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    Picture Frames turned Personalized Desk Notes

    Picture Frames turned Personalized Desk Notes

    4 minute read

    I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS.
    Decorating, twinkling lights, hot tea and cocoa, slippers, embarrassing Santa pajamas (no shame), smells of pine, sweet candles, SNOW (sometimes too much here in NY), giving gifts to those I love...
    Except then I remember I'm not a millionaire and need to actually be mindful of what I spend during the holidays (yes, I'm guilty of buying myself presents too). 
     
    BUT I found this craft and put my own little spin.
    Now I have a beautiful, functional gift I can give to my special ed team without feeling like I'm breaking the bank. 
     
    AND THESE COST $1.50 EACH!
     

    I'm just going to walk you through how QUICK this craft can be!
     
    First, I started with plastic/acrylic 7x5 horizontal frames. The cheap stuff, guys. I went to Dollar Tree and snagged their entire stock (sorry not sorry?). 
     
    Then I went to Michaels and found the prettiest "teacher-y" paper I could find! 
    With a coupon, the paper pad came to $4
     
     
     
    Then just buy some post it notes that match the colors from your paper pad! 
    (I recommend not using Dollar Tree post-its, just because they're much thinner and won't last the gift-receiver as long!)
     
     
    Here is my finished product! 
    Well.... I have 9 more to go. But I'm so excited! 
     
    Tips & Tricks: 
     
    REMOVE THE PLASTIC PROTECTIVE LAYER before sticking anything to the frame!! Otherwise your hard work will be for nothing!
     
    I used a couple methods for sticking the notepads to the frame. I used clear double-sided tape and covered the back of the sticky notes with the double-sided tape. This works great and can be easily removed when it's time to change the post-it notes when they run out! 
    I also tried double sided foam... but that doesn't come off so easily. I was worried my team wouldn't be able to change the sticky notes if I used the foam! So I "stuck" with the tape (har har)!
    I plan to attach a note to each gift, and just quickly advise them to use double-sided tape when they're ready to change the post-its. I also plan to include one extra sticky note pad with each gift! (because what teacher can't use a million sticky note pads?!)
     
    I trimmed my card stock paper to 7x5 using the inserts from the frame-- simply trace and cut! Any paper will work... card stock, regular paper, sparkly paper, foil paper. Whatever inspires you!
     
    In order to personalize each gift, I used my own TPT fonts on powerpoint and printed out names on the 7x5 paper. You can just write on the paper and do not need to print anything. This step is optional. You don't even need to add names! Again, these can be as personalized as you'd like!
     
    Here are some tips for printing if you choose that route:
    My fonts bundle is here if you're interested in using the fonts seen in my photos! 
    When in powerpoint, set the custom dimensions under the "design" tab to 7in by 5in:
     
     
    Create your design! You could do virtually anything... have fun and play around! 
    Next, you'll want to set your printer to receive 7x5 paper. I set mine using a feature for 7x5 photos, and that worked really great. All printers are different, but here's what the setting looks like for my particular printer (HP Envy): 
     
     
    Some other ideas for inspiration:
    Stickers
    3D Stickers
    Hand-lettering with permanent markers
    Paint pens like these
    Glitter Glue
    Photos
    Photo Collages
    Children's hand prints
    ...the list goes on!!
     
    I think these could also be perfect for parents (classroom craft to send home?!), grandparents, aunts, uncles, you could stick Christmas card type collage photos in the frame...
    Have I inspired you yet?!
     
    PLEASE feel free to comment below or send me an email if you have any questions! 
    Like I said, this gift is costing me $1.50 PER PERSON when all is said and done! 
    It's great for teachers, coworkers...anyone with a desk!
    Happy Craft-ing!
     

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