For example, your photo is 3 in (7. 6 cm), you’ll need a 4 in (10 cm) frame. Your paper will have to be 8 in (20 cm). This method assumes that your paper is patterned on one side and blank on the other. If your paper is blank on both sides, just pick a side to be the front.
If you choose to mark the paper, make sure that you do it on the front, patterned side. If you choose to fold the paper, be sure to flatten it back out so that it looks like a square again. If your paper is blank on both sides, just pick a side to be the front.
If your paper is patterned, the back is the blank side. If your paper is blank on both sides, pick a side to be the back. Your paper should already start looking like a frame: a white square surrounded by a patterned border.
Run your fingernail along the folded edges to make them nice and sharp. Leave the fourth corner alone for now. You’ll either turn it into a stand or use it to hang the frame.
A glue stick will work just fine for this. You can also use white school glue or a strip of double-sided tape. If you used glue, wait for it to dry before moving on. This can take up to 15 to 20 minutes.
The entire corner/flap should be flat against the table. If you prefer to hang the frame, leave the corner unfolded. Instead, pin the corner to the wall so that the frame looks like a house.
This will fit 3 1⁄2 in (8. 9 cm) photos. Re-size and cut your photo as needed.
These creases are your guidelines. Find the center by measuring it and marking it with a pencil, or by folding the paper diagonally 2 times to make an X-shaped crease.
Run your fingernail along the creases to sharpen them. Do not fold the corners past the creases making up. You still need to use them as guides.
The flattened corners will not reach the middle of the paper. Instead, they will create a frame.
This completes the base of your frame. Sharpen the corners with your fingernail, then unfold them so that they are sticking out at 90-degree angles. These corners will make the slots for the stand.
This will eventually make the stand. If your paper is patterned, you can work on the front or back. It all depends on which side you want to be visible! Find the center by folding the paper in half, then unfolding it. You can also do it by measuring it with a ruler.
These will eventually make the tabs for your stand so that you can secure it to the back of the frame.
When you fold the paper, make sure that the folded 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) tabs are on the inside. This completes your stand. Now, you just have to secure it onto the back of the frame.
Alternatively: your frame’s corners have little slots in them. You can slide the corners of the stand’s tabs into these slots.
Patterned scrapbooking paper works great for this, but you can also use wrapping paper, cardstock, construction paper, or even printer paper! This will eventually be folded in to create a clean, inside edge. If you want an even simpler frame, just sketch a 13 by 8 cm (5. 1 by 3. 1 in) rectangle, then click here to continue.
When you’re done, you should have a 13 by 8 cm (5. 1 by 3. 1 in) frame with a 11 by 6 cm (4. 3 by 2. 4 in) hole in the middle. You will eventually fold this 1 centimetre (0. 39 in) frame inside the actual frame. It will give it a nicer finish.
When you’re done, you’ll end up with a 21 by 16 cm (8. 3 by 6. 3 in) rectangle. You’ll be folding the outside edges in, so the frame will be only 2 centimetres (0. 79 in) thick. If you want a simpler frame, just draw a 2 cm (0. 79 in) border around your frame.
You can also do this in reverse order: cut the smaller rectangle out, then the bigger rectangle. If you made a simpler frame, cut the bigger rectangle out first, then the smaller rectangle. Next, click here to continue.
Do not cut into the 4 cm (1. 6 in) frame. Cutting these slits will allow you to fold the 1 cm (0. 39 in) frame inward.
Run your fingernail a few times along each fold to make it nice and sharp. These will also make flaps for you to finish gluing your frame.
If you choose to use liquid glue, apply it with a paintbrush so as not to use too much. If you use too much, the paper may buckle. <span=glue>
Alternatively, cut the plastic from a clear, plastic sandwich bag. It doesn’t matter how much smaller the plastic is; as long as you can’t see the edges from behind your frame, you’re good.
For a non-reusable frame, glue your photo to the cardstock rectangle first, then glue the rectangle behind the frame.
