Cottage Slat Picture Frame

By: Amanda Formaro from craftsbyamanda.com

The Cottage Slat Picture Frame is a darling Mother's Day gift idea. Your mother will love the handmade quality and the sentimentality of this craft. The slats made by the popsicle sticks look like the rustic siding of a cottage, which makes it a simple yet pretty gift. This craft would be simple enough for kids, though you may have to do a few of the steps that require the scissors or wire cutter for younger children. Whether you are making this picture frame for Mother's Day, Christmas, or another occasion, the recipient will love your thoughtful gift.

Primary TechniquePainting

Difficulty LevelEasy

Materials:

Flat wooden frame
Craft sticks
White craft glue
Scissors or small wire cutters
Craft paint: white and light brown
Sandpaper

Instructions:

To determine how many craft sticks you will need, lay your frame on the work surface and cover it with craft sticks. Add 3 or 4 more so that you have extra.
Lay all the craft sticks out onto a piece of cardboard or foam core board. Paint the sticks with a coat of light brown paint (I used Americana, color = Driftwood)
When dry, add a coat of white (I used Americana, color = White Wash). Add 1-2 more coats, enough to cover so that the brown no longer shows through. Allow them to dry completely.
Use scissors or wire cutters to cut the rounded ends off the craft sticks.
Glue the sticks to the frame in whatever pattern is pleasing to you. For one frame I kept all of the pieces the same size and only trimmed the ones
that went around the photo window. For the other frame I cut the sticks into varying lengths, which of course takes more time and attention. Let the glue dry overnight.
Use a piece of sandpaper to rough up the edges, removing some of the white paint exposing the brown beneath it. Sand harder at the corners and edges, exposing the bare wood beneath it.