Easy DIY Wood Mounted Photograph (and a Giveaway!)

I am so excited to share this project with you today!  This DIY wood mounted photograph is extremely easy, very cheap, is beautiful to display in your home, and makes the perfect gift.  I am also thrilled to be hosting an amazing giveaway, so stay tuned to the end of this post to find out the details, and how you can enter.

****************************** Giveaway is now closed *******************************

I made one of these wood mounted photographs for my mom's birthday gift a few weeks ago with our family photo on it, and she couldn't believe that I made it.  It truly is one of my favorite projects.  The finished surface of the photograph ends up looking almost like a canvas, and the end result looks very high end. And with Christmas in the near future, this would make a wonderful and inexpensive gift for your family or friends.  I originally saw this idea at Mommy Models.

So let's begin!  Here are the supplies that you will need:

I had these 12"x12" photos printed at Costco for only $2.99 each.

I bought a wood board that was 12"x 60"at Lowe's that only cost $7.77.  I had someone there cut the board for me into 5 equal pieces, so that I ended up with 5 boards for 5 different photographs.  So it ended up costing me less than $5 per photo board, which is a great price!  

You can use any color of paint that you like.  The color you choose will be what is painted on the edges of the wood, so make sure to pick a color that complements your photo.

 First you need to sand the edges of the wood board, just to smooth it down a little.

Then paint the sides of your board.  I painted two coats.  If you are giving this as a gift, I would recommend painting the back too.  If you are keeping it for yourself, you can either paint the back or leave it unpainted, since it will probably be hung on the wall or set on a shelf where the back won't be seen.  I think that a woodstain would look really nice, too.  I think I'll try that next time.

Next, paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the top of your wood board.  Then stick your photo down on the board and smooth it down.

Next comes the scary part!  Brush on a layer of Mod Podge on top of your photo.  It will look like you ruined it, and you'll be wondering if you messed it up, but it will be okay!  The Mod Podge dries clear, and will look fine after a few minutes.

I used horizontal brush strokes for the first layer, and once that dried, I brushed on a second layer using vertical brush strokes.  This gave it a canvas-y look that I liked.  Just make sure you use full brush strokes straight across, to make it smooth.  Once the top dries, brush the sides with Mod Podge too.

Here it is all white with the Mod Podge...

And here are the finished products.  Aren't they beautiful?  You can see a little bit of the texture on the photographs.  This project is so cheap, so easy, is very quick to make, and I hope you will give it a try!  If you do make one, or have any questions about this project, be sure to leave a comment below. 

If you like this project, you can enter your email address in the sidebar to receive an email when I post a new project.  You can also click on the buttons in my sidebar to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

Now, on to the giveaway!!!

I am beyond excited to be giving away a one hour photo shoot with photographer Tyler Little, a local San Diego photographer who takes family, wedding, engagement, newborn, and maternity photos. 

The winner of this contest will receive a local one hour photo shoot with Tyler, and will receive an edited disc of high-resolution images.  This would be the perfect opportunity to get your family Christmas portraits taken!

Here are some examples of Tyler's amazing work.

 If you would like to see more of Tyler's beautiful photos, you can see them here.

Here are the giveaway rules:

1.  You MUST be a local San Diego resident to win the giveaway.  Anyone may comment, but only a  local commenter can win.  If the chosen winner is not local, another winner will be chosen.  Winner will be chosen at random, and will receive a one hour local San Diego photo shoot with photographer Tyler Little, and will receive a disc of high-resolution edited images.

2.  To enter, please leave a comment below.

3.  To earn a second entry, like Make Life Lovely on Facebook.  Leave a separate comment telling me that you liked Make Life Lovely on Facebook.

4.  To earn a third entry, enter your email address in the sidebar to alert you when there is a new post.  Leave a separate comment telling me that you signed up to receive email alerts.

5.  This giveaway will close at midnight on Saturday, November 10, 2012.  The winner will be announced on Monday, November 12, 2012.

Good luck!!!

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.