I've finally finished the frames to document Ebabe's first year of life.

When Boo was born, Chip & I bought pre-made frames from Lillian Vernon which are no longer available. Before Bug was born, Chip cut 1/2 inch mdf board into 4x6 frames. He cut plexiglass to the right size and used 1/8 inch backing board to go behind. My sister-in-law and I decorated the set of frames for Bug shortly before she was born. Here's a photo of those frames:

Well, now Ebabe is 19 months old and after much procrastination, her frames are finally done!!


Once again Chip made the frames using 1/2 inch mdf board (see photo). He made them the same dimensions as both Boo & Bug's frames. They hold a 4x6 photo.


The first step in decorating the frames is to give them a few coats of plain white paint - all over the front, sides and inside. Allow a day or so for the paint to dry. Next decide if you want to paint the frame or decopage with scrapbook paper. If painting, apply the first coat and wait about 30 minutes before applying the 2nd coat.

For January, I applied a third coat of white paint and then clear glitter to create a snowy look. August's frame was inspired by our visit to Virginia Beach last summer. I recreated the beach using several sandy colors and a foam brush to create texture. The water was created by using 4 different blue colors and rougher strokes.


If decopaging, turn the paper face down, trace the outline of the frame on the paper and gently cut slightly inside the tracing. Once you have the paper the size you want, cut out the inside of the frame (where the photo will go). Use modge podge or puzzle glue to adhere the paper to the frame.


Next, decorate the frames with accessories. I used many paper crafting embellishments from Jolee's to do mine. I couldn't find the accessories I wanted for the month of March so I created my own using clip art, 3-D glue dots and colored pens. The month titles were found in a scrapbook store in Michigan. July's paper seemed a little plain so I added a few buttons in various colors to enhance the look.






This is a pretty easy project - a great gift idea for showers. If you (or your spouse) don't have carpentry talents, you could easily decorate any store bought frames by simply sanding the finish off first.
4 Responses
  1. Mommasaurus Says:

    Hooray! They're DONE! Great job, all of you! NOW ... where to hang them


  2. Sara Says:

    Looks great! That was a fun project, so glad you got to repeat the process.


  3. Amooretto Says:

    This is a project that I've been wanting to do for a while now! I want to change the photos every year. I even have the wall to put them...now, just need the time and supplies to do them! Thanks for the tip in making them. These turned out really nice! CONGRATS!


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