Class Photos? Create Wall Art!

Yes, another school year is coming to an end...the kids are counting down the days while Moms are getting their last "chillaxing" time in while they can before the pool party schlepping begins. If you're feeling the end-of-the-school year crunch, and you're still wondering what to give your child's teacher, here is one more idea. Using your child's class photo and a quick trip to the Dollar Store, you and your child can create a beautiful memento the teacher will cherish for years to come. It also makes a great keepsake and beautiful wall art for your child's room.

OK, while you dash to the Dollar Store to pick up one of their 12" x 8-1/4" (wood frame and cork) Memo Boards, I'll gather a coordinating mix of embellishments and meet you back here. And grab yourself an iced latte, as it's already in the 90's here!

Dollar Store Memo Board

My plethora of embellishments emphasizing

turquoise, yellow and a smattering of red.

Paint the wood frame to coordinate with your color palette.

(I used painter's tape to protect the cork,

then realized it was going to be covered with paper anyway, so you can skip this part.)

Crop the class photo, removing any borders, and back with solid contrasting paper.

Choose paper to coordinate with your paint color, and cut it to fit inside the frame.

Mod Podge the paper to cork.  Don't worry about the ripples; they will disappear by tomorrow.

Alter the memo board, one embellishment at a time.

Here I used my label maker to write "4th Grade".

I use "Scrappy Glue" to adhere the flowers to each other and to the board.

Using a wallet-size photo, I punched my daughter's picture with a scallop punch and backed it with a larger punched circle.  Then added a red binder clip and a small round tag where I wrote the year.

I also stamped some Fleur-de-lis designs using black "Staz-on" ink.

More flowers, a "star" button, and a tag with ribbons,

a "Friends Forever" charm and bling.

Secure  ribbon to the back of the frame to hang on the wall,

and this wonderful altered artwork makes a beautiful keepsake for a teacher or your child!

And now it's time to hit the pool.  Happy Summer!