Crafting or Floral Wire (16-20 gauge)
Alright, let’s do this, ‘cuz I’m WIRED! Hehe. Step one!
Step 1 [Create Template]: The first step is to create the template for your photo holder. You can free hand your pattern onto a sheet of paper, but I think you get a more professional result if you were to first print out a clean-looking design from the computer. I envisioned a “Photo Garden” theme, so I printed out a variety of flower templates. No matter which design you choose, I think the perfect size to shoot for is between 1-2 square inches.
Step 2. [Bend Wire to Template]: The next step is to bend your wire to match your template. Start by placing your wire down vertically in the center of your design, resting one end at the topmost part of your template. You’ll leave this piece of wire alone, as it will be the backing to your photo holder after you’ve shaped your design. Using your needle nose pliers, bend the wire at a 90-degree angle at the base of your design. Use your fingers and needle nose pliers to bend your wire along the lines of your template. This is the crux of the craft, but don’t beat yourself up if the wire isn’t bending perfectly – I know that thick gauge wire can be a bit tricky! Keep going until your wire meets back at the base of your design. Here’s where you’ll make another 90-degree bend in your wire so that it seems to connect vertically to your original backing piece of wire. If needed, trim your new stem to size using your scissors or wire cutters.
Step 3: [Decorate Your Design]: Once your design is complete, feel free to spruce it up even more. Using colorful wire already adds more style to the craft, so if you use plain gauge wire I’d recommend painting it at the end or something like. To keep with my “photo garden” theme, I attached even more wire around my vertical stems in order to create flower petals. Then I covered the flower head and leaves in glue and sprinkled on glitter for some additional shine.
Step 4: [Create Photo Holder Holder]: The easiest technique to keep your holder standing is to stick the wire’s end into a block of wood or clay. You could also spiral the stem’s base, and that way your holder can stand all on its own! Since I’m going all out on my “photo garden” theme, I placed my photo holder into a small container before pouring in decorative filler for security as well as added style. Coffee beans make for a cool soil effect, but I also thought I'd stick my flower photo holders into an actual flowerpot and pour in some sparkly gems for extra glam.
Pop in those captured moments and you’ve now got an awesome way to display your photos!
But Jamie! I can’t shove a flowerpot into my locker! What are you, crazy? Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t think of a simple solution to your small spaced conundrum. Simply glue on a small but powerful magnet to the back of the inch of your vertical wire and now you’ve got a way to stick these suckers anywhere you like! You don’t even have to keep the long vertical wire stem at this point – you can bend it into a bow or form your own name or cut it off completely and just stick with the template.
This wire photo holder is the easiest way to show off your friends, family and other captured memories, whether at home or school. If you’re feeling insp-Wired these make a great gift for under $10 and in less an hour!