Easy Family Craft: DIY Photo Frame With Air-Dry Clay

I started with the idea of making a simple photo frame, but thought it would be more fun to give it a little extra character. So I added a hidden magnet to hold a favorite photo or artwork, along with a tiny vase and a few openings for flowers.

It’s all made with air-dry clay and is a pretty simple project to make. It could be a fun little weekend craft to create with kids, and there’s plenty of room to play around with different shapes, patterns, and colors. Here’s how I made it!

1. Air-Dry Clay — for building the frame and mini vase
2. Sculpting Tools — for shaping, cutting, and refining the clay
3. Coffee Grounds — for adding texture to the clay
4. Mini Shape Cutters — for creating the flower openings
5. Small Magnets — for holding the photo in place
6. Acrylic Markers — for adding patterns and details
7. Pencil — for sketching the design before adding color

Mix a small amount of coffee grounds into the air-dry clay to give it a subtle speckled texture.

Roll the clay to an even thickness, then use a sculpting tool and a ruler to mark out the basic shape. I kept mine simple, like a little house.

Fold the clay along the guide lines to form the frame. Small cuts at the corners make the clay much easier to fold.

Use a little water to join the pieces together, then trim away any excess clay for a cleaner shape.

Use mini shape cutters to create three small openings for the flowers.

I used simple shapes, but feel free to choose any shapes or arrangement you like.

Embed one magnet inside the frame and cover it completely with a thin layer of clay.

Place the second magnet inside a small piece of clay, then shape the clay into a flower.

Tip: Check the magnet direction before sealing it inside the clay.

Make a tiny vase from clay, leaving enough space inside for a few small flower stems.

Once everything is finished, let the clay dry completely.

Once the clay is fully dry, it’s time to decorate.

Lightly sketch your design with a pencil first, or go straight in with acrylic markers. I added simple lines, dots, and little patterns across the surface.

A few small details can make a big difference!

Add a favorite photo, postcard, or little piece of artwork, then place a few flowers in the openings and mini vase.

Now it’s both a photo frame and a little flower display.

You can easily make it your own by changing the shape, patterns, colors, or flower openings.