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Light Up Photo Frame

Budget: $$, D.I.Y. Project, Home Decor, Renter Friendly, Sponsored, Video, Wall Art
By Emma Chapman

Easy diy light up photo frame (via abeautifulmess.com)Easy light up photo frame (via abeautifulmess.com) A few months ago. Elsie gifted me this sweet light up cactus for my 30th birthday. I know! She nailed it. 🙂 So far, he has ended up on top of the piano in our living room. I like being able to see the cactus from where I usually am most nights – at the stovetop throwing together dinner. This spot also works well because this corner of the house is pretty dark most of the time, especially at night. So I can just turn the cactus on to add some light.

I decided to add another (smaller) light up feature to this space since I like it so much. So I made this super simple light up photo frame. For this project, I worked with our longtime friends, Canon USA. One thing I love about this project is ANYONE could make this. I’m all for more advanced projects here and there (I love making stuff!), but it’s really fun when you work on something and in the end it turns out to be really cute and really easy to replicate… if folks are so inclined. Here, I’ll show you.

Easy light up picture frame (via abeautifulmess.com) Light-up-photosSupplies:
-a transparency and ink jet printer (I used my Canon PIXMA MG7720, which I love!)
-plexiglass, mine is 8×12 inches and 1/2 inch thick
-1 white poster board
-1 colored poster board or oversized paper (I used a forest green color to go with my decor)
-LED lights strip (mine is a flexible bar that you can cut to size)
-X-Acto knife
-ruler
-glue dots

See, pretty simple right? But such a cute little display once you’re done. In case you are a video hater (what?!), here are the text instructions:

Make a patternStep One: Print your image onto a transparency. You only need this to be big enough to fill the frame you will create. So it doesn’t have to be as large as your plexi. Cut out the transparency, leaving enough space to add glue dots. Adhere the image to the back of your plexi (you decided which side is the back at this point).

Step Two: Create a pattern for your frame from the white poster board. Mine sort of resembles an instant photo, but you could do anything you like. Your frame could be thick, thin, scalloped, or whatever your heart desires. 🙂 Once you have your pattern, cut out your final frame from the colored poster board or card stock. Adhere to the front of the plexi with glue dots.

Step Three: Measure the lights and cut to size if needed. Adhere them to the bottom of your plexiglass with glue dots.

Easy light up picture frame (via abeautifulmess.com) Display and enjoy! As with any light up project, don’t leave the lights turned on when you won’t be at home or when you go to sleep. Even though LED lights don’t generate heat in the same way other lights do, this is still a good rule of thumb for any lighting in your home, just to be on the safe side. xx. Emma

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