Custom Portrait Frames Made by You on a Low Budget

You can easily make one of these custom portrait frames on a low budget.

Hollywood Frame:
Buy a black frame from Wal-Mart in the 4 x 6, 5 x 7, 8 x 10, or 11 x 12. Frames at Wal-Mart are the most inexpensive I have found.

On your Wal-Mart shopping list you should have diamond gems. You can find diamond gems in the craft area of the store. The cost is under $2.00.

Next put down newspapers for your work area. Set frame down. Use Super Glue or a hot glue gun to stick the diamond gems to your black frame. Glue is on the back of the gems but I find an extra dose of glue helps them stay.

You can put the diamond gems all around the frame. You can do a small heart shape of the diamond gems, cluster of diamonds on one or two of the corners, a cat shape for a frame for a cat, stick kids for a child's photo, etc. You do not have to be a professional artist to create this frame!

You can use other colors of frames. I have found the diamond gems will "pop" out on the black frame for a real Hollywood Star!

Traveler Photo Frame:
Do you love to travel or know someone who does? Start saving your stamps! Cut the stamps off of the envelopes from around the world and different stamp pictures close to the stamp edge. Save in a box or envelope for later use. Don't worry about the postal ink stamp on top of the stamp; it will look great once you use the stamps together.

Buy an inexpensive frame at a discount store with more of a flat surface. Once you have enough stamps to make a collage onto a frame, lay down newspaper. Use Mod Podge found at Wal-Mart for around $6.00. Place stamps onto frame. Next use Mod Podge wand to "paint" the glue over the stamps. (Don't worry the white glue looking paste will disappear once the Mod Podge dries.)

Now put your vacation photo inside the frame! This frame could also be used for a stamp collector's photo.

Puzzle Frame:
Do you have children's puzzles with pieces missing? If you have a sport's fan, take one of the baseballs or basketball puzzle pieces and glue them to a frame found at a discount store. Use a hot glue gun or Super Glue on a newspaper covered work space.

Children like Sesame Street characters? Once the kids are done playing with the puzzle, as in bored with it, take their favorite Sesame Street character and glue it to a cute frame under $25.00.

Fisherman Frame:
Have a fisherman or woman in your family? Find a wood frame at a discount store. Use old bobbers and fishing lures to glue to the frame. You can buy new bobbers and lures at discount stores if you do not have any. Your fisherman or woman will love to display this frame! If you have a photo of the person you think would love this idea, you can easily make a copy, and frame it for them as a gift. What a fun surprise!

Hobby Frame:
Buy an inexpensive frame yet nice looking from a discount store or rummage sale. Next go to a craft store such as Ben Franklin. Buy the hobby you are looking for in the dollhouse section of the store. You can find many miniature items in this area. The pieces are quite costly, but if you spent a small amount of money on the frame, you will have plenty left over for the miniature pieces. You can find items for a gardener, a cook, house cleaning person, beauty shop owner, dog lover, a couple getting married in Las Vegas items, make a Victorian frame by purchasing Victorian pieces such as a candle lantern and lace gloves, bus driver, photographer, etc.!

You also could use magnets that fit the personality of the person you are making the frame for.

Lay newspapers down and use Super Glue or a hot glue gun to glue items onto your frame.

Kid's Fun Frame:
Let your kids use Handy Art paint to decorate an inexpensive frame for themselves. The paint is in a bottle and has a sponge on the top with a cap on. The bottle is nice as it is kid friendly and less messy for parents. The kids can make dots on the frame, smear the paint together to blend a pattern or create any type of modern art look to their frame they choose.

You can easily find the bottle paint in many colors at craft stores and discount stores.

As always, put newspaper down before your kids start creating. Let dry in a safe place.

Your children will be proud to display their photo inside their homemade masterpiece frame.

Mosaic Frame:
Save your bottles. Once you have a few different colored bottles, have fun smashing them! Break into small to medium pieces to fit around a frame.

Or you can buy multicolored chipped glass at Wal-Mart or a craft store such as Michaels or Ben Franklin.

Make sure the inexpensive frame you buy is flat for easier gluing of glass.

Lay down newspaper onto table. Now carefully hot glue gun pieces or use Super Glue. You will have a very fancy, artsy mosaic frame to show off once you are done! Makes an excellent gift for your family or friend who has modern décor in their home.