Creating a popsicle picture frame is a fun and one-of-a-kind way to show off your favorite pictures or drawings. This activity is designed for school-aged children in mind, but can also be done by preschool aged children if a parent is able to assist in the designing and gluing process. Not only is this a creative activity for children, but it also allows them to enhance their fine motor skills by carefully assembling and gluing their picture frame together. The best part about this activity? This activity lends itself to become a keepsake for your child!
You Will Need:
Popsicle Sticks
Glue Stick or Hot Glue (if using hot glue, adult supervision is required)
Decoration Items (i.e. stickers, markers/crayons, etc.)
Picture or Drawing (optional)
Scissors (optional)
Let's Get Started!
Step 1: The first thing you will need to do is to create a workspace where you can spread out your materials and create your picture frame.
Step 2: Now you are going to want to lay out your popsicle sticks in the way that you want your picture frame to look. This can be as simple as a square, or you can make your own design. You get to be creative as you want! Just remember.. the size of the frame you make should be the size of the picture or drawing that you want the frame to go around.
Step 3: Once you have figured out what you want your frame to look like, it’s time to glue. Taking one popsicle stick at a time, from your design, glue it to the popsicle stick it was touching before you picked it up.
Helpful Hint: If you are using hot glue, or any other kind of glue that is not kid-friendly, make sure that you have adult supervision or help!
Step 4: Repeat step 2 until you have glued each of the popsicle stick frame pieces together. You will know you are done with this step when you can pick up your picture frame and all of the pieces stay together.
Step 5: Now, comes the fun part! It’s time to decorate your picture frame however you would like. For this step, you can use markers, crayons, stickers, or whatever decorative tools you have laying around. If you want to leave your frame blank, you can absolutely do that too.
The follow steps are optional. You can make a fun picture frame, even if you don’t have a picture or drawing to place in it, yet.
Step 6: Once you are content with the way you have decorated your frame, take your picture or drawing, place your frame design-side down, and situate your picture upside down in the frame, so that when you flip your frame over, you see the picture or drawing.
Step 7: Next, take your glue and glue all sides or corners of the picture to the back of the frame.
Helpful Hint: If you have extra paper on the outside of the frame, you can trim it off at this time.
Step 8: Finally, flip your frame over to see that masterpiece that you have created!