Looking for a fun Father’s Day gift idea for a girl to give her dad? This Father Daughter Photo Frame is simple and inexpensive to make. Add a photo of the two and it becomes a treasured keepsake sure to pull the strings of dad’s heart.
Quick and easy are definitely what I look for in a DIY gift for dad. June has always been a crazy busy time of year for me. Lots of family birthdays, the end of the school year – it all adds up to less time!That’s why I’m partnering up once again with the Craft Lightning Series for a simple but special present that can be made in under 15 minutes. My dad is no longer here and so Father’s Day can be bittersweet for me. I’ve been wanting for some time to have a special father-daughter frame to display in my home in loving memory of him and the wonderful times we had together but any dad would be touched by a sweet, sentimental gift like this too. By the way, this is simple enough that the kids could easily make it themselves (with a little supervision from you).
Father Daughter Photo Frame
To make this frame, you’ll need:
a plain wooden frame (they often have simple and very inexpensive ones at Michaels or a dollar store like Dollarama or Dollar Tree), a foam paint brush, two colors of acrylic craft paint (I’m using one of my favorites: Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint from DecoArt in Refreshing and Everlasting), water, glue (you can use a hot glue gun but if the kids are making it a plain white glue like Aleene’s Tacky Glue works well too), Scrabble letters (I buy up old Scrabble games at yard sales but most craft stores sell them too), bubble wrap, sand paper, an old rag.
Instructions:
Step One: Sand the frame as needed to ensure that all edges are smooth. Those inexpensive frames often come with ragged spots. I wipe away any dust from the sanding with a damp cloth.
Step Two: Paint one color of paint onto a scrap of bubble wrap and press onto the frame in a random design. I press it several times before reapplying the paint so that some areas are lighter than others.
Step Three: Once the bubble wrap painted frame has dried (it takes mere minutes but you can speed it along with a hair dryer on low if you want), mix a small amount of your second color of paint with some water. You want it to go on more as a wood stain than as paint so that it’s sheer enough for the bubble wrap design to show through. Paint a section at a time and let it soak into the wood for about 30 seconds or so before wiping some of it away with an old rag. Keep adding paint and taking some away until you get the desired effect. Still too much paint in some areas? Dampen the rag and wipe again. You can even use some sandpaper to buff parts away and give it more of a rustic, weathered look.
Step Four: Once the frame has dried, glue on the Scrabble letters to spell out your message. I’m putting DADDY and DAUGHTER on mine but you could certainly spell out anything you like – it doesn’t even have to be a frame for a father and daughter!
Step Five: Let the glue dry and place your photo in the frame. Ta da! This father-daughter frame is a gift that’s sure to please.
Want another fun DIY photo frame idea? This Dr. Seuss inspired set of 2 frames is perfect gift from twins or 2 other siblings.
Looking for more ideas for DIY gifts for Father’s Day? Just click on the image below to see more of the Craft Lightning Father’s Day Edition Series!
Angie Holden says
This is adorable!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
That frame came out so great! I need to make one of these for my husband. We have a great family photo that would be perfect in something like this.
Paula Schuck says
How beautiful! I think my husband would love a frame like this for Father’s Day. Thanks for sharing this!
Kelly Hutchinson says
Aww, that is so beautiful. I definitely need to make one of these with my daughter for her dad. I love this.
Jeanette says
I think I need to do this for my husband. We have a son but he loves to do stuff like this so I think I’m going to do something like this for Father’s Day. Thanks for the great idea.
Rose Cottrill says
That is one beautiful project and I think I will make one for my husband, that is such a nice and thoughtful gift!
William Sweeney says
This is an adorable picture frame! I would love it if my kids made a frame like this for father’s day!
Joann says
My kids love to do something handmade for dad for fathers day so we may actually do this one! I love the color you picked too. Thanks for sharing your creative ways.
Liz Mays says
This is such a sweet gift. I love the picture you used. The Scrabble letters work really well too!
Dogvills says
What an adorable gift. My husband will definitely appreciate a gift like this. Thanks for the idea.
Eloise says
what a cute frame that any father would love! great DIY project to get started on before fathers day : )
Melissa Dixon says
This is s uch a cute idea! I love adding words to frames and the tiles make it really stand out!
CourtneyLynne says
Omg cutest picture idea ever!!!! I might just have to make one of these with my daughter for hubby!
Kathy says
That is so cute! I have got to make one of these. I would love to give one to my father of my girls. That and my husband of course. I think they’d love it!
Gingermommy says
This is such a great idea! We have done it before with the kids names spelled out
Deanna Tousignant says
I love that bubble wrap bee hive paint thing! So clever.
Ann Bacciaglia says
I love this idea for a Fathers Day gift. I have been collecting a bunch of Scrabble tiles to do some projects with.
Monica says
This is so cute and looks fairly simple to make. I LOVE it!
linda cassidy says
I love this, I did a scarbble wall hanging very similar to this, but the frame is so cute
Lynndee says
That is just the cutest and the sweetest gift a daughter can give to her dad. Any dad would be delighted to receive that.
aly mashrah says
That is such a cute gift idea! I love how simple yet elegant it is and I love that you can make this with your kids too.
ricci says
This is a really cute frame!! I love the lettering on it, and it’s perfect for Father’s Day!!