Need to create a meaningful project that is perfect for holidays, celebrations, centerpieces, and more? These Picture Frame Luminaries are your answer! A wonderful handmade gift, keepsake, or decorations for receptions or showers! Highly personal and highly customizable! With the majority of supplies from the dollar store, they are inexpensive as well!
I am REALLY, REALLY excited to share these picture frame luminaries with you today. They are perfect for your dining table or mantel.
They work wonderfully for events like wedding or baby showers, receptions, and graduations! Really…any time of the year! I am pretty sure I will find a place for this year-round! :) Last year I shared my wine bottle luminaries…I tend to like things that light up during the holidays!!!
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Supplies for Picture Frame Luminaries:
- 4) 5 x 7 frames (I found mine at my local Dollar Tree)*
- Gorilla Glue or super glue
- 2 sheets of 8.5 x 11 Vellum ( solid or patterned )
- Home printer – I use the HP Envy 5540 Wireless All-In-One Printer and signed up for HP Instant Ink.
- Family photos
- Square mirror
- LED Candles
*It’s important when choosing frames that you choose ones with square flat edges and frames where the little pegs are on the FRAME not part of the cardboard backing since we are not using the backings.
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HOW TO MAKE PHOTO LUMINARIES:
I started off by finding four photos that I wanted to feature on my centerpiece. I took some photos of my boys in August and so I used one of Michael, one of Ryan, one of both of the boys and then I had to dig back to the really, really archives and dig out a photo of Fred and I …FROM OUR WEDDING…(in 2008) because apparently, that is the LAST time we took a decent photo together (read: that is the last time I was not BEHIND The camera taking the pictures!).
I bought two pieces of vellum at Michael’s. You can find it in the open scrapbooking paper section or I linked to packages of it above. (In case you don’t want to leave the house or have multiple to make!)
It looks like wax paper (opaqueness) but not waxy! It’s awesome. The only vellum I could find had a print through it. I thought “Hey what will this faint vine print do to my photos…probably nothing”…WRONG! It shows through! (as you can see the vine pattern in the photo above) So I linked to both solid and patterned vellums above. Your choice. I was happy with the surprise after I made it!
I printed my photos on my home printer directly onto my vellum…and then I trimmed them down to size.
I took out the happy family that was in the dollar store frames and I replaced it with our family photo printed on vellum…ON TOP of the GLASS! So it goes frame face down, vellum photo face down and then glass on last. You don’t not use the frame backing at all. I did this so that when you place the candles inside…you don’t risk lighting your house on fire! Just sayin…kind of important!
Once in your frames, glue them together into a cube. NOTE: Gorilla glue (which is what I used) expands when it dries…so be sure to apply a thin line and towards the inner side of the joint.
Then you are ready to assemble your centerpiece. Simply put the cube frame over the square mirror. This will help reflect the light from your votive making the photos clearer and more prominent. Then place the votive inside and light!
Even when not lit, it’s still a focal piece and something everyone comments on when they come over!
Update: You may also love this Seasonal Luminary that celebrates the seasons! Highly customizable and you can just rotate for the new easy! Multi-tasking home decor!
Uses for picture frame luminaries:
- Handmade gift idea – Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas
- Centerpieces for Weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties
- Home decor – mantel, side tables, shelves
- Party Decor – Graduations, Birthday parties, retirement celebrations.
And here it is lit at night! How cool?!?!? What a great centerpiece this will be on your holiday table or mantel!
Some other great handmade keepsake ideas to try:
- Thumbprint Heart Pendant Charm
- FootPrint Butterfly Placemats
- Gratitude Journal
- Thumbprint Ornament
- String of Lights Fingerprint Frame
This post was originally part of my yearly 25 days of Christmas Series! Be sure to sign up for my emails so you get all the current year’s posts for free, to your inbox!
You might also like this Thumbprint Christmas Light Frame
PIN THESE PICTURE FRAME LUMINARIES:
Comments & Reviews
Ivonne DeBolt says
hi I love this idea and am in the making of making one. my question is how did you get the glass from the frame to stay in place?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Ivonne I just used the existing holders from the frame itself. I just removed the cardboard backing!
Amanda says
AMAZING! Just made 5 of these and they turned out beautiful!! You’re a genius and I am so glad I found this pin! Thank you thank you for your creativity!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Awesome Amanda! I am so happy you love them! This is kept out year round here and my family just loves it!
Corinna Flores says
Hello..I am trying to figure out how you were able to get the vellum onto the glass. Did you tape or glue it?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Neither Corinna. I simply just sandwiched it between the frame and the glass. Instead of frame, glass, photo, then backing. I did frame, vellum, and then glass. No glue or tape needed.
Tonya says
I made this over the weekend and I LOVE it! Thank you so much for the idea! It is so pretty. Now I just have to find a good place to put it so everyone can see my beautiful, glowing family! :)
Cheryl Spangenberg says
I’m so happy you love it! I keep mine out all year long! I just love it!
Apu says
Hi, Im trying to print the photos on the vellum paper that i got from Micheals. I doesn’t seem to show clear picture after I print. Please let me know asap.
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Apu are your images sharp to begin with?
Kathie says
Hi there, I know this post is old, but I am getting ready to make this as a Christmas gift. I was wondering what kind of vellum paper to use? I was going to purchase it online and there are different weighted vellum papers. It’s pretty confusing. Thanks!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Kathie, I am not sure of the weight. I just purchased the open stock at Michael’s. It’s less than card stock but a bit thicker than printer paper. 60# maybe? 40#?
Alicia says
Inkjet
Sonya says
can you print in color?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
I have never tried it Sonya. As long as your color photo has lots of contrast. Otherwise it will be very dull when lit. The black and white creates good contrast for the candles to shine through.
Carissa bell says
I have a question, gorilla glue does not dry instantly how on earth did u put it all together I can’t figure it put.
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Carissa, I just propped them up with jars or whatever I had on hand until the glue dried.
Julia says
Cute idea! I’m making these for my Mother in Law for Christmas! Question though. I have the vellum prints, then the glass, but what’s supposed to hold them in place? My frames are also from the dollar tree, did you glue the glass frame down?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
No Julia I simply used the regular clips that would normall hold the photo cardboard backing. So do vellum, glass and then skip the cardboard and then use the frames clips to hold it in place.
Eileen says
Hi Cheryl, I love this photo luminary idea and bought all of the materials yesterday. One problem though, when I print the photos on vellum, the ink doesn’t seem to dry. Do I need a different kind of ink? Or just let the photo sit and dry for a long time before using?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
I’m not sure Eileen. I didn’t have that problem. You could try printing in “draft” quality as it would use less ink from your printer.
Christy says
Hi! I just saw this post…I printed mine in draft, it worked a lot better. Still took a little while to dry, but not nearly as long as regular or photo.
raqueldykes says
There is a white film on some of my frames and glass from the gorilla glue. What can I do?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Maybe try to scrape it off with a straight razor?
Caitlin Morrison says
Hi! I love this idea! I am attempting to make these for the grandparents as christmas gifts. I have actual color photos that I had printed at CVS. Can I use these or should I print black and images on the vellum? Also what size mirror did you use and are they supposed to fit perfectly? Thanks!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Caitlin regular photo paper will not allow the light to shine through. It’s not thin enough!
kendall says
This is so awesome but how do you make the pictures stay without the backing?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
You still use the glass. So it goes Frame, vellum, glass. Just put the glass behind the vellum instead of in front like you’d do for a regular frame.