Photo Block Tutorial ~ Great Gift!!

Hey guys!!

We are gearing up to spend Christmas with my in-laws.  I love spending Christmas with them.  They are the most creative people I know and I hardly ever make them anything... Why make them something that I know they could make better :))??

But... I decided to brave it this year and make them some family photo blocks.  They love receiving new pictures of my kiddos and if you know me at all, you know that I love photo art!  Here is what I made them...

Want to make your own?  Here is how I did it...

I started with my wood.  I purchased a 2x4x8 and a 2x6x8 from Lowe's.

You could just stick with one size but I liked the variation.  

I cut my wood using my saw into squares.  Since the 2x4x8 is actually 3.5" wide I cut each those 3.5".

The 2x6x8 is actually 5.5" so I cut those 5.5". 

I also cut a long piece of the 2x6 about 20" long.

Then everything received a coat of my very favorite...

Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch in Heirloom White 

After spraying each of the blocks and letting them dry I used an 80 grit sanding block on the edges to shanty it up a bit.

Then I used some dark walnut stain on a sponge brush to darken my sanded edges.  I just barely painted it on like below...

And then used an old t-shirt to wipe all of my excess off.  This left my edges perfectly shanty.

Here they are ready for my next step!

I used a trimmer to cut my pictures down to size.  For my little blocks I do 4x6 photos and my larger ones I like to use 5x7 but I only had 4x6 so I used those for this project.  I cut each picture about 1/2" smaller than the blocks.

I then used some 3M photo safe spray adhesive to attach my photos to my blocks.

This stuff is great! You can leave your blocks like that or add a little Mod Podge like I did.

I like to use Matte Mod Podge.

I used a paint brush to put a thin layer over each block.  I only did the side with the picture. It goes on white and dries clear.

Now I used my very favorite new tool for my next step!

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I know I have shown you lots of things my Silhouette Machine can do.  Here is another!

I used Silhouette's Brown Vinyl to cut out the word Blessings on my machine.

Here is what my computer looked like.  I spaced the letters to get the most letters in the smallest space.

I then let the machine cut it out for me while I burped the baby :-)

I peeled the letters up from the sheet...

And attached them to my wood block.  Cute... But missing a little something!

So I added a scrolly!

Yep... Much better!

After my photo blocks were all dry I stacked them on top and took a picture for you guys!

Another fun thing is that you can arrange the blocks however you want. 

That makes them perfect for a fickle decorator like myself!  

Hope you liked them!!  These were so fun to make!!  I can't wait to make some for myself that I don't have to wrap up.  I am excited to see their reaction when they receive it though.

So... If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet it's time!  Go wink at Santa and tell him you need one :-)

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Have a great weekend!

~Whitney

Frame Display Idea #3!!

First off... WOW!  You gals really showed up for the party!!

I need another day to go through all the posts so I thought I would share my final (I think:) frame idea with you guys.  This is probably my favorite.  These make a great gift for anyone and they take only a little bit of time to make... Whooop!

Here it is...

So you know the drill...

I started with a 2x8x8 from Lowe's for around $5.

I used my saw to cut an 11" piece.

Now for my finial...

Where do you find the stinkin' finials???

I have had so many comments and questions about these.  I find them at Lowe's.  I don't think that every Lowe's carries them.  My friend went to another local Lowe's and was unable to find them.  If they do carry them, you will find them by the dowel rods and furniture feet.  Hope this helps!

I used the smaller ones for this project.

Screw your finial into your wood piece in the center.  I then added a small clothespin I found at Hobby Lobby with hot glue.

Now you are ready for paint!

I used Rust-Oleum Blue Sky for this one.

After I painted it I used an 80 grit sanding block on my edges to shanty them up a bit.  I then used some dark walnut stain on a foam brush on the spots I sanded.  I used an old t-shirt to wipe the excess off. 

Cute... but not quite there yet.  I LOVE fabric flowers on just about everything.  I made some flowers out of canvas and burlap using this method minus the buttons.

I then used a bit of hot glue to attach them to my wood display.  Here are the results!

Hope you like it!! I added a sweet picture of my new niece yawning.  You can add a picture, recipe or just a sweet note and these make such a great gift.  

If you have any questions please ask.  I will be back tomorrow with some shout-outs and a winner from the party.  

Thanks so much!! Have a great week!!

~Whitney

John 21:25

Jesus did many other things as well.  If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Shanty Photo Display Idea #2

Hey guys!  I promised this to you over the weekend but found lots of other things to do... Sorry :-) 

My next frame/display idea is even cheaper and easier than the last!  It's still cute though!  Here it is...

These make a super cheap but so chic gift for Christmas.  Here is how I did it...

I started with the same 2x8x8 I purchased from Lowe's for $5.  If you don't have a saw you can purchase your wood at Home Depot and have them cut it there for you.  My pieces are about 10" long.

I then used these dowel rod caps I found at Hobby Lobby.  They come in a pack of 3 for under $2.  I did find some very similar at Joann's as well.

I used my hot glue gun to attach a dowel cap to the top of a wood piece.  The picture below shows the added finial but it also has a clothespin attached.  You need to wait to attach your pin.

I also found these wood pieces at Joann's.  They certainly were not my favorite color but I saw potential... Especially for $.59 a piece... Whooop!

I took my frame with attached dowel cap and my little wood pieces out to the garage and gave them a few coats of our favorite spray paint...

You can find the Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch cheapest at Home Depot.  I painted one frame Canyon Black and one Heirloom White.

Here is my black one dry...

I then cut a small piece of burlap about 1/2" smaller than my frame.  You can get burlap at any fabric store like Hobby Lobby or Joann's.

I then used some 3M spray adhesive on the back of my burlap piece and attached it to my frame.

I then used some furniture tacks to add a little detail to my corners.  I used black ones on my black frame and silver tacks on my white one.  You can get these at the hardware store or craft store.

Finally I added my cute wood pieces and my clothespins.  I used my hot glue gun to attach both pieces.

Your final step is to add a picture, recipe or message and wrap it up for that special someone!

Hope you like them!!  These babies can be made for under $4 a piece which makes them ever cuter.  I also love that they can be used for more than just photos.  Let me know if you have any questions!

Also!!!

Get those projects ready for tomorrow's I Made It Without My Hubby party!!  We want to see any and all crafts, projects, revamps, and gifts you gals have made without the help of your hubs!!  

We have a great giveaway lined up so get ready!!  We will put the post up tomorrow night.  Have a great week!!

~Whitney