Recycling Photos: Woven Photos, Mosaic Frame

Woven Photos

Materials:

8 1/2" x 10" photos
paper shredder
scissors
mat knife
mat
KeepAMemory double-sided adhesive sheet
6" x 6" spiral bound memory book
DMC #5 cotton perle yarns: white, black, gray
beads
tape

1. Shred photo in the longest direction, so that 8-1/2" x 10" photos would give you 10-inch strips approximately 1/4-inch wide (figures A and B).

2. Arrange enough strips face up to cover an 8-1/2-inch area on a flat surface. Arrange the sides of the strips touching to form a new sheet. Along the top edges of the strips, tape the strips edges to a flat surface (figure C).

3. Shred the second photo in the shortest direction (giving you 8-1/2-inch strips).

4. Start below the tape and begin weaving the short strips over and under the taped longer strips. Push rows up tight next to the previous strips as you go (figure D).

5. When all of the strips are tightly woven, remove the taped end from the flat surface and turn the woven piece right side facing down. Apply the double-sided adhesive to the backside of the woven piece (figure E).

6. Remove the front cover from the booklet. Remove the paper backing from the adhesive sheet. Center the book cover face down on the adhesive side of the woven piece.

7. Cut the edge of your book cover with holes flush with the edge of the woven piece (figure F). Punch holes in the woven edge through the holes so that you can still see the backside of the book cover.

8. Trim the corners on the other side of the cover (figure G). Fold under the three remaining edges (figure H). It will be necessary to go back and glue those strips that are not secured by the adhesive.

9. Cut a piece of heavy card stock the size of the book cover. Glue card stock to the inside of the book cover to cover the raw edges (figure I).

10. Punch holes in the card stock liner. Reinstall the book cover onto the book.

Materials:

8-1/2" x 11" box acrylic frame
painter's tape
DecoArt Americana ccrylic paint: black, desert sand
sea sponge
satin and gloss finish photos with whites, blues, reds, pinks
Tacky Glue

Steps:

1. Use the painter's tape and paper to mask a 4-1/2" x 3-1/2" area in the center of the box frame (figures A and B).

2. Paint the sides and the remainder of the face of the frame black. Let dry.

3. Use a sea sponge to apply the desert sand paint over the black. Bits of black should show through to give a grout look (figure C). Let dry.

4. Cut photos for color. You can use both satin and glossy photos. Cut the photos in the color you want and in the shape you want. I used whites for the background (figure D) and red and blues for the spirals (figure E).

Hint: If you were cutting real tiles, the cuts would be crude. So do not try to be too curvy on the spiral cuts. Nips in the curved shape are more realistic.