Wood Tile Photos

These photos make great gifts! It is an awesome way to display graduation pictures, wedding photos, newborn photos, the list goes on and on!

All who attempt to create the wooden tile picture outlined in this instructable does so at their own risk. This includes all damages or loss to personal or non-personal property, including and not limited to bodily injury or death.

Ensure that you follow all safety requirements associated with the equipment listed in the supplies listing.

Resin will be used during this project and the instructions/precautions can be found on the box.

**Faces are covered in this project to protect the subjects**

By following these instructions, you can turn the normal photo into a priceless work of art! I was first introduced to these in 1999 while taking a class in Utah. The individual that showed them to use had been using calendar photos and they turned out beautifully! Utah is the only location where I have found that they actually sell the boards pre-cut in the craft store (not sure if this is still the case). But, since I moved away from there, I have my dad create the boards required for this craft for me.

I have used them in fundraising events and they sell like hot cakes! I love to give them as gifts and in fact the one in my demostration will be given to my friend that just recently got married and his birthday is next week.

I hope you love them as much as I do!

This board is required for the project, however these instructions do not go into great detail on "how-to" create the board. I have attached a few photos of 8x10 measurements to help you create the board which is made to fit into a normal size, off the shelf frame (8x10, 5x7, 10x13, etc...).

The board itself is cut from a sheet of MDF which is available in any lumber store (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc...)

Supplies:

1. Craft Board

2. Scissors

3. Newspaper

4. Acrylic Paint

5. Popsicle Stick

6. Hair Dryer

7. Small Paint Brush

8. Photo (Size Depends on Craft Board) (If printed from home, use photo paper or heavy paper in your printer--if ink is not dry, it will smear in the final stages of project)

9. Picture Frame (size depends on photo)

10. Tack Cloth

11. Disposible container (I use an applesauce or pudding single serving container)

12. Something to raise your photo (I use acrylic paint bottles/make sure it is disposible--if resin gets on it in later steps, it will not come off)

13. Enviro-Tex Lite Pour-On High Gloss Finish (available at Michael's Craft Store)--A.K.A. Resin

14. Cutting Board

15. Pencil

16. Pliers

17. Glue Stick

1. Using Tack Cloth, wipe down the board to remove excess dust, including cracks.

Note: If the tack cloth won't reach all the cracks, use the paint brush to "dust" cracks, then wipe with tack cloth.

1. Open back of picture frame and remove glass, paper and cardboard.

2. Most picture frames contain metal or staples that hold glass into place. These must be removed with the pliers.

Caution: Exercise safety when removing metal pieces with pliers. Pulling may cause you to jab your hand on the other metal posts! Recommend gripping and bending in an upward motion with pliers to remove. Also, eye protection may be worn if you are concerned about flipping one into your eyes.

Caution: Be careful when removing the glass. In some frames it is a very snug fit and can break while being removed.

3. Ensure wood fits into picture frame prior to starting project.

1. Paint the outside edges and cracks of the board (this includes the top and sides of cracks) with acrylic paint. Ensure all edges are painted, try not to paint the top surface where the picture will be--this could cause the paint to bleed through the photo when the resin is applied later.

2. Let paint dry. If a second coat is needed, do so. Again, let paint dry.

Note: The outside of edge of the board measures 8x10 or 5x7, meaning that the inside where the photo will be is smaller. This requires the photo to be cutdown.

Caution: Ensure paint is dry before laying picture on the board.

1. When deciding which part of the top/bottom and sides will be cut, take into account where important parts of your photos fall (faces, hands, necks, etc...). If they fall on a crack, your picture may end up missing a significant part and it will ruin your project.

2. Align the photo to remove the part of the photo that will not be used and mark it using a pencil. Trying to measure with a ruler can be frustrating, I literally lay the photo on the board and draw a line at the edge of the board onto the photo--make marks just big enough to see, it will be cut off when you make your cuts.

For my example, I took all of the excess off of the top--too many trees, and I removed some from each side--I didn't want the crack to take off too much of the small hand of the boy.

