Have A Frugalicious Christmas (a Saturday series)

Today we’re making picture blocks. These are simple 5×7 wood blocks with pictures stuck to them. That’s all. Perfect gift ideas start with cute kids and blocks of wood. 

Let me show you what I mean.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Wood, cut to your desired size.
• Spray paint
• Craft glue
• Foam paint brush
• Cotton t-shirt
• Printed pictures

Quick directions:

1. Have favorite pictures printed in your desired size
2. Cut 1″ thick wood blocks the same size as your pictures (or find pre-cut wood at a craft store)
3. Paint wood blocks desired colors
4. Add picture hanger to back or drill hole (if you want the option to hang them)
5. Spread craft glue on the front of the block, smoothing it out with a foam craft brush.
6. Carefully place picture on the glue, pressing firmly using the cotton t-shirt

Here are more detailed instruction on how I accomplished this project, with a few pictures.

1. I had my daughter snap fresh pictures of each person in our family. She’s pretty handy in that area.  She messed around on Picnik (a free photo editing site) until she achieved a cool effect.
   When I went to have them printed I toyed with what size to get. I wanted something on the bigger side but the jump from 4×6 to 5×7 is more than $1 a picture! However, with a coupon in hand I went ahead with the 5x7s. They cost me about $8 total for all 8 pictures.
2. Get your your wood blocks together.  I found some for less than $1 at the Hobby Lobby but they were a little fancy for what I was going for.  So, even better than that, and probably cheaper,have your husband cut them like I did.  We have some scrap wood in the garage, so I marked my 5×7 squares so all my sweet husband had to do was cut the them out - it took him about 20 minutes.  If you don’t have a husband who can do this, you’ll likely have a friend whose husband won’t mind.  Or, many home improvement stores will cut your wood for you for a small fee.  You’ll just have to call and ask around. 
   
3. Paint your blocks.  Because I like to use what I have instead of buying new, I ended up spraying the blocks black using my husbands engine coat spray paint.  It’s a black paint that keeps engines from rusting, or something like that.  It worked great and I saved 3 bucks.
4. This is the time you would attach a hanger or drill a hole in the back if you want the option of hanging your pictures. I didn’t.  I decided to stack them creatively on my empty mantle. 
5. Spread your glue.  Run a bead of craft glue up, down, and across the front of your wood block.  Then, take a foam brush or something similar and smooth the glue out thin. 
6. Carefully attach your picture to the front and press it down with a cotton t-shirt.  Keep pressing firmly for a minute or so.

Then you’re done!

This project took me about 20 minutes of actual work (not including my daughter and husband’s part).  And, because I used what I already had it only cost me $8.  It would have only been $2 if I had gone with the 4×6 prints instead.  I think the $8 was worth it though.  They look great on my mantle.

Tip: if you’re concerned about your photos not holding up without glass over them, you can purchase a spray specially made for this for around $15.  However, I read that you can also use clear coat polyurethane spray too – but not if you’re using photos printed on your home printer.  I haven’t tried the poly spray myself, however – so try at your own risk.

Kelleigh posted about creating her 4×4 photo blocks last year and I fell head of heals for them. I don’t know why it took me so long to get mine done, but I’m really liking how they’re dressing up my living room.  They make perfect gifts for grandparents, too.

Next Saturday’s project costs only $3 to create and is very cool!  You’ll want to come back and take a look.

P.S. I feel the need to say something about that picture, the one with me posing in the green shirt and smiling like my face is gonna break - I don’t look nearly as pregnant in real life as I do in that picture.  However, I feel way more pregnant in real life than I look in the picture.  Make sense?  Don’t know why I needed to clarify that. I guess I have issues.

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