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How to Make Crafty Photo Ornaments

November 21st, 2008 in sewing, patterns & designs, gifts, holidays     

If this year has brought your family a new baby, a new pet, a marriage, a reunion, or the loss of a loved one, make everyone a picture ornament to commemorate the occasion. Or, you can use this technique with a vintage photo to create a unique mixed-media ornament.

What you'll need:

• Photograph
• Circle, oval, or square tracing template
• Pencil
• Wool felt
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Crewel needle
• Embroidery floss
• Scrap of 1/8-inch ribbon
• Sequins, beads, buttons, puff paints, etc.
  

A note on the photos: Because you'll want these ornaments to last, I recommend using a photograph that's been printed on photo paper, preferably by a photo lab. If you don't want to cut your actual photo, or you need multiple copies, you can scan it and print it onto photo paper—or ask your local photo processing store to do it.

Place a template over the photo. Gently trace with a pencil.

Begin by placing a tracing template over the photo and moving it around until you like what shows through—this represents the part of the photo that will be on display in the finished ornament. Lightly trace the opening directly on the photo with a pencil. It will leave a very faint embossed line.

(I'm using a photographer's tracing template here, but you can also find nested tracing templates in all kinds of shapes at craft stores.)

You can also make a tracing template from cardstock.

If you don't have any tracing templates, you can make one by cutting a circle, oval, or rectangle with a paper cutter or craft punch. Trace this cutout onto a larger piece of cardstock and cut it out with an X-Acto knife.

Trace the template onto felt.

Trace the same template onto a piece of felt. I like to use a fine-point Sharpie for tracing because it makes a distinct line with very little pressure. You can turn the felt over to hide any stray marks later. Or, use a pencil if you prefer.

Draw a second line outside the traced line.

Next, draw a second oval, circle, or rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch away from the first one—this represents the outside of the photo frame. Feel free to make it wider or narrower as you like.

Cut two same-size pieces of felt, one with an opening.

Cut the felt around your traced lines. Cut a second, same-size piece with no opening—that's the back of the frame. The piece with the hole in the middle, of course, is the front of the frame.

Embellish the frame to your heart's content.

Time now to embellish! Cover the frame with embroidery, or glue on some sequins. Stitch on some beads or small buttons. Add ribbon or rickrack. Draw a design with puff paints. Add some glitter. There are lots of creative possibilities here. You can embellish the front only or front and back. And you can add as much or as little embellishment as you like.

Cut the photo slightly smaller than the back of the frame.

Cut your photograph so that it's about 3/16 inch smaller than the frame. Remember that embossed tracing line you made on the photo earlier? Use it as a guide when you cut the photo—the embossed line should be in the center. Tack the photo to the inside back of the frame with a small amount of glue.

Tack the frame lightly together with glue. Keep the glue away from the edges of the felt.

Apply a thin line of glue to the inside front of the frame, keeping it away from the edges of the felt—you don't want oozing glue here! Press the top of the frame over the photo.

Tuck a ribbon loop in the top. Add a little more glue if needed.

Make a 3-inch loop of ribbon, and tuck the ends into the top of the inside back of the photo frame, adding a little more glue if needed. Allow the glue to set.

Stitch the sides of the felt together.

Stitch the front and back of the ornament together with a blanket stitch or whipstitch. (Those links take you to Futuregirl's definitive how-tos for both stitches.)

And that's it! Your ornament is ready for hanging.

  posted in: sewing, patterns & designs, gifts, holidays, felt, seasonal, keepsake, scrapbook