DIY Flower Picture Frame for Kids (Easy Mother’s Day Gift Idea!)

Need some Mother’s Day inspiration? Mom will love this gorgeous DIY flower picture frame made from recycled cardboard! This simple picture frame craft would make a lovely kid-made gift that any mother is sure to cherish for years to come.

---

There’s nothing better than receiving a gift that your little ones put time and effort into creating just for you.

Or perhaps there is something better… and that would be when the gift features a handprint, footprint or photo that you can save as a keepsake and look back on when your kids are older.

That’s why I’m so excited about this picture frame craft with flower borders. And not only is it adorable, but you can most (if not all) of the supplies you’ll need at your local dollar store.

It’s also a great way to recycle the cardboard from any box that you happen to have lying around!

Note: This craft is aimed at older school-aged children and teens, so you’ll probably need to heavily assist younger kids who want to do this craft. If you’re looking for something that’s more appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, you may prefer this Thumbprint Flower Mason Jar Candle Holder.

Required Materials

Here’s what you’ll need to make a lovely homemade Mother’s Day flower frame using recycled cardboard:

• Thick cardboard (we used an Amazon box)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Sharp scissors
• Craft or utility knife (optional)
• Sewing scissors (optional)
• Fabric
• Tacky glue
• Craft foam
• Craft buttons
• Elmer’s Glue-All (optional)

How to Make a Flower Picture Frame (Step-by-Step)

1. Measure Cardboard

To make this DIY picture frame craft, you’ll need to start by deciding the size of the frame. I wanted mine to fit a 5 x 7-inch photo, so I chose to make my frame 6.5 x 8.5 inches from one outer border to the other, and about 4.5 x 6.5 inches from one inside border to the other.

Once you’ve decided on the measurements, use a ruler and a pencil to mark where you need to cut.

Note: You’ll need to make the inside of the frame a bit smaller than the full measurements of the photo because you’ll need some overlap to glue the photo to the back of the frame.

2. Cut Cardboard

Using a pair of sharp scissors or a craft knife, cut along the lines you traced during the previous step.

Using a craft knife will make things easier (just make sure to protect your workspace and keep kids away), but it’s also possible to do this using regular old scissors—and in fact, that’s what I did while taking pictures.

3. Measure Fabric

Place a piece of fabric underneath the cardboard frame and use a pencil to mark where it need to be cut. There should be an overlap of about ½ inch on both the outside and the inside.

4. Cut Fabric

Use sharp scissors (or a pair of dedicated fabric scissors) to cut the fabric along the lines you traced during the previous step.

Then, make a small cut in each of the inner corners of the fabric window on the inside of the frame. This will allow you to fold up the fabric neatly onto the back of the frame.

5. Glue Fabric

Fold up the fabric on the inside of the frame and use Tacky glue to glue it to the back of the cardboard frame.

Repeat this process for the fabric on the outside of the frame, continuing until all the fabric has been stretched over the cardboard and glued in place.

When you get to the outer corners, you’ll probably end up with a bit of excess fabric. To make it easier to fold, simply cut off a bit of the extra fabric.

Finally, once you’re done glueing the fabric, feel free to turn the frame around to see what it looks like at the front and make sure the fabric is tightly stretched over the cardboard.

6. Draw Flowers

Grab a piece of craft foam and place a button on top of it. Then, use a pencil to trace flower petals all around the button in order to create the 3D flowers. (The lines don’t need to be perfect.)

7. Cut Flowers

Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut along the flower petals you traced using your pencil. If needed, even them out a bit with your scissors.

When I got to this point, I used the flower I had already cut as a template to trace another flower onto the craft foam. This sped things up a bit because I didn’t need to trace the second flower from scratch.

8. Glue Flowers

Use Tacky glue to glue the flowers onto the border of the frame, making sure that any pencil marks that are still visible are facing downward. Then, use Elmer’s Glue-All (or more Tacky glue) to glue a button in the middle of each flower.

Note: You can also use a hot glue gun if you want to make sure none of the buttons will fall off, but I recommend keeping the kids away if you do.

I decided to place one large, dark flower in two opposite corners of the frame and surround each of them with two smaller, lighter flowers. Feel free to make adjustments and arrange the flowers as you see fit.

9. Let Dry

Let the frame rest undisturbed until the glue has fully dried and the flowers and buttons are secured in place.

10. Add Photo

Turn the frame around and use Tacky glue or Elmer’s Glue-All to glue the outer edges of the photo to the back of the cardboard frame.

Then, turn the picture frame around and admire your work. Doesn’t it look adorable?

I would LOVE to receive one of these simple flower photo frames for Mother’s Day… and I’ll definitely be picking out my favorite photo of the kids and placing it inside the frame as soon as get the chance!

Related Kid-Made Crafts for Mom

Looking for more fun crafts to do with your kids for Mother’s Day? Check out these articles:

• Thumbprint Flower Mason Jar Candle Holder
• Mother’s Day Fingerprint Gift Tags (with Free Template!)
• 50+ Cutest Mother’s Day Card Ideas for Kids

You can also sign up for my newsletter to receive fun craft and activity ideas right in your inbox! Subscribers gain access to my free printables library as well as to fun bonuses that will never be available on my site!