How to Make a DIY Photo Mat (Using Simple Materials)

A photograph of a dog centered on a cutting mat beside a box cutter and a planner with a

Discover how to craft your own photo mat for any photo and frame size, adding a personal touch to your cherished photographs.

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Have you ever thought about making your own photo mats to add a personal touch to your photos?

Maybe your photo is too small for the frame, or maybe you want a pop of color to highlight your black-and-white photos.

Whatever the reason, this easy DIY project will spruce up your home decor!

Here are some more fun DIY photo projects for you to try:

Table of Contents

Materials

A selection of scrapbooking materials laid out on a cutting mat, including photographs, adhesive mounting corners, a ruler, a pen, and a roll of tape.

Process

You can follow these steps regardless of your photo and frame size. I’m using a 15.2 x 10.2 cm (4×6″) photo frame and a 10.5 x 7.5 cm photo.

Step 1

An orange utility knife, a white notecard, and a transparent ruler arranged on a cutting mat with gridlines.

The first thing you need to do is cut the cardboard to the same size as the frame. You can use Fabriano or an acid-free paper traditionally used to mount photos.

However, I suggest using regular cardboard because we will wrap it with fun or colorful paper that’s not archive quality. So, you would be spending extra money to lose the advantages of that material.

Not only is it OK to use regular cardboard, you can repurpose any package you have around the house – for example, a cereal box. Make sure it’s easy enough to cut and the thickness fits your frame.

I’m using the envelope from FreePrints, where I recently ordered some prints.

So, place the glass or the base of the frame on top of the cardboard. Then, trace the edge around it with a pencil and cut it.

Step 2

A pencil rests beside two pieces of paper with a diagonal fold on a gray grid background.

You’ll have to cut a window inside the cardboard piece you just cut to showcase the photo. Obviously, the window needs to be centred.

To find the centre, trace an X connecting the corners. Then, do the same on the back of your photo – make sure you’re using a pencil rather than a pen.

Step 3

Two images comparing the measurement of printed objects on photo versus on cardboard, with a ruler for scale and a pencil indicating the starting point of measurement.

Next, measure the line length from the picture’s centre to one of the corners. In my case, it’s 6.4 cm, but this will depend on the size of your print.

Since I want the window to be slightly smaller than the photo (otherwise, it will fall) I marked 6 cm on each diagonal line of the cardboard.

How much smaller you make it depends on your frame and print size. It will also depend on whether there’s much information towards the edge of the photo.

A blank white envelope on a gray tiled surface.

Then, connect the dots to trace a rectangle on the cardboard. Make sure the rectangle you traced is, in fact, smaller than your photo.

Step 4

Crafting supplies including a photograph of a dog, a cutting mat, a utility knife, an envelope, and a paper frame.

Using the cutter, cut the rectangle you just traced.

Now, you can erase the diagonal lines you traced if you want. If the color paper you’ll use is thick enough to cover them, you won’t have to worry.

Step 5

A watercolor painting surrounded by masking tape on a cutting mat with a pencil and ruler nearby.

On the back of the color paper, trace a rectangle that’s slightly bigger than the cardboard frame. In my case, I drew it 1.5 cm bigger on each side.

Then, trace the cut-out window so that the internal rectangle is smaller than the one on the cardboard.

Step 6

A homemade picture frame made of patterned paper and tape on a cutting mat.

Now, place the cardboard paper on top of the color paper. Then, start folding it so that you wrap the cardboard and use the Scotch tape to fix it on the back.

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