Geometric Painted Photo Frame

 

Thanks to our friends at Elmer’s via Mode Media for sponsoring today’s post.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Elmer’s.

Friends, I am SUPER excited to share this project with you today.  Little Crafter had an absolute blast making it and declared it one of the best things he’s “ever ever made.”  We have two weeks left until he heads back to school for first grade, so he’s had a lot of pent up energy lately due to being excited and nervous all at the same time.  I’ve been trying to channel all that anxious energy into some fun art projects, and when I can tie them into a positive “Back to School” experience, it’s all the better.

Last year, I took a photo of LC on his first day of Kindergarten, and then again on his last day of school so that we could see how much he grew and changed.  Amazing, isn’t it?  {WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BABY?!?!?!}  I told him that this year we’re going to do the same thing and that we should create an extra special frame for that First Day Photo.

He, naturally, thought that was a great idea, so we got right to work.  Here’s how we did it and you can too!

Materials:

– unfinished wooden frame {I found this one at Walmart for less than $3}.
– Elmer’s Painters Bright Colors Medium Tip 5 pack
– Elmer’s Painters Neon Brights Medium Tip
– Elmer’s Painters Super Tip White
– pencil
– ruler or other straight edge

Step 1: Use a ruler or other straight edge {we used the side of a plastic gift card} to draw pencil lines at various angles around the frame, dividing it into small sections.  There’s no wrong way to do this part, just create a bunch of triangles, rectangles, and other polygons.

Step 2: Fill in each section with color using the Elmer’s Painters.

These were really fun and easy to use; Little Crafter loved them because the marker format allowed him to “stay in the lines better” than he could using traditional paint and a brush.  The colors came out bright and vibrant and easily covered the wood.  Plus, they dried really quickly compared to regular paint, so he was able to work right next to a section he’d just painted without the colors running together.

The other thing I particularly liked about the Painters is that there’s no waste.  When we use paints out of a bottle, we usually pour some onto a plate then apply it to the brush, but there’s always some left over on the plate that gets thrown away.  With these markers, you simply use what you need, then recap them for next time.

Step 3: Once all the colored sections are completely dry, trace over the pencil lines using a Super-Tip White Painters marker.

Step 4: We also painted a solid color around the edges to give the frame a finished look.

That’s all there is to it!  Even tiny crafters can help with a project like this one.  These Painters are a great way to allow little people to play with paint while having less waste, less mess, less drying time, and more accuracy!

Little Crafter LOVES his frame and keeps telling me what a masterpiece it is.  He can’t wait to put his “first day of school” photo inside and use it to see how much he grows during the coming school year.  In the meantime, he wanted to display it immediately and it looked kind of silly just sitting there empty.  So, I printed out a Dr. Seuss quote to inspire him as he gets ready to head back to school.  As I look back on my own childhood, I wish I’d taken this advice more to heart, so I want him to know early on that he doesn’t have to change himself just to fit in.  Instead, let them love and appreciate him for exactly who he is.  This kid is a standout, don’t you agree?

What do you think?  Isn’t it fun?  Are there little crafters in your life who would enjoy making this project?

Painters® Paint Markers are as fresh and fun as the projects they create! These colorful opaque acrylic paint markers are perfect for decorating, drawing and personalizing almost any surface. Available in a variety of colors & tips, they are fast drying, permanent, streak-free, non-toxic & acid free. Express YourselfTM!  Follow Elmer’s on Instagram & Pinterest.