I did the unthinkable and got my husband hooked on magic. Each new set that comes out, he pre-orders a Fat Pack and a Booster Box. So you can probably imagine that we have A LOT of commons that we don't need or use (when you have 8 full play sets of copper myrs, you know you might have a problem. :P)

So I decided to do something with all the cards that we have sitting around. When Wizards officially recognized Commander Decks (also known as making pre-made ones to get more money from us), they also released oversized Commander Cards to go with the decks. I've taken those, and some of the commons to make these art pieces for my husband.

Step 1: What You'll Need.

Supplies:

Picture Frame (I had some picture frames left over from another project. These are meant to hold 3 5"x7" photos.)
Glue Stick
Double Sided Tape
Magic Cards (Each one of these took 20 regular cards and 5 over sized Commander Cards)
A sharp cutting utensil.

***Author's Note***
You will be destroying these cards. Make sure that you do not want the cards. I purposely chose cheap commons that I already have 2 or more play sets of.

Step 2: Mounting the Magic Cards

I took apart the picture frame and scrapped the paper inserts. All I used were the frame, the glass, and the backing.

I started by using the glue stick to apply glue to the face of the card and the frame backing, then placing the card in the top left corner.

As you notice in the pictures, the cards ended up being wider than the board, so I decided to stagger the cards to give a brick wall effect. Your picture frame may differ in size, so you do not have to stagger if you don't want to. I had also considered starting in the middle and going out to the sides with the cards, but I probably would have had to use more cards.

Repeat the steps until the board is filled.

Step 3: Clean Up.

If you're like me, you'll have some kind of overhang with the cards. I flipped it over and took an exacto knife to trim the edges neatly.

Step 4: Placing the Cards and Finishing Up

Now, of course, if you don't have over sized Commander Cards you can certainly use other cards: Foils, Favorite Art, etc. My husband had been wanting to do something with our Commanders, so this seemed like the natural thing to do with them.

Place the cards in a pattern that works for you. I highly recommend that if you're going to use regular cards, get clear sleeves for them, so the cards aren't damaged and they retain their value.

Use double sided tape to attach the cards.

Place in the frame and close up.

Voila!