For back to school, here’s a giant pencil-shaped photo frame you can make as a family, perfect for capturing the first day of school with a smile. Grab your paints, we’ll show you how!
2 sheets of white cardstock
Box Cutter or Hobby Knife
Paint
Paint Brushes
Scissors
Pencils
Every back-to-school season deserves a little souvenir photo. Rather than the traditional snapshot in front of the door, we suggest a colorful photo prop: a pencil-shaped frame into which children can slip their faces. Guaranteed to create memorable back-to-school moments!
Have a good start to the school year.
Gather the materials needed for the activity.
On the white cardstock, draw a frame using a ruler and a pencil, respecting these dimensions: 1.25″ on the sides and 0.75″ at the top and bottom. These edges will become the colored body of the pencil.
On a second piece of cardboard, draw the part corresponding to the tip of the pencil: in the middle of the sheet lengthwise, draw a line of 5.5″ then draw an isosceles triangle.
With an adult, use the craft knife to cut out the inside of the frame on the white sheet of paper. Use scissors to cut off the tip of the pencil.
On the tip of the pencil, draw a row of small arches (like scales) to represent the sharpened wood of the pencil. A simple detail that makes all the difference!
Time for some gouache painting! Paint the pencil body orange, the tip yellow and brown, the small ring grey, and the eraser red. Let the children’s color choices run wild, then let it dry completely.
And there you have it, the photo frame is ready! Now all that’s left is to take a picture for the start of the school year with your biggest smile.
