DIY: Clothespin Photo Frame

As a crafty person, I decided I'd try to make as much stuff for the wedding as I could.  The wedding basics (venue, photography, food, etc..) are expensive enough, so I put my skills to the test.  When looking for a way to do table assignments, I stumbled across a ton of ideas on Pinterest that used old picture frames and clothespins. Easy and inexpensive?  Sure, I'll give it a try.

Step 1: Acquire materials.
Honestly, I only used 4 items to make this happen. If you play your cards right, this project will only cost about $25-30. Here's a breakdown of what you'll need:

• Frame. My intention was to find a huge frame at a local thrift shop or garage sale, but no such luck. If you can manage this, props to you!  In my case, I found one at Hobby Lobby.  These alone can usually run $30, but Hobby Lobby is notorious for 50% off sales.  In fact, it looks like they're on sale right now. Mine looked pretty similar, if not exactly, like this one: 

Pretty sure I went with the 12" by 16" frame, but that's really up to you on how big you want to go.

• Jute. You'll need this to line the inside of the frame.  I happened to have a ton already from other wedding crafts, but I did purchase it at WalMart for a low price of $1.97. You could also use twine or some other fun form of string. My goal was to get a rustic feel for the wedding. 
• Glue. I had some from another project I did awhile ago. It's called Tacky Glue and you can pick it up at most craft stores for roughly $1.29. A trusty glue gun would also do a fabulous job here.
• Clothespins.  I went with mini ones that were a couple of dollars at WalMart and came in a pack of 20 or so.  Most craft stores have the mini ones.  You could use larger ones if you have a bigger frame, or plan to hang only a few items inside. 

Step 2: Put it all together!

From here, you'll just need to cut the jute and glue it to the back edges of the frame. I did 4 rows because of how much I wanted to hang inside the frame. Depending on how much you're looking to hang in there, you could use more or less. Tip: Measure out one strand first and make it almost the whole width of the actual frame, not just the open space. Then cut about 3 (or however many rows you'd like) more. Once the jute is glued down (and secure), go ahead and hang the clothespins! 

Here's my finished frame!

You're done! For around $20 (or $30 if your frame maybe wasn't on sale), you can have this adorable and very useful piece! I would keep an eye out for craft store coupons if you'll need to buy anything for this project.  I'm most excited to keep this and use it in our house after the wedding.  I'm thinking I can put cards and photos in it.  Are you looking to make one of these? Be sure to share your photos with me!

Until next time,

Brandt