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Photography

5 Easy Photo Related Crafts

March 20, 2012 DIY & Crafts Tips 5 Comments

We take so many pictures and they usually end up sitting on our memory cards for years or we finally take the step and make the transfer to the computer and they spend years there. Either way, we take pictures but don’t do anything with them after that. I have compiled a short list of 10 easy photo related crafts that you can use all those amazing pictures you’ve taken or had taken but are just figuratively collecting dust on your hard drive.

1. Tiny Polaroid Magnets : These are way cute and you can make a bunch of them! They are easy enough to make. I would rate it a 6 just because the tiny cuts you need to make. You can load your refrigerator with these and use a lot of those photos that have been sitting there.. for months. They make great gifts too! (Tutorial Thanks to AmbrosiaGirl.com)

2. Insta-artwork! Print photos on to old book pages or newspaper. Obviously stay away from paper that has pictures already on it.  This would work best with landscape or nature photos. But be creative! That’s the fun of it! You can use a regular printer just trim the paper to size. If it is thin paper you are printing on, affix it to a piece of card stock to withstand the printing process and remove once dry. Once the image is dry you can put it in a frame or decoupage it to pretty much anything with “Modge Podge” or polyurethane.

3. Cell Phone Case Inserts : You need to have a clear case for this one. This is easiest with an iPhone because the simple shape and design of the case but you can do it with pretty much any clear plastic hard case that will hold a piece of paper in the back. The tutorial shows you how to do this with cardstock. I have done a few for friends with pictures! Just have your pictures printed on photo paper or DIY and use the piece of  ”advertising” paper that came with your case or the case itself  to trace out size. Make sure you get the portion of the photograph you want to use and viola! You have an awesome and unique case! Not to mention you can change it daily if you’d like.

4. Gift Tags: Instead of purchasing the pre-made gift tags. Just make them yourself. Just use a portrait of your friends and family and place the picture on their gift. You can also make it more subtle and make them smaller and attach it to a ribbon or bow. It’s all up to you but it’s a modern twist on the old handmade gift tag!

5. Lampshade out of old slides: Okay this may be a little bit too old for some of you. But if you still have slides or old negative around you can surely do this and it’s kind of cool for an office or a den. All you need to do to make it yourself is old slide or negatives, small “o” rings, hole punch, an old lampshade (make sure it has a metal hoop as the top ring) & a pair of jewelry pliers. All you would do is tear apart the lampshade leaving the attachment part and the top ring. Then you would attach your slides together by punching small holes into the top, sides and bottom then using the “o” rings to hook them together. This is the hardest craft of them all. It’s very tedious and requires precise measurements. If you don’t want to make it yourself you can order one from this lovely lady on Etsy.

All ideas and tutorials came from Pinterest. Check out my Crafts Board to see more crafts and easy DIY projects!