What you need:

• 1 large piece of posterboard
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Exacto knife
• Glue
• Three pictures of the kids
• Decorating material: crayons, markers, stickers, glitter, or paint

What you do:

1. If you want the three frames to be different colors, you'll need three sheets of posterboard in three different colors.
2. Help your child measure six 4"x5" rectangles on the posterboard. Then let him cut the rectangles out.
3. To make the Ds: Stack two rectangles on top of one another. Round off the upper and lower right hand corners to make the D shape.
4. Remove the top rectangle and help your child trace a smaller D shape in the center, approximately 1" in from the outer edges. Moms, use the Exacto knife to cut this shape out. This will be the window of your picture frame. Repeat to make the second D.
5. Help your child put a thin stripe of glue around the outer edges of the uncut D, leaving the bottom edge and the lower half of the right edge clear of glue. Place the cut D on top of the uncut one. Press down firmly and let dry.
6. To make the A: Stack two rectangles together. Start from about 1½" in from the top corners and use a ruler to help your child draw straight lines down to the lower right- and left-hand corners of the rectangle. This will form the sloping sides of the A. Cut through both rectangles along those lines. Cut a small trapezoid out of the bottom edges of both rectangles to create the bottom of the A.
7. Remove the top A and draw a triangle in the center near the top. This will be the frame's window. Moms, use the Exacto knife to cut out the triangle. Let your child run a thin stripe of glue along the outer edges of the bottom A, leaving the bottom edges clear of glue. Place the cut A on top of the uncut one. Press down firmly. Let dry.
8. Measure and cut three 2" X 4" rectangles out of any color posterboard to make stands for the frames. Fold the upper edge of each rectangle down, approximately 1" from the top. Let your child squeeze glue onto the area above the fold. Now press the easels onto the back of the frames; the bottoms of the rectangles should be flush with the bottoms of the letters. Let dry.
9. Let your child decorate the frames with markers, stickers, glitter, or paint. When he's done, cut a photo to fit each of the windows and insert them from the open bottom edge. Seal the open edge with glue.

Ideas from You

CD Case Picture Frame
From: Sara
Hello, I visited your web site and enjoyed your ideas very much. I'd like to add one of my own. This is a very easy picture frame to make. It is made out of a C.D. case.

• First you'll need to open the case and take out the inside paper cover, then you'll need to take out the black piece that holds the C.D. in place. It is very easy to remove but you'll need to be extra careful. You need a tool that is long and skinny (ex. a butter knife, a letter opener, pen etc..) you slip the tool through the hole in the middle of the black C.D. holder and applying pressure upwards the piece will pop out.
• Once you get that out, you can easily remove the back paper if there is any. The case will then sit on it's side opened or closed and you can slide any picture in it.
• Decorations are easy too. You can use puff-paint, stickers, you can even glue on little crafty doo dads. This is cheap and fun for kids and adults, it also gets ride of all your piles of unwanted C.D. cases.

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