Wall Art Gift Ideas for Christmas: Family Handprint Craft & More
by Cody Johnson | Dec 11, 2012 | Art & Decor
Everyone appreciates a thoughtful gift, and our wall art gift ideas with a personal touch will speak volumes to the special recipients on your gift list this year. A handmade gift, even if you can’t give one every year, is sure to be treasured for years to come. It’s also fun to get creative making wall art gifts, and you can even use your digital photography skills in the process!
Framed Travel Wall Art
Whether your recipient took an amazing vacation this year or hopes to travel to a destination at some point in the future, travel wall art is a great personal gift that you can make yourself. You can frame maps of a particular area, prints of well known landmarks, or even digital photography that you took yourself as either a memento or an aspirational piece. Here are a few tips for getting started:
- Choose a frame that fits the recipient’s style, or a neutral frame that would go well in any room.
- Make sure that the print or photo that you want to use is sized appropriately for the frame. For example, a map of France would lose its impact sized to an 8x10 frame, but a map of Paris would work well for this size.
- Travel wall art looks great in pairs or threes; try to create an instant and well matched collection for the recipient.
Family Handprint Craft
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other close family members living far away will appreciate this thoughtful gift. Children will also have fun getting a little messy during a family handprint craft project!
- Pick out a frame and matting that is tall enough to fit each of your family member’s handprints.
- Cut sturdy black matte board to fit the matt opening.
- Have each family member put their right palm and fingers on a tray of white paint, then center their handprint in the middle of the black matte board. Have the youngest family members start from the bottom for the most visual impact.
- Once the paint is dry, use a white paint marker to print or sign each family member’s name next to their handprint.
Window with a Perfect View
For friends who live in the city or don’t have many windows in their home, the “Window with a Perfect View” project is an excellent personal gift that gives you the chance to share your digital photography. This faux window is easy to make and will last for years to come.
- Purchase a faux window frame meant for pictures, like this one from Photo Frames Plus. These frames mimic rustic windows with wood paneling in the middle and are usually used to display smaller photos.
- Pick out an example of your landscape photography that the recipient would like, such as a sweeping view of fall, the ocean front, or another inspiring view.
- Order your photo in a size large enough to fill the entire area of the glass of the frame.
- Remove the back of the “window” frame so that you can remove the matting meant for smaller pictures, and insert your large sized landscape.
- Replace the frame backing, and you have a Window with a Perfect View!
Although with so many demands on our time it isn’t always possible to create handmade gifts for everyone on our Christmas list, it’s a nice thought and a great way to relax during the hectic holidays if you can set aside an hour or two. Our Christmas wall art gift ideas are one of the best ways to show someone that you’re in tune with their interests and aspirations! If any of these tasks seem daunting to you ask the pros over at Canvas Press for a little help creating your Christmas photo project. They are always willing to help in any way they can.
http://www.canvaspress.com