Make a Versatile Framed Print From a Greeting Card

Left, you can see our framed, fruit still life hanging over the 18" doll fireplace mantle. 
Right, I've slipped an alternative photograph of Mesa Verde behind the paper frame
and over the top of the greeting card's fruit picture. You can cut a whole stack of prints to
 switch in and out of a frame like this! I also painted the edges of my frame with a tiny
 bit of orange paint to cover up the white paper.

       In order to make a similar craft, you will need to find a greeting card or a photo in a magazine that shows a framed picture up close. Many auction catalogues and furniture magazines have photos like these as well. I found a greeting card inside my desk that I felt would be excellent to use in this simple craft. You will also need tacky white school glue, scissors, additional cardboard, and perhaps an exacto knife. Ask an adult to help you use the knife if you are not ordinarily allowed to do so.

       If you can not find a picture/greeting card like mine, you could ask an adult to take a picture of a framed painting from your own home to print and use in much the same way.

Left, my greeting card for this dollhouse craft. Center, the picture of fruit is cut away from
 the card and so is the frame. Right, at the very left corner of the picture frame you can
barely see the thin strips of cardboard that lift the frame off of the faux painting. This is the
 top of the framed art where you can slide an alternative picture.

       Carefully cut the photo of the painting away from the picture frame and also cut out the frame, being mindful of delicate twists and turns if the frame is of the antique variety. Our frame was printed with metallic ink on paper, so it looks just like a real frame!

       Now take the painting and mount it with a thin even layer of glue onto a heavy piece of cardboard. Leave a little boarder around the faux painting of approximately 1/4 inch. Let the mounted picture dry under a heavy stack of books to keep it nice and flat.

       Next, repeat the same step with the frame only cut the cardboard from the outside edges and the inside edge as well. You may need help while using a sharp exacto knife to cut out any details. Ask an adult for help if this is the case.

Left, when the picture is glued to the front frame the entire piece should stand away
from surfaces slightly. Center, the painted fruit reframed with a narrow opening for
new pictures to slide in front of the original if needed. Right, the string is attached with
 masking tape.

      Now cut thin strips of cardboard measuring approximately 1/4" wide to glue around the outside boarder of your faux painting. Glue these narrow strips to the sides and lower half of the painting only. Leave the upper edge of the faux painting without any strips. Repeat this step 3-4 times around the three sides of the painting only. Let the glued strips dry completely.

       Glue the frame backed with cardboard onto the front of the painting. Use heavy books to weigh down the frame and picture while these dry. After the glue has hardened you should have a framed, three dimensional painting with an open side at the top of the frame only. This is where you can slide an alternative photo or picture when the dolls desire a new look in their dollhouse decor.

       Tape a string across the back to hang the doll sized art onto a fireplace mantle or dollhouse wall.