Since I love to cook, I love collecting, altering and creating my own recipes. So…why not “Color Crazy Craft Recipes?”– Fun recipes to get you started that you can make all your own. I’m starting the first batch of craft recipes with the Locker Hooked Photo Box. These photo boxes are beautiful on their own, but you can also locker hook a ruched frame to add a hand-crafted touch. You can use these as beautiful photo frames and gift boxes. Choose your own colors to customize.
Color Crazy Craft Recipe: Locker Hooked Photo Box
- Locker Hooked Photo Box
Slip in a 3″ x 4″ photo or a greeting or a simple “thank you!” for a gift. I used the gray one above to give a gift certificate as a wedding gift. To get started, choose a box in a favorite color. I chose the Color Crazy Orange/Tangerine Plaid ribbon first and it matched the yellow, orange and fuchsia boxes but I thought yellow worked best.
There’s a variety of fun colors to choose from to make your own…
Learn more about how to create ruched frames in the Locking Loops book.
Ingredients
- 5-mesh canvas – 49 x 38 squares
- Color Crazy Photo Box
- 20 yds. 3/4″W Color Crazy Plaid Strips (or your own color choices)
- 12 – 14 yds. 1/2″W Color Crazy Fuchsia Strips
- 3 – 4 yds. 1/2″W Color Crazy Rayon Ribbon in Orange Creamsicle
- Optional: additional ribbon or yarn to add more texture
- Locking Medium–Matching yarn or black sturdy medium weight acrylic blend
- Ruched Frame Padding–Bulky yarn
- Card stock
- Quick Grip Fast Drying Adhesive or similar glue
Tools
- locker hook
- tapestry needle #13
- clamps or clothespins
- scissors
Instructions
- Cut canvas piece – 49 x 38 squares. Fold over edges shown by gray in pattern above.
- Cut out the rectangle frame and secure edges with a bead of Quick Grip glue. Let dry.
- Use tapestry needle and Color Crazy Rayon Ribbon to frame all edges.
- Use locker hook and black or matching yarn with Color Crazy Fuchsia Fabric Strips to locker hook frame, sew in tails to finish.
- Use tapestry needle and bulky yarn to sew on ruched frame padding to desired thickness.
- Use tapestry needle to stitch on Color Crazy Plaid Strips to form ruched frame. Sew in tails to finish.
Locker hooking and stitching the ruched frame for the cover - Glue just one edge first. Add a bead of glue to one long side of the frame and the parallel inside of the frame. Not too much because it will ooze. Just enough (1/8″w bead approx) to glue onto photo box top. Let dry until a bit tacky. Align with back of top lid overlapping slightly to fit and press down. Hold in place for a couple of minutes until it sets. Let dry.
- Follow same instructions to glue the rest of the edges down. Use clamps or clothes pins to hold in place until dry. Press inside frame edges with fingers until glue sets and holds. Finished canvas piece will overlap photo box slightly.
- Print a photo on a heavy stock photo paper or a greeting on a card stock that measures 3 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ and insert via the side slit on the top of the box. Use fingers to arrange in place. It’s a tight squeeze, so you’ll have to apply gentle firm pressure to guide it in. Voila! You now have a beautiful photo box with a locker hooked and ruched frame to give as a gift.
- Below: Locker hooked and ruched frame on top of photo box held with clothes pins for glue to dry (you can also use binder clips or clamps).
- Everything You Need for Color Crazy Craft Recipe – Photo Box with Locker Hooked Frame