Large photos can really make a great impact on any space. But not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on getting one of these large Faom Board, or Canvas prints... myself included! Which is why I've decided to share with you a VERY easy way to create your own large Foam Board prints, for a fraction of the cost of what you would pay a proffessional printing company for. I made 5 prints for my baby's room in sizes: 20x30 inches, two 16x16 squares, a 10x10 square, and a 10x12 print. For all of these prints, I paid around $30. (closer to $40 if I count the adhesive I had to purchase, but you use so little of it, it will stretch FAR for any other projects you have) If I had ordered these through my printing company, I would've easily paid anywhere from $275 to $300! AND making these myself also gave me the opportunity to create my own custom sizes that the printing company doesn't even offer! (the 10x12) I love that I was able to get a larger size of that photo with out having to crop anything out of it, like I would've had to do if I got it in an 8x10. :) PLEASE NOTE: I am not bashing any of the photo printing companies out there. I know exactly why they charge the prices that they do. And it's true, their quality of prints mounted on foam board far surpasses these DIY foam board prints. Infact, I wouldn't recommend putting one of these in the main part of your home. I wouldn't call them "mantle worthy" I think even with lots of practice you'll still end up with imperfections that you would never get with a printing company. I personally would just save the money to get a quality print for the main part of my home... but to each their own right? If the slightly uneven surface doesn't bug ya, then by all means, put it over your mantle! lol. ;) Anyway, I'm extremely happy with the look I was able to achieve in my baby's room, and to be able to stay way under budget at the same time. :) Heard enough of my rambling?? Well lets move on to the tutorial then! :)
First you'll need your supplies: Elmer's Spary Adhesive (found at any craft store, or home improvement store), a foam board sheet (Hobby Lobby sells them in sizes ranging from 20x30 clear up to HUGE. (not sure of the actual size, but I know they were too large to even put in my car) I purchased 3 20x30 sizes on sale for $1.19 a piece) And your prints. I ordered mine from Costco. They sell the 20x30 size, and for my other prints I made a collage of them to fit on a 20x30 sheet, and ordered them that way, saved me money by ordering mulitple photos onto one sheet, and allowed me to make sizes they didn't offer. (Reminder to all of my clients, when purchasing photos from Costco, TURN OFF THE AUTO CORRECT!) I forgot to do that with my prints, and they changed up my editing, making them SO dark. Luckily, they were nice enough to redo them for me free of charge. But save yourself the hassle and remember to turn off the auto correct in the first place. lol.
(sorry, no photo of the blank foam board sheets or "before" prints) But by the time I decided I should share this tutorial, they were already glued on and I had started cutting them out) Also, I apologize for the quality of these photos as I took them with my phone out of laziness. ;)
Anyway, after you have all of your supplies, all you do is spray the adhesive onto the foam board (I'd recommend doing this outside, with a protective sheet or paper under it. It's kind of messy, and of course, leaves a very sticky residue.) Place the photo onto the sprayed board, and moving from the center outward, gentley smooth out any bubbles. Tip: for larger prints have someone help you if you need to place it exactly on the board like I did with my 20x30. Also, take off any rings you may have on your fingers! I had my wedding band on, and while smoothing it out, scratched up my photo. :( I was too lazy and cheap to order a new one, so It's something I'll just have to live with.
After your photos are all glued on, it's time for the tedious part. Cutting them out. Siccors will not work for this project, as it will bend up your board. You'll need a razor blade or an exacto knife. Tip: if you are using photos that blend in with the white boarder, do this during the day with good lighting. Yet another mistake I made. I tried cutting these out in the evening, the lighting was horrible and I couldn't see the lines very well. Yet another thing I'll just have to live with; crooked lines. yuck. :(
After the edges are cut through, simply pop the photo out and you're done!!
You can display them on an easel:
Or simply rest them on a shelf:
Or hang them on your wall as they are! (I used command strips to hang the ones above his crib)
I hope this tutorial made enough sense, and I hope you learn from the mistakes that I already made for you! ;) If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask!
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