3. Make your cuts as necessary using the cutting board.

4. When complete, your photo should align to the top/bottom and sides of the raised surface.

Note: You will actually be removing small strips from the photo--you will not be making one cut and sliding the photo over

1. With photo laying on the board, hold the photo firmly to the board. Starting with the bottom--use the pencil and draw two small lines, one on each side of the crack that is visible underneath. With the board I am using in my example, this will be done twice (once for each crack, totaling 4 marks). Then move to the top of the photo and mark the crack for the same two lines (4 more marks).

2. Remove the photo and align the marks on the cutting board, and cut. **Remember, measure twice and cut once--meaning if you cut the photo incorrectly, it will be ruined**

3. This will remove two very thin stripes where the cracks are and you will now have 3 strips of the photo left.

Note: Pay attention to lines in your photo, for example if you have a tree branch, make sure the branch stays aligned from one strip to the other to prevent making a crooked tree!

4. Starting from the right, lay the strip back on the board--it should align to the raised surface without hanging over. If it does hang over the edge, the photo may require more trimming with the cutting board or scissors.

5. Next, mark the horizonal lines on the photo on both the left and right side of the strip.

6. Align the marks on the cutting board and cut.

Note: As your pieces get cut down to the proper size, flip them over and very lightly number each piece--this will help you not misplace pieces or glue them on your project later the wrong direction.

7. Once the strip has all the horizonal lines cut and each piece properly fits on the portion that it is intended for. Move on to the next strip and repeat Steps 4-7 until all strips/pieces have been cut, fit and numbered.

Note: At this time you can check your work by placing all the pieces on the board, ensuring that they fit the intended spot and do not go over the edge--if it does go over the edge, trim it, not doing so many cause the edge to stick out of the resin in the final steps. Also, ensure the correct orientation for each piece.

1. Using a glue stick, apply glue to the board.

Note: Do not use regular glue, this could cause bumps and bulges in your photo!

Note: Use caution to ensure glue does not get on the front of your photo!

2. Stick photo pieces to board. Ensure corners and edges are all secured. I recommend using a napkin to press the photo in place, this will prevent finger prints from getting on the photo. If you use a tissue, it will leave behind lint on your photo which will be amplified when the resin is added!

1. Use this time to prepare for your final steps.

2. Dispose of trash.

3. Set aside/put away cutting board, tack cloth, paint brush, pencil, glue stick, scissors, rinse paint brush/put away, close up paint.

4. Lay out newspaper to cover work area.

5. Put photo up on stands on top of newspaper (as I said before, I use acrylic paint bottles, but you could use anything from wood blocks to cans of veggies).

6. Get your empty disposible container (I use single serving applesauce or putting containers)

7. Plug in your hair dryer--where it will reach the project.

8. Set resin out for use.

Note: All these steps allow time for your glue to dry.

1. Inside the "pour-on" box are two bottles: Hardener and Resin these will be mixed in equal parts.

2. For an 8 x 10 photo, using a 1/4 c, fill measuring cup with water and pour into disposible container--mark the height of the water.

3. Fill the measuring cup again, and add another 1/4 c to the disposible container and mark the height of the water.

4. Dump out the water and dry the container.

Note: Do not dry the container with something that will leave behind lint! May be best to air dry.

5. Take the Hardener and fill the container to the first mark.

6. Take the Resin and fill the container to the second mark.

7. Use the popsicle stick to stir mixure until it has the same color throughout (no swirls).

1. Slowly pour resin mixure onto photo.

2. Use the popsicle stick to spread the mixure.

3. Ensure all edges and cracks are covered.

4. Use the popsicle stick to "cut" down the cracks--cracks will be lined with resin mix, but not filled. Ensure edge of the photo is completely covered.

5. Use the hair dryer, on the lowest setting, to blow out bubbles in the resin on the photo. You can also blow the bubbles out (like candles on a birthday cake). If that doesn't work, use the popsicle stick to get rid of them.

**Note: My dad goes over it with a blow torch and it works too**

6. Look at your photo from all angles to ensure it is completely covered, the bubbles are removed and there is no lint/hair in it (use the popsicle stick to remove them if necessary).

7. Place the frame on the picture--the resin with "glue" the frame to the wood.

8. Check the back of photo and "cut" drips off with popsicle stick--if you don't do this and the drops dry, your photo will not lay or hang flat on the wall.

9. Let project dry for approximately 48 hours!

You are finished! Feel free to add a bracket to your photo and hang for all the world to see!

Enjoy your photo!