Wire Picture Holders
[30 Minutes]
Camera obscura, or Latin for dark room, was a dark room or box with a hole in it. Its origins may date back to the 10th century. An Arabian scholar, Hassan ibn Hassan described camera obscura in his writings. Artists in the 16th century used a box with a pinhole on one side and a glass screen on the other. The light coming through the pinhole projected an image on the glass screen. This was the basis of photography. Photography has evolved over the centuries and today there are many types of cameras capable of taking many types of photographs. Choose your favorite family photos to make unique wire picture holders.
You'll need:
D, A, D baby blocks or wooden cubed shaped blocks (found in craft stores) awl hammer glue gun and glue sticks needle nose pliers three 18-guage craft wires varying between 8 and 14 inches in length 5/8 inch wood dowel wire cutter acrylic paints, (Read warnings on packaging.) favorite photographs
What to do:
- If possible, print out these directions. Read them through before you begin.
- Gather everything you'll need and always remember art safety.
- If you are using wooden blocks, paint the blocks the desired color and let dry.
- Paint a “D”, an “A”, and another “D” on the three blocks and let dry.
- Make a hole in the center of each block using an awl and hammer.
- Glue the blocks together, placing the “A” block 1/4 inch behind the two “D” blocks. Let the glue dry.
- Use needle nose pliers to twist a small loop at one end of each wire.
- Wrap this end around the dowel twice. Slip off the dowel and use pliers to bend remaining length of wire down into the vertical stem.
- Using a wire cutter, cut the wires at different lengths.
- Glue the end of each wire into a hole in a block. Let the glue dry.
How to use:
- You may wish to give this as a gift to a parent, your grandpa, grandma, brother, sister, best friend, or anyone special.
- Before giving this gift, find some special pictures of the two of you and place them in this unique picture holder.
- Just make sure that you place every other block 1/4 inch behind the blocks next to it.
Useful information:
My dad works in an office and it doesn’t have a window. His birthday is coming up, I decided to make this picture holder. I put some of my favorite pictures of us in the holders. I think this will brighten up his office a lot. (Cameron, age 14)
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