How to Make a Homemade Picture Box - Christmas Gift for Your Grandma

Grandmas love pictures. Here's a way to combine pictures with something she'll love and be able to use. Combine a picture with a box she'll love. Here's how:

Materials:
1 unfinished wood or cardboard box
1 bottle of stain or paint color of your choice
1 paint brush
1 quote or design rub on
craft/scrapbook paper
desired decorations
1 picture

*Optional: 6 1/2 inch in diameter pieces of thin felt

Directions:

Step 1: Purchase an unfinished box with a picture opening on the top from any local craft store. You may use wood or a cardboard box, if money is more of an issue. You may also use a box that does not have a picture frame built in and decoupage a picture to the top, protecting it with clear glue or varnish.

Step 2: If using a wooden box, you may wish to sand it first to get it ready to paint. Then, using a craft stain or paint, paint the wood to match the decor of your grandma. There's a variety of different colors and tones out there. This process will allow you to save a ton of money over just purchasing a ready made and painted box.

Step 3: After the stain has dried, use the rub-on to place the words on the box. When using a rub-on, you will need to make sure to go slow and apply good pressure with the popsicle stick. Don't be in a hurry during this step, or you might get only a partial transfer to the box.

Step 4: Using the scrapbook paper, accessories, and your picture, design a small picture to go in the frame. You can just insert a picture, but using the decorative approach makes the picture a little more special. If you are going to do this step, make sure that the picture is smaller than the actual frame opening. You may wish to crop a picture or get a smaller size, such as a 3x5 for a 5x7 frame.

Optional Step 5: You might want to cut out 6 small, 1/2 in in diameter, to act as feet, for the box and buffers between the lid and the rest of the box. Using hot glue or super glue, glue a dot to each corner on the bottom of the box and to the the bottom of the front two corners of the lid. This will help the box to stay safe and also keep your furniture safe from the wood.