You know those old, scratched cds you have lying around the house? Never, ever throw them away! There are many different crafts you can create from an old cd and most of them cost only pennies to make. One such craft uses drinking straws, or coffee stirrers, to make a unique photo frame that can hang inside a school locker or be hung on a wall. Its fun and easy to make but kids, especially, will enjoy this craft.
Choose the picture you want to feature. The photo doesnt necessarily have to be that of a child or family member. It can be a picture of the family dog, a lighthouse cut from a magazine, or even a beach scene at sunset. Cut the picture to where it will fit in the center of the cd. Glue the picture in place and allow to dry.
You can cut a piece of clear plastic or acetate to cover the picture, if you want. The cover will protect the picture from dust and dirt but is not absolutely necessary. If you decide to make a cover cut it slightly larger around than the picture. Glue the very edges of the plastic to the cd, covering the picture completely. Make sure none of the glue gets on the inside face of the plastic or on the picture itself. Craft stores sell various sizes and shapes of metal rings. A metal ring is inexpensive and works great to create a small frame around the picture. Although its not a requirement that you glue a metal ring around the picture it does offer a unique look that enhances the final project. Instead of metal you can use a plastic or foam ring, too. Have you seen coffee stirrers these days? Often available in dollar-theme stores the stirrers are available in bright, beautiful colors. Purchase them in boxes of assorted colors or in boxes that contain only one color. Or, choose regular drinking straws to complete the photo display. Straws are also available in various patterns and colors. Its much easier to create different looks by using the stirrers rather than ordinary straws. Start by gluing whole straws or coffee stirrers to the cd itself. One end of the straw should be butted against the metal or plastic ring - if you used one - or against the edges of the photo if you didnt. The opposite end of the straw or stirrer will stick out and away from the cd. Glue these straws to the cd and place them all the way around the cd. Now cut shorter pieces of the straws to form a second layer. These straws should be smashed flat at one end and glued shut. Hot glue works great for this step. Place these shorter straws against the ring or the picture and glue them to where they extend out to the very edge of the cd. Create a third layer of straws, with the ends smashed flat, which are much shorter than the second set of straws. If using stirrers there is no need to smash and glue the ends. Cut a piece of magnetic sheeting and stick it to the back side of the cd. This makes it easy to stick the straw photo frame inside a locker or on the refrigerator. Another option is to use double-sided tape to hold the creation to most any wall. Hang the unique photo frame in bedrooms, living rooms and dens. Create different looks for the straw frame by gluing on flat embellishments like painted wooden shapes. Or, forget placing a photo on the cd, glue on a small mirror instead, and create a unique mirror for most any room. Instead of straws or coffee stirrers you can also use broom straws, rolled pieces of decorative paper or even dowel rods. There are any number of different looks you can create by mixing and matching materials, colors and embellishments. Youll enjoy this craft which is cheap, easy and very unique.
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