I used to make gift boxes and photo frames from cardboard but not anymore. It's not that cardboard isn't good but I found that foam board is much better for making finished handmade products. I think you can find foam boards in local craft stores, it's available in the local craft store in my place. Besides, there's always online craft stores and shops.

Anyways, foam boards are easy to cut and manage, so I think it's a good choice for crafters who would like to make gift box, jewelry box (or any kind of box), photo frames and 3D patterns/ sculptures. Anyways, in this ible I'll show how to make a simple photo frame in not time.

Handmade photo frame can be a great gift for your loved ones for any occasion. So, get all your supplies as listed below, follow this ible and get started.

Step 1: Materials Needed

To make this photo frame you'll need:

Foam board
Cutting mat
X-acto knife
Scissor
Pencil
Transparent ruler and stainless steel ruler
Craft glue
Quilling paper
Half beads
String adhesive glue.

Step 2: Preparing the Frame Parts

Foam boards are great for making photo frame and box. Besides, foam board is easy to cut and manage.

Measure your photo size and cut out 2 pieces of foam board adding extra 2 inches on both width and length of the photo size.

Draw 1 inch border around any one piece, this will be the front part of the photo frame and an upside down arch shape right in the top middle part of the other piece, this will be the back part of the photo frame. See the 2nd picture of the 1st collage picture of this step.

Cut out the frame (the piece with borders) as neatly as possible, try to keep the frame as intact as possible. Cut out the upside down arch shape from the other foam board piece neatly as well.

Step 3: Completing the Photo Frame

Now place the frame on a plain surface. Measure and cut 3 pieces from the foam board for the sides and bottom part of the frame. Measurements of the 3 pieces:

2 side pieces - width should be 1 cm less than the frame's borders width and length should be same as the frame's height.
1 bottom piece - width should be 1 cm less than the frame's borders width and the length would depend on the gap between the side pieces after attaching them on the frame.

Glue the 3 pieces neatly on their place.

The top side of the frame should remain open. This is for inserting the photo into the frame.

To make the stand cut out a tie shaped pattern from the foam board. Make a half cut along the top 1 .5 cm of the stand and bend it.

Glue the back side of the frame and then glue the 1.5 cm part of the stand on the back side diagonally by keeping the corner matched with the corner of the frame.

You can also cut 2 thin strips according to the thickness of the frame and glue them on both sides so that the layers (frame, middle and back side) can't be seen.

Step 4: Preparing Quilling Patterns

Prepare papers strips or buy quilling strips from craft store.

Use bright colors to make the flowers and green for the leaves.

Use the bright colored paper strips to make teardrop shaped patterns. Make as many as you can because you'll need lots of these to make the flowers.

Use the green colored paper strips to make leaf shaped pattern. Make as many as you need.

You can make other patterns as well but these 2 quilling patters are very basic and easy for beginners as well.

Step 5: Decorating the Photo Frame

Place a scrap paper under the frame before starting the paper quilling art on the frame.

Use white / craft glue to attach the quilled papers. Start to glue the quilled papers from a corner of the frame.

Simply apply glue on any one side of the quilled patterns and put them on their place (on the frame's border). I used 6 teardrop patterns for each flower. You may add more petals if you want to. I placed the teardrop patterns with their shap side towards the center but you can also glue the teardrop patterns with their round side towards the center, this will create a different patterned flower.

Glue more quilled papers to make a chain of flowers all around the frame's border. Try to keep a nice color combination.

When you're done gluing the flowers glue the leaves between the flowers.

Step 6: Completing the Photo Frame

After gluing all the quilled papers the frame still seemed incomplete so I added some faux pearl beads on the center of the flowers.

I also added some loose quilled circles to fill the small gaps between the flowers and leaves.

I can only quill a few basic shapes but if you're good at paper quilling you can make more amazing designs on the frame using more fun paper quilling patterns.

Thank you so much for reading my ible and if you ever think of recreating it, please share a picture :)

Enjoy!