Recycle Bin Mother's Day Craft with Math Skills Practice

Need an inexpensive Mother's Day gift craft? Here's a recycled picture frame activity with measurement, geometry and other math skills. This gift is environmentally friendly and easy to make in preschool, special needs and math class.

Materials:

--cardboard boxes from cereal, pasta or any other similar sized box For lesson design, divide students into groups and give each student in each group a box of the same size. The groups can problem-solve and work interactively to measure the dimensions for the frame.

--wrapping paper or wallpaper scraps

--sharp scissors or paper cutter for older students

--glue wash (school glue watered down) in containers from recycling bin (Styrofoam trays, pie tins, yogurt cups, etc.) for wrapping paper.

--invisible tape for wallpaper.

--small foam brushes or paint brushes (for wrapping paper)

--old flat refrigerator magnets or tabs from soda pop cans

--hot glue gun

--photograph of each child

Directions:

--Measure photograph dimensions.

--Measure and cut a window in the cardboard which is 1/2 inch smaller all the way around than their picture.

--Cut out a frame around the window which is about 2 inches wide.

--Choose a piece of wrapping paper or wallpaper to cover the cardboard frame.

--Cut the paper so that it is 1 inch larger all around than the frame.

--Center the paper over the frame and make a small slit in the paper over the opening.

--Cut to enlarge the hole and form a rectangular hole in wrapping paper, an inch smaller than the hole in the cardboard.

--Cut one inch diagonally from each corner of wrapping paper. Gently fold the paper around the outer and inner edge of the frame to the back.

--If you use wrapping paper, decoupage it: Apply a coat of glue wash to affix the wrapping paper. Cover the whole frame with a layer of glue wash to make shiny and protect it. If you use wallpaper, simply tape paper in place.

--With masking tape, attach the photo to the back of the frame, picture facing out.

--Attach a piece of paper over the back to hold the photo in place.

--Hot glue magnet or pop can tab to the back of the frame. You can use peel and stick magnet strips also.

Mother's Day is a time for memories and a photo frame is the ideal gift. This craft would be excellent for school homeschool, religious education, scout troop or senior center activity. Using recycled materials makes this an appropriate for Earth Day activity. For more green crafts, visit my linked blogs.