HOW TO MAKE A PHOTO PROP FRAME
WHAT YOU NEED:
MATERIALS & SUPPLIES
CARSTOCK:
Any Color you wish. 60-80lb Cover Stock works best.
Where I get mine:
Hobby Lobby - They carry a variety of colors in single sheets in 60lb Cover Stock & Mulit & Single color packs in both 60lb and 80lb Cover Stock.
Cards&Pockets - They carry a large variety of colors and textures that range from 80lb - 110lb Cover Stock. If you have the time, definitely worth the wait on shipping.
FOAM BOARD:
Any size you prefer, I always get the 20x30 Foam Boards from Hobby Lobby. They do have larger sizes, so get what you feel will work best for your event. The 20x30 starts at $2.99 and tends to be 40% quite often. But even if you don't catch the sale, there's always the 40% off coupon!
ADHESIVE:
Mono Adhesive works really well with this type of project.
Where I get mine:
Hobby Lobby - They have different brands to choose from and all around the same price range. Make sure to get the ones that sell refills.
Dollar Tree - On rare occasions, they sometimes carry Mono Adhesive. If you're lucky enough to be there when they do...STOCK UP! They work just as good.
SCISSORS/CUTTING MACHINE:
I am fortunate to have a Cricut Cutting Machine but scissors will do the job, if you have the will and desire to do it!
Don't have a cutter and dread using scissors? Click HERE to order custom die cuts!
BOX CUTTER:
You will need this to cut the opening in the center. The sharper, the better....JUST BE SAFE WITH IT!
STEP ONE:
EMBELLISHMENTS
This is where your creative style will come into play. Envision what you want on your board. Draw it out if you need to but keep it simple since you will need to adhere each and every element you create. In my design, since it was a graduation party and for my nephew, I kept it super simple with "Class of 2018", a simple Grad Cap cutout & "Congrats Gabriel" on the bottom. Using the program of your choice, type out the wording you're wanting in the font style you prefer. Be sure to make the font size big enough to be seen on the board. It will really just depend on what you decide to put on your prop. Once you've created the wording, create or find the graphics you are wanting to put on the prop. In my design, I just used a simple Grad Cap that I found at Pixabay.com.
​
For free fonts go to dafont.com or fontbundles.net. Not all fonts at fontbundles.net are free but they ALWAYS have a freebie section with tons of fonts.
STEP TWO:
PRINTING/CUTTING
By Hand:
Once you've created what you want your board to say, it's now time to print and cut. Be sure to print on white cardstock paper 60-80lb weight, with the fonts in the colors you are wanting. Once you've got them set up for the fonts, colors and sizes that you want, you will print and cut out each letter with your scissors.
​
By Cutting Machine:
If you are using a cutting machine, you may be able to create your elements in the design space provided by the cutting machine you have. If not, you will need to ensure that your fonts and graphic files are converted to SVG files prior to uploading them to your cutting machine. It will not matter what color your files are saved in since you will be cutting them on the colored cardstock of your choice.
​
Foam Board:
Using a straight edge, lightly draw a frame in the center of the foam board where you will want your opening. Be sure to leave enough space on the sides to ensure it holds up ( No less than 2.25") You will want to use the top and bottom spaces for your embellishments. The space you need will depend on the sizing and quantity of your embellishments. Once you determined the framing, you will then cut out the inside portion with a box cutter. For a straight cut, I recommend cutting with a straight edge in place.
STEP THREE:
ASSEMBLY
After everything is cut out, it is now time to adhere all your embellishments to your board. Layout everything out first to ensure you have enough space for where you want to place everything. Once its all laid out in the areas of where you will be adhering them, start gluing them down, one by one.
STEP FOUR:
ENJOY!
Once you have everything glued on, you are now ready to use your prop! Don't forget to make other props to be used with it! Any theme can be created! For theme ideas and printables for already designed photo prop frames check out my shop here!
​
For Printable Frame Prop Grad Designs check out this Listing!
​
For Graduation SVG Files for your cutting machine check out this Listing!
​
For All of my Graduation Decor and Invites click HERE
FREEBIES!!!
FREE RESOURCES & DOWNLOADS TO MAKE YOUR OWN GRAD PHOTO PROP FRAME