I made this for my wife for Christmas. I was pleased with how it turned out and it was well received.

Step 1: Choose a Frame

Rather than make the frame myself, I chose a store bought one. The important part, in my opinion, is what you choose to fill the frame with.

Step 2: Prepare the Cross.

I used a 3/16" sheet about 12"x12" of birch plywood and made 2 cuts perpendicular to each other with the horizontal cut at about 1/3 down the sheet and the vertical cut dissecting up the middle.

Step 3: Burn the Edges of the Plywood.

I was looking for a charred effect. I could have used a torch or even a campfire to create this effect, but I choose to use thermite. I laid the 4 pieces of plywood on a bed of sand leaving a cross shaped channel about 1/2" between the pieces. I filled the channel with thermite keeping a uniform depth about equal to the thickness of the plywood. I then used a sparkler to ignite the thermite starting in the middle and used the sparkler to ignite any spots that didn't catch. Once charred the desired amount, I pushed the edges into the bed of sand to prevent them from burning more.

Step 4: Choose a Background.

I chose a purple sunrise for a background image. I had considered a mirror, and I think that would be an interesting look. I did a google search for the image and printed it out and cut it to fit into the frame.

Step 5: Fit the Cross to the Frame

I trimmed the 4 pieces of plywood to fit in the frame I chose making a cross shape. This can be any size you would like. Once fitted, I laid the background image on top of the cross and secured the back of the frame using the tabs attached to the frame. I removed the glass that came with the frame to enable the plywood to fit. You can use hot glue or something similar to secure the cross and background.

Step 6: Enjoy!

Sit back and basque in the awesomeness of your creation.