Handmade (toddlermade) gifts are the sweetest… at least this Mama thinks so! Try out this sentimental toddler craft idea for a heart-melting gift on Valentine’s Day.
How to Make the Clothespin Picture Frame Craft
This craft is somewhat lengthy if you take into account the time needed for the paint to dry. Which can be a good thing, if you’re looking to fill up time, or a bad thing, if you’re in a rush.
So I’ll give you a few options for decorating your clothespins.
Ready to get started?
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Supplies Needed
- wood clothespins (the pinchy kind)
- cardboard
- pretty paper
- small photo
- glue
- paint and paintbrushes
- washi tape (or stickers)
A quick note: the clothespins can be heavy, so I’d keep the photo small. We used a 5″x7″ photo, and I thought that was the perfect size.
Also, you’ll need at least three clothespins to form the base, so keep that in mind as kids decorate the clothespins.
Which brings me to step one…
Step One: Decorate the Clothespins
OPTION ONE: Paint
I gave my toddler a paper plate with a little paint and one without. And because I already had the plates there, I put out a third for the unpainted clothespins.
Elena put a clothespin on one plate, painted it, and then placed it on the empty paper plate to dry.
TIP: Use coordinating colors to make sure the frame ends up looking nice 🙂 We used purple, blue, and red, which ended up just being… purple.
OPTION TWO: Use Stickers or Tape
Elena also used glittery washi tape to decorate the remaining clothespins.
She basically ripped pieces of tape and covered the tops of the clothespins however she wanted.
I think both decorating options look really great together!
STEP TWO: Glue the Photo
I cut a piece of cardboard to fit our 5″x7″ photo with about a half inch border all around. We used ugly brown cardboard, so I cut a piece of scrapbook paper to cover it.
Elena glued the paper to the cardboard and the photo to the center of the frame.
STEP THREE: Clip the Clothespins
Once the paint was dry, Elena clipped the clothespins all around the frame.
Pinching and clipping clothespins is a great workout for fine motor muscles!
STEP FOUR: Create a Base
To make the frame stand up by itself, I clipped extra clothespins perpendicular to the bottom row of clothespins.
This is an instance where a picture is worth a thousand words. See below to get a better idea of what I mean.
I only used two clothespins here, but you could add a third in the middle to really stabilize the frame.
What We’re Learning
Of course, this activity is a great way to entertain your toddler, but also there’s tons for toddlers to learn.
They’ll practice fine motor skills, which essentially means they’ll exercise their hand muscles and work on dexterity and strength. These are imperative for writing, picking up stuff, zipping zippers and buttoning buttons… you get the picture.
Toddlers will learn to express their creativity. This is a great opportunity to give kids free rein over a project especially when in most areas of their life, they don’t really get a chance to do what they want.
Now’s their chance to safely and creatively express themselves!
Patience. Waiting for the glue and paint to dry is tough for little kids. Elena has “messed up” so many of her own arts and crafts because she’s wanted to start playing with the things she’s made. Then she gets sad because a sequin fell off.
Patience is a lesson we’ll keep on learning throughout life, so I think it’s great to practice it as young as we can!
These are just a few things I can think of that my toddler learned from doing this activity.
Your Turn to Create a Clothespin Picture Frame Craft
This cute little craft makes such a great sentimental DIY gift. Toddlers will feel so proud of the gift they made, and it actually can turn out really pretty, too.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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