Quick Pic Frame

Ok, so you get to work and find you have completely forgotten the office party is today, and you were supposed to bring a Secret Santa gift.  Instead of wrapping up your old coffee mug in newspaper and passing it off, you can make this simple, yet adorable, photo frame using "borrowed" office supplies.  Here is a list of things to get started:

Cardboard backing from a notepad (2 if small, 1 if large)
Glue (hot glue gun, elmers, rubber cement)
Scissors
Box Cutter
Highlighter or Sharpie
Random assortment of colorful office thingies (pushpins, buttons, paperclips)
Newspaper or paper from the notepads to protect your desk
30 minutes or less of your time!

Start off by cutting out 2 pieces of cardboard backing about 5 inches by 7 inches (ending picture size will be about 4x6).

Draw a frame in the center of one of your cardboard cutouts.  It does not have to be rectangular.  You can make it whatever shape you like, so long as there is about an inch of frame to work with on the outside.

Cut out the center with your box cutter.  This is your frame front.

On the second piece of cardboard, draw a tab for a frame stand.  Cut only along three sides, leaving the tab attached at the top. 

Glue your random assortment of colorful office things on the frame front.  If you don't have a random assortment of colorful office things, "borrow" someone's Easy Mac from the break room, and use the macaroni.  You can "paint" the macaroni different colors with highlighters or dry erase markers.





Glue as much as you want, but keep in mind that the more you glue, the heavier your frame will be.  Try to keep a balance between the weight of the items you are gluing and the sturdiness of the cardboard.  Too heavy, and your frame stand won't support your picture frame.  You can fill in any open spots with lightweight items such as the little paper dots from your hole punch.

Once that dries, it's time to glue the front of the frame to the back of the frame.  Only glue the bottom and the sides.  The top remains open to insert a photo!

This can also be stapled.

Pop out your frame stand!

Insert your photo, or a nice note to let your gift recipient know how hard you worked on this photo frame, just for them!

Your beautiful, handmade photo frame is done!  If you're lucky, this was fast and free, and your boss will never make the connection between your fancy handiwork and the missing cardboard from the notepads!

Happy Crafting!