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
BethLP says
I made some luminaries as gifts for my family this Christmas, as a remembrance of my niece: http://dammitminnie.blogspot.com/2015/12/remembering-sierra.html . Thank you for your tutorial!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
They turned out beautifully! And I LOVE your pillows you made! Such a great tribute to your niece! Thanks so much for sharing your finished project with me! xo
Kris Lauzon says
Hi – Lovely gift idea! Did you use plastic or wooden frames from the dollar store? Thanks!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Hi Kris, the frames I used were plastic! I think wooden would work wonderfully as well!
christina klaas says
Hello, I LOVE this idea and can not wait to get started! I was wondering if you knew what weight your vellum was? I am a newbie to this sort of thing, and when I was looking online for some vellum i saw that it varies in weight anywhere from 17-100+ lbs and from what I can tell the weight is what makes the difference in the transparency…making some to thin to print on and others to dense to see through. Thanks in advance!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Christina, I went and looked at the sheets I have in my craft room and they do not have a weight on them. I purchased them from the open stock paper at the craft stores. I would say they are less than 80lb card stock but a bit thicker than regular weight copy paper. I am sorry I can’t be of more help. If I happen to find a sheet that has the weight listed on it, I will be sure to come back and let you know!
Mary@mitersawbuzz says
super cute ideas Cheryl!! love this!!!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Thank you Mary!
Gretchen Foley says
Love these ideas. I included a link in my post about the magic of homemade mothers day gifts. Thanks for sharing.
Jessie says
Hi,
Is the square mirror necessary if I am gonna use tea lights- the fake lights?
Thank you!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
The mirror really, really helps reflect the light so that your images really shine through! I switched over to the fake ones too after I had another baby! He touches everything, lol!
Stephanie says
Hi there!
I have a silly question??
So is it just the picture on then the glass? Or do you do the cardboard backung on too?
Again probably an obvious thing. I don’t know lol
Stephanie
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Hi Stephanie! It is just the picture and then the glass behind it! No backing at all, just recycle that! Have a great day!
Rebecca says
Someone has probably already asked this but I just didn’t read it and this is probably a dumb question anyway, but what is the size of the mirror used in this project? TIA
Cheryl Spangenberg says
It’s 5×5. You will need a square size in relation to your frames. So I used 5×7 frames and needed a 5″ mirror. If you use 4×6 a 4″ one would be perfect!
Beth says
Hi. I can’t wait to make these for family gifts this Christmas. What if we can’t find the vellum. Would printing on pictures still work or are they not transparent enough?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
They are not transparent enough. You could try printing on regular printer paper maybe? Here is a link to some on Amazon and they ship! (not affiliate link) https://www.amazon.com/Staples-Inkjet-Laser-White-Vellum/dp/B0027A1D5W/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1480449623&sr=8-10&keywords=8.5%22+x+11%22+vellum
Lauren says
I would love to make this for Christmas! However, I don’t have a printer at home to print on vellum. Whenever I need something printed, I go to Staples. Would it still work on regular paper?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
If the paper is very thin it might work! However if you take them the vellum, they will print on it for you!
Vicki says
Why do you recommend not using hot glue for the frame luminaries?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Hi Vicki!
I originally made it with hot glue but found that the hot glue did not adhere to the smooth surface of my frames nearly as well as the gorilla glue does. It was so fragile with the hot glue. I hope that helps!
karen watters says
Hi cheryl, I’m new at blogging, but my aim of my site is to create a resource where people can learn different creative and craft skills through great tutorials. As an Occupational Therapist, I’m trying to add and element of the therapeutic and creative benefits of learning new skills to the posts I collect. I have written a post about your picture frame lamp and linked it back to you. I hope this is ok, after reading your “fine Print” I wanted to seek your permission to see if the post wasn’t breaking any rules or anything. If I am, I will gladly take it down. So, if you want to check it out and let me know your feedback.
Thanks Karen