover your cardboard with mod podge (you can't find this in europe so I just use the glue they sell for découpage or technique de serviette from UHU)
6. place your squares face down and let them dry about 10 minutes. My cardboard was white on the other side but I used the sand color side for my paper because once I sanded the edges I wanted the 'wood color' to show!
7. Sand your edges as much or as little as you like and ink the edges if you want.
8. Stick your vinyl on your squares.9. Take a glass insert and hot glue your squares where you want them. Add ribbon if you like, I think it adds a nice little touch to the whole project. Very important..remove all the little strings of glue that might be on the glass...I didn't do it properly and now it looks like my glass is cracked!
10. Place the second insert into your frame first and then add the one with your squares. Hot glue all the corners and edges of your frame so the glass doesn't fall off!! once again remove glue strings!
This project didn't cost me a thing because I already had all my materials on hand, I'm always on the look out for cute and cheap frames because I know I'll always ended up finding a good use for them. What I did in this case was paint my frame brown, I almost always paint my frames to suit the color pallet of my project instead of buying a frame that's already the right color.

2 comments:

  1. Super, uber, fantastically cute! LOVE it!

    I'm so glad to have you on my blog...I'm watching yours now too.

    Jessica @ http://myworldmadebyhand.blogspot.com/

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  2. Thanks Jessica! I dont post as regularly as you do but I'm trying! Thanks for following my blog!

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