If you are somebody who loves arts and crafts, you will probably be familiar with mod podge. Mod podge is something that is used in lots of different art and craft activities, and it can be used to make all sorts of things.
If you are looking to make arts and crafts as Christmas gifts, then a good place to start is with a Christmas photo holder. You can make one for your friends or family and add a sweet photo inside. It really makes the perfect personalized gift for any loved ones.
There are lots of different ways that you can decorate your mod podge photo frame. In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at how to make a Christmas inspired photo holder, perfect for pulling out of storage every time the Christmas holidays come around.
So, if you want to find out how to make a Christmas photo holder with mod podge, keep on reading!
What Is Mod Podge?
First things first, let’s take a look at what Mod Podge is. Mod Podge is one of those things that you have probably heard of before, but aren’t entirely sure what it is. You might have even used Mod Podge before, but are still unfamiliar with exactly what it is. So, let’s take a look.
Mod Podge is a brand of decoupage medium. Essentially, this means that it can be used for a lot of different functions. These include gluing and sealing finished designs. It can also be used to add things to designs.
So, when it comes to making a Christmas photo holder, it is likely that you will use Mod Podge to add Christmas elements to your photo frame.
If you are looking for an easier crafting activity, then anything that uses Mod Podge is a good idea. It is easy to use and incredibly effective too. Once you use Mod Podge once, you will never look back.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to make a Christmas photo holder using Mod Podge.
How To Make A Christmas Photo Holder
Now that we know what Mod Podge is, let’s dive right in and take a look at how to make a Christmas photo holder using this. Before you get started, it is worth noting that making anything with Mod Podge is a fairly time-consuming process.
So, make sure that you have plenty of time before you get stuck in.
What You Need
A Photo Frame – Ideally this will be made of wood, however you can use a glass photo frame, paper mache frame, or plastic. It can be brand-new or a second-hand find from Goodwill.
Christmas Wrapping Paper – Or whatever Christmas design you wish to stick to your photo frame.
Mod Podge – The most important component as you will use this to stick, seal, and lots more.
A Brayer – This is the most effective tool for smoothing the Mod Podge and ensuring a tight seal.
Methodology
The first thing that you need to do when you are making a Christmas photo holder using Mod Podge is prepare your photo frame. As we said earlier, you have a lot of freedom when it comes to your photo frame.
It can be as small or large as you want, and it can be made of pretty much any material. However, if the frame has been painted, you will need to do some preparation to the frame.
Before you will be able to dip your photo frame into the festive spirit, you will need to sand it back. Mod Podge will not be able to adhere to the paint, so you will need to strip it back.
You can either do this using a paint stripper, or by simply sanding it. Or, you could apply a fresh coat of paint to the frame. While Mod Podge will not adhere well to old paint, it will to fresh paint. So, you could start by painting your frame a festive color, such as red or green.
Once your photo frame is prepped, you are ready to go right in and get started. This is the stage where you need to start using the Christmas design that you want to apply to the frame. Like we said earlier, we would normally opt for a nice patterned Christmas wrapping paper at this stage.
There are lots of different wrapping designs out there, and you can go as classic or subtle as you want. You could make a really cheesy design using kids wrapping, or opt for a more sophisticated design using a more expensive paper.
We often like to use a few different designs of wrapping, using the different snippets to create a pattern. Once you have decided on your base paper, you need to cut it to fit your frame.
Once you have done this, you can add it to the frame using your Mod Podge. Add a medium amount of Mod Podge to the frame, then lay your paper on top. Once you have laid this flat, use the brayer to roll the paper flat.
Wipe away any Mod Podge that spills over the sides. Remember, it is very important to work quickly, Mod Podge will set in around 10 to 15 minutes, so you need to get your paper perfect before the time runs out.
After that coat has set, you can then add any additional layers of paper to your frame that you want. But it isn’t only paper that you can add to your frame, you have a lot of freedom when it comes to this. From rice paper to tissue paper and even fabric.
So, if you wanted to, you could cut some Christmas designs out of fabric and seal this to the frame.
Adding the different layers of fabric is the most important part of designing your own Christmas photo holder using Mod Podge because this is when you can make the design your own.
Take advantage of this and unleash your creativity – make the photo frame perfect for whoever you are gifting it to!
Once you have finished designing, you will need to seal the design using Mod Podge. You should do so using multiple layers of Mod Podge. Apply a layer and leave it to dry before applying another, and so on.
When it comes to the final layers of Mod Podge, you could be a little more adventurous. There are a number of different types of Mod Podge available, including variations that have glitter. So why not use one of these in the final coat?
After all, nothing screams Christmas quite like sparkles. So finish off your photo frame with a coat of glitter Mod Podge and leave to set.
Then just like that, your Mod Podge photo holder is complete! The perfect Christmas gift for your loved one. All that is left to do is add your favorite photo to the inside of your frame, and it is ready to pass on as a gift.
Summary
In this guide, we have taken a look at how to make a Christmas photo holder with Mod Podge. It is the perfect handmade gift for any loved ones, so we would definitely recommend giving it a go.
There’s nothing better than sitting down after a long, stressful day with a good craft or hobby - right?
Hi, my name is Helena Forsite and I am a self-proclaimed crafter. I love everything to do with DIYs, baking, crafting, and more!
When I was younger, fresh out of college, I developed a pretty strong anxiety disorder. I found it difficult to go to work, socialize with friends, or even get out of the house at all.
