Photo Gifts (Part Ten!)

I have seen this on lots of different scrapbooking message boards and galleries, but this is my take on it. These were lots faster than I thought they'd be.

Altoids Tin Accordion Album
Approximate Cost: About $5
Time to Create: 30 minutes to 1 hour

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Altoids Tin (Check for different flavors/colors of tins.)
• (6) Wallet size photos
• Ribbon
• 3" x 12" piece of Cardstock
• Coordinating Papers & Embellishments
• Adhesive (Glue Runner, Double-Stick Tape, etc.)
• Paper Cutter
• Corner Rounder

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Fold the 3"x12" strip accordion style, every two inches.

2. Cut the wallet size photos down to fit the folded panels of the cardstock. Leave the back (bottom-facing) panel empty.

3. Adhere the photos to the panels with your chosen adhesive. Embellish the album to your liking.

4. Cut a piece of ribbon about 14" long. On the back panel of the album, center the ribbon, and adhere it to the middle of the back panel. Wrap the ribbon around the album and tie a bow.

5. Cut a piece of cardstock or coordinating paper to fit the top, the inside of the lid, and the bottom of the tin. Use a corner rounder to round the corners. Add embellishments, buttons, etc., to the tin. Add ribbon around the sides of the tin with adhesive.

Photo Gifts (Part Nine)

I don't wear very much jewelry, but I absolutely love photo jewelry! It's so much fun to make, and so personalized! This necklace was actually incredibly fast and easy to make.

Photo Necklace
Approximate Cost: $2.50 per necklace
Time to Create: Less than an hour total time crafting.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Memory Wire Necklace (I got mine in a 3-pack at JoAnn for $3.)
• Misc. Beads
• Full-Size Domino Bead (Again, JoAnn - 10 pack for $4.)
• 2" Head Pin
• Jewelry Making Pliers
• Mod Podge (I used the gloss-lustre.)
• Small Paintbrush
• Clear Acrylic Sealer
• (2) Small Photos (I measured the domino, cropped my photos to size, and printed them on a 4x6.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put the head pin through the domino's pre-drilled hole (long side).

2. Using the jewelry making pliers, bend the end of the head pin to make a loop.

3. Cut the photos down to the size of the domino.

4. Using a small paint brush, apply a generous coat of Mod Podge to the domino, then place the photo on the domino. Take special care to smooth out any air pockets and make sure the photo is properly centered on the tile.

5. Apply a generous coat of Mod Podge over the photo.

6. Wait 15-20 minutes, then apply another generous coat of Mod Podge over the photo. (The first coat of Mod Podge will still be wet and appear white - don't worry!) Wait another 15-20 minutes and apply another generous coat of Mod Podge. Repeat until you have applied 3-4 coats.

7. Apply the clear acrylic sealer. I got the kind that only takes 10 minutes to dry, and I applied 3 coats of sealer. If you don't apply the sealer, pieces of dust, hair, etc. will stick to the Mod Podge and make the surface ugly.

8. Arrange your beads and domino pendant in the order that you'd like, and string them onto the memory wire necklace. Use the jewelry making pliers to curl the unfinished end of the memory wire.

Photo Gifts (Part Eight)

These are some more magnets that I made. They're a little more time consuming than the wedding favor tin ones, but they're really cute when they're finished.

Photo Magnets
Approximate Cost: About $4 for a set of 8
Time to Create: 1 1/2 hours total

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• 1" - 2" Wooden Tiles (I got mine at Hobby Lobby, but you can find them almost anywhere in the unfinished wood part of the craft store/section.)
• Wallet Size Photos (Before I printed my photos, I actually cropped them to the 1.25" size of the wood pieces.)
• Paper Cutter
• Adhesive-Backed Magnets
• Black (or any color!) Spray Paint
• Mod Podge (I used the gloss-lustre.)
• Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Spray paint the wooden tiles. Pay special attention to the edges - they're pretty much all that will be seen. I used two coats of spray paint.

2. Cut the photos down to the appropriate size for your wooden pieces.

3. Using a small paint brush, apply a generous coat of Mod Podge to the tile, then place the photo on the tile. Take special care to smooth out any air pockets and make sure the photo is properly centered on the tile.

3. Apply a generous coat of Mod Podge over the photo.

4. Wait 15-20 minutes, then apply another generous coat of Mod Podge over the photo. (The first coat of Mod Podge will still be wet and appear white - don't worry!) Wait another 15-20 minutes and apply another generous coat of Mod Podge. Repeat until you have applied 3-4 coats.

6. Apply the clear acrylic sealer. I got the kind that only takes 10 minutes to dry, and I applied 5 coats of sealer. If you don't apply the sealer, pieces of dust, hair, etc. will stick to the Mod Podge and make the surface ugly.

7. After the acrylic sealer dries, simply adhere the magnet to the back of the little wooden tile.

Photo Gifts (Part Seven)

Okay, so this one isn't really handmade, but I wanted to show it to you anyway. You could totally make a similar one yourself, and if you wanted to buy one, they're pretty affordable (mine was $9 from a store on Amazon.com)

My mobile is titled "Mommy's Wish for You" and each smaller photo has a "wish" on the back. I have also seen a mobile with "What I Love About You" for a theme.

Photo Mobile
Approximate Cost: About $15 for this one, but I think you could make it for about $5.
Time to Create: About 30 minutes

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Ten-photo mobile (available HERE.)
• 3" circle punch
• (16) small photos - about 3"
• (2) 4x5 or 4x6 photos
• Double-Stick Tape or Adhesive
• Corner Rounder

INSTRUCTIONS:

* I used Photoshop to make 3" green circles with 2.5" photos inside them. Then, I printed them on 4x6's, and the large, square photo in the center is a 4x5.*

1. Using the 3" circle punch, cut each of the 16 smaller photos.

2. Use the adhesive to stick the photos back-to-back. Watch to make sure that the photos are turned the same way - watch for one that's upside down, etc.

