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
David Horton says
These look really nice.
Wish I had seen these before Mothers Day :-(
Pamela says
I love this idea. I’m making my sister one. Thank you so much for posting this.
Gail says
Just got in Pinterest (I know, I’m late getting into this) and for my very first project, I made your photo boxes as centerpieces at my son’s rehearsal dinner. Printed the photos in color and used all the links you provided to purchase the votive lights and the mirrors. It was a huge success!! Thank you so much for providing links to all the materials and for the excellent directions!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Congratulations on your son’s marriage! I am so happy to hear you loved these Gail! Thanks for reading my site!
Kristine Allen says
Can you update/replace pictures after this is put together? I want to be able to add more updated pictures as the kids grow.
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Kristine, it all depends on the width of the frame you use. If you can glue the frames together without overlapping the back any then yes you can certainly replace/change the photos out! I can on mine! If the frame itself has a smaller width edge and they overlap when you put them together that will be a bit harder to change out!
Helen Johnson says
I’m in love with this. I will make my BF a “memorial” frame tomorrow with pictures of her and her mom. Her mom passed away today.
Lindsey Crosson says
On the picture frame luminaries after you put the glass over vellum how does the glass stay if not putting backing back on?? I’m doing this and just wondering what you did before I start. Thanks.
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Lindsey, you just bend the little pegs that are in the frame over onto the glass and vellum. Without the cardboard backing.
Terri Jonker says
I had the same question as Lindsey Crosson. Thank you Lindsey for the question and thank you Cheryl for the answer. I’m well on my way to making these for my Grandson. Thanks so much again. This looks like a great gift idea.
Amanda says
I don’t have a printer so I’m not able to print my pics on Vellum. Do you think it would work juat using regular pics?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Amanda, photo paper is too thick to let any light through. You could try printing the pictures on just regular copy paper (at a print shop of course) If you take the photos up on a USB they should be able to print for you.
Jenai Sorrell says
How were you able to print 2 pictures at a time? Did you move them to Microsoft Word?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Hi Jenai,
I did NOT move them to word. I simply selected both images and right clicked. I selected Print and then chose my size. It automatically put them side by side for me.
Jenai Sorrell says
Thank you!
Trisha says
Hi!
Is it better to print in color or black and white?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Trisha, I found black and white works best!
Casey says
Could I print on the non waxy side of freezer paper and get the same effect you think? Its translucent so I’m thinking it’ll work similar.
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Casey I have absolutely no idea and wouldn’t recommend putting anything in your printer besides “paper”. I would think if that got jammed it could ruin your printer.
Beverly says
Where can I get a mirror that fits perfect under the photo luminary’s
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Hi Beverly, I have the ones I used linked in the supply list!
Bethany says
Hi! Thanks for your post! I’m wondering… do you think these work better with b&w or color photos?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Hi Bethany, I have found Black and White to work better!
Rani says
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for this great idea, i made it for my sisters for their birthdays n they luv it.. if i may add a suggestion.. i superglued one of my sons old fidget spinner at the bottom of the mirror n now it can spin :)
Thanks again
Rani
Cheryl Spangenberg says
How fun!
Nicole Clatterbuck says
Hi! So I’m going to use my work printer for this but worried if my this paper is so thin if anyone has any issues with the paper jamming in your printer?
Thao says
Can I glue the pictures to the glass instead of just letting it sit on top?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Maybe with a spray adhesive? But you will definitely see it through the vellum when the candle is lit.
Kristin Hunt says
Hi Cheryl,
The frames you have linked to the luminaries have a white border. Did you color those or remove them completely?
Thanks!
Kristin
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Hi Kristen, I think Dollar Tree changes products to links when they update their in-store products. Mine did not have the mats but you can just omit them. The thing to look for is that you get frames with square sides. If you choose the beveled sides it is difficult for them to stay together!
Amber says
How did you make the glass backing stay in place?? I am assembling mine and the glass won’t stay in when I stand them up… and for the life of me I cannot figure out this part ……PLEASE HELP!!!
Cheryl Spangenberg says
Hi Amber, I used the clips on the frames and just bent them back down in place on top of the glass. They are so short you don’t see them from the outside of the luminary.
Donna says
Did you use a amber colored vellum paper or just clear?
Cheryl Spangenberg says
I used clear/white. The battery-powered candle I used had a yellow “flame”.