The Tortured Poets Department Poetry Party Part 2: DIY Frames for Your Instant Photos

Yesterday, we talked about the lore of instant photos in the world of Taylor Swift as part of our The Tortured Poets Department party release programming outline. And I recommended some instant printers to make your own photos. Today, I’m going to talk about some fun craft ideas you can do with tweens and teens to display these photos.

But first, I want to make sure you know that there are a ton of fun frames you can buy built right into the film. If you search online you can find a variety of designs. I have even found Star Wars, Lilo & Stitch, and Winnie the Pooh ones. It’s just a fun way to add a bit of flair. The film with fun frames works especially well for our final craft discussed today. You can also get the basic white or basic black framed instant film.

DIY Craft One: Air Dry Clay Photo Holders

Supplies:

• Air dry clay
• A butter knife
• Paint
• Paint brushes
• Mod Podge to seal final craft

These are pretty easy to make honestly. Make a shape, any shape, as your base. You just want it flat on the bottom so it can sit on your desk or wherever. You will then make a slit the length of bottom of your instant photo in it, as seen in the right hand photo. This is what holds your photo up for display.

Let it dry a bit. Then paint.

If you want to add 3d effects, you can add things like the flowers as seen above.

When everything is totally dry, you might want to seal it with Mod Podge.

DIY Hanging Photo Holders

You can buy ready made packs of hanging photo holders. But you can also make them, and that’s a lot more fun.

To make them, you need:

• Card stock
• Small clothespin like clips
• Twine
• Stickers or other embellishments, if desired
• Scissors
• Glue

You’ll want to measure and cut the appropriate size opening in the card stock. I used envelopes as they were already 2 sided. If you use regular cardstock, you’ll have to glue one cut square to a solid back square to make your frame. You want to make a pocket to slide the photo into.

You’ll cut the twine and hang the framed pictures onto the line as seen above. Simple but fun.

DIY Painted Wood Display Frames

Supplies:

• Craft wood in a rectangle shape, bought online or at any craft store
• Various permanent paints
• Paint brushes
• Small clothespins
• Magnets (if you want to make a magnetic version)
• Stickers or other embellishments, if desired
• Mod Podge, again if desired to “seal” your final frame
• Strong, permanent craft glue like E6000

This is a pretty open ended craft. You simply want to paint and decorate your craft wood in whatever way you would like. Set it aside and let it dry fully. You’ll then use your craft glue to glue the clothespin into place to hold your photo in place and display it. If you want to paint your clothespins, do that at the same time as you paint everything else so it can dry.

To make a desk standing version, I glued 2 clothespins at the bottom to serve as feet.

You can also glue magnets on the back and make a magnetic version.

If you don’t want to use clothespins, you can buy these magnetic clips seen below in most office supply sections of stores. I bought the ones below at the dollar store, making this craft less expensive.

You can also use longer pieces of wood to make more decorative displays, as seen below.

All of these were made by teens and I and can be found around my house. I love these crafts and think they are so fun. And I love instant photos. I feel like these crafts would be Taylor Swift approved and are a great addition to any Taylor Swift themed party or event.

Some Additional Posts of Interest

Reverse Engineering: Taylor Swift Inspired RA Tools in Canva

Cindy Crushes Programming: Hosting a Taylor Swift Party, by Teen Librarian Cindy Shutts

Filed under: Crafts, DIY, Teen Programming, Teen Programming in a Box