3. Round the corners of the two larger photos, and stick them back-to-back with the adhesive.

4. Simply clip the photos to the mobile with the alligator clips.

Photo Gifts (Part Six)

I found this "puzzle cube" (an off-brand Rubik's Cube) at my Dollar Tree, and since I am totally a dollar store junkie, I had to buy it. It was sitting on my desk next to a stack of 4x6's and I had the idea to turn it into a photo puzzle cube.

Photo Puzzle Cube
Approximate Cost: $2.50
Time to Create: Less than an hour

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Cheap Puzzle Cube (Check dollar stores and dollar aisles!)
• (6) 4x6 photos
• Paper Cutter
• Glue Runner or Double Stick Tape
• Clear Acrylic Sealer

INSTRUCTIONS:

* Note: Before you begin, it might be a good idea to remove the stickers that are already on the cube. I didn't do this, and you can see bits of the stickers under my photos.*

1. First, cut one of the photos down to be about the same size (maybe slightly smaller) than one of the sides of the puzzle cube.

2. Next, simply place the trimmed photo over the cube and make a tiny mark at each of the separations between the little squares/blocks of the cube.

3. Use your paper cutter to cut each of the little squares out, and use your glue runner or double-stick tape to adhere each square to the cube. Be careful to make sure that you securely fasten the photo on all sides/corners.

4. Spray a coat or two of clear acrylic sealer over the whole cube to add a little protection to the photos.

* I just thought of this as I was typing the instructions - It would be super easy (and probably more durable) if you use the sticker paper and print your photos directly onto it. Then you wouldn't have to be so careful about the double-stick tape and the edges of the photos.*

Photo Gifts (Part Five)

Here is another photo gift using those Wilton Wedding Favor tins. (Again, if you buy these at JoAnn or Michael's, use a 40% off coupon.) This time, I decided to make magnets for my fridge.

Magnet Tins
Approximate Cost: $1.00 per magnet
Time to Create: About 5-10 minutes per magnet

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Wilton Wedding Favor Tins (I have found them at Wal-Mart, Michael's, and JoAnn)
• 2" Circle Punch (Optional, but helpful if you're making a bunch)
• Wallet-Size Photo
• 3-D Adhesive Foam Dots
• Patterned Scrapbook Paper
• Paper Cutter
• Double Stick Tape or Tape Runner
• Magnets (adhesive backed work great!)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. If you have a 2" circle punch, use that to cut out the wallet-size photo. If you're using scissors, you can carefully remove the plastic from the lid of the tin, and use that to trace the size of the photo. Then, cut the photo out, and replace the plastic piece. -OR- You can simply use the paper cutter to cut out little squares from the photos that will fit inside the tin, as I did with these ones. (I didn't have a circle punch, and I was sick of cutting out circles by hand!)

2. Stack 2-4 (depending on the thickness) 3-D Adhesive Foam Dots in the bottom of the tin, with the photo at the top of the stack.

3. Put the lid back on the tin, and cut a piece of patterned scrapbook paper to wrap around the tin (I think it's about 1" deep.)

4. Use the double stick tape to adhere the strip of patterned paper to the tin.

5. If you have adhesive-backed magnets, just place one on the bottom (back) of the tin. If you have magnets that don't already have adhesive, use a glue dot to adhere the magnet to the back of the tin.

Photo Gifts (Part Four)

This photo gift is definitely one of my favorites! I love making photo Christmas ornaments, and these are fast, easy, and reasonably affordable. (Hint: The tins come in packs of 30 for about $20, so if you buy them from Michael's or JoAnn's, use your 40% off coupon!)

Christmas Ornament Tins
Approximate Cost: $1.50 per ornament
Time to Create: About 10 minutes per ornament

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Wilton Wedding Favor Tins (I have found them at Wal-Mart, Michael's, and JoAnn)
• 2" Circle Punch (Optional, but helpful if you're making a bunch)
• Wallet-Size Photo
• 3-D Adhesive Foam Dots
• Ribbon in a variety of widths and styles
• Double Stick Tape or Tape Runner
• Stem Wire (or similar wire)
• Wire Cutters
• Jewelry Pliers
• Push Pin or Thumb Tack

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Using the push pin, punch a hole in the side of the tin to insert the wire ornament hanger. Punch the hole through the tin itself, and not through the side of the lid.

2. Cut a 4-6" piece of wire. Insert one end into the hole of the tin. Using the pliers, curl the end that is inside the tin so that the wire won't come out of the tin. Then, carefully use the pliers to make a large curl for the hanger on the other end of the wire. You should have 1-2 inches of straight wire in between the tin and the large curl.

3. If you have a 2" circle punch, use that to cut out the wallet-size photo. If you're using scissors, carefully remove the plastic from the lid of the tin, and use that to trace the size of the photo. Then, cut the photo out, and replace the plastic piece.

4. Stack 2-4 (depending on the thickness) 3-d Adhesive Foam Dots in the bottom of the tin, with the photo at the top of the stack. Pay special attention to the location of the wire ornament hanger.

5. Cut a piece of ribbon to wrap around the outside of the tin. Starting at the wire ornament hanger, use the double stick tape to adhere the ribbon to the tin. When you get back to the ornament hanger, carefully trim away the excess ribbon.

6. Cut 4-8 strips of ribbon about 3"-4" long. Simply tie them around the straight part of the wire hanger with square knots.

Here are some images of a few others ornaments that I made: