Craft artist Alexa Lett makes a simple but attractive frame from two pieces of glass and small wooden blocks. Next, she shows a variation using a glass block and marbles. Wood-Block Frame Materials:
2"-square wood block
1 1/4" wood cube, cut in half
Wood glue or clear craft glue
Acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Buttons
1/8"-thick glass
Glass cutter
Photograph
Scissors or craft knife
Four clear marbles
Glue gun and hot glue
Epoxy glue
Craft stick
Straightedge
Adhesive-backed silver-foil strip
- Glue the two halves of a 1 1/4" wood block to the top of a 2" wood block, spacing them so two pieces of glass will fit between them--approximately 1/4" apart (figure A).
- Paint the wood blocks the desired color with acrylic paint.
- Glue on buttons for embellishment, using a hot-glue gun (figure B).
- Mix the two components of epoxy glue with a craft stick, and glue a clear marble to each of the four corners of the bottom of the 2" block. Mix the epoxy in a well-ventilated area, and be careful not to get it on your skin. (figure C).
- Score a piece of 1/8"-thick glass 2" from one edge, using a glass cutter and a straightedge, and break off the glass strip. Score the glass into 2" squares, and break the pieces apart (figure D).
- Wrap the edges of each piece with an adhesive-backed silver-foil strip to protect and finish the edges (figure E).
- Use one of the glass pieces as a template, and crop a photo to a 2" square, centering the image and cutting it out with scissors or a craft knife.
- Sandwich the photo between the two 2" glass pieces. Place it between the two small wood blocks, and the frame is complete (figure F).
Glass-Block Frame Materials:
Glass block
Clear marbles in small and large sizes
1/8"-thick glass
Glass cutter
Photograph
Scissors or craft knife
Glue gun and hot glue
Epoxy glue
Craft stick
Straightedge
Adhesive-backed silver-foil strip
- Place the glass block on one side. Mix epoxy, and glue three to five small marbles along the lengthwise center points to the left of the crosswise center point and three to five more marbles to the right of the crosswise center point. Use epoxy to attach one large marble opposite each line of small marbles (figure G).
- Cut glass pieces of the desired size as described above, and cut two photos, using the glass pieces as templates. Cover the edges of the glass with adhesive-backed silver foil. Sandwich each photo between two pieces of glass, and place each photo between the row of small marbles and the large marble (figure H).
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