Make a Hanging Photo Cube for Christmas Decoration

Make this photo cube as an ornament for Christmas or the winter holiday. This adult craft project will appeal to scrapbookers and paper crafters. Instructions and video demonstration are shown.

How about making a unique photo cube from a 3-D ball? How cool would this be for a gift for the proud grandparents, or for a Christmas or Holiday gift, or even as your own brag "book" for the office? What makes it even cuter is that this ball flattens out so you can mail it in an envelope. It "pops up" when opened.

This lens shows you exactly how to make the 3-D ball and shows you the tools and supplies you will need.

The lens also describes how to modify your digital photographs in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements so you can print them out already shaped for the project. Of course, if you prefer, you can cut pieces out of your prints and use that instead.

Or, if you prefer, you can make the 3-D ball and decorate it in any style you choose -- perhaps as a gift for teacher or to hang from your tree.

For Christmas or the Holiday Season

This pop-up ball is made with the same die, but this time, instead of using photos to form a photo-cube, I decorated the ball with snowflakes, glitter and a product called a "snow writer."

You can use use the pop-up die in so many ways. I have seen it used to put up inside a card as an invitation to a pool party. Makes a great beach ball, don't you think?

Decorate it with artistic collages for a a striking, heritage effect. Decorate with Disney characters and make a charming mobile for a child's bedroom. Cover it with your vacation photos and hang it in your office. Cover it with a combination of photos and pet related embellishments and give it to your veterinarian as a thank you or for a Holiday greeting.

Decorate it with wild, neon colors and make a striking decoration for a teen's party. Cover it with Elvis memorabilia for a nostalgia party. Decorate it appropriately and give it to a teacher for a gift.

You can also use an eyelet to attach this ball to a sheet of card stock or chipboard and it becomes a spinner.

Your only limit is your imagination.

Digital Editing in Photoshop CS or Photoshop Elements

You could always cut your prints into appropriate shapes to fit in the photo cube, but there are some disadvantages to doing it that way. You will probably not have prints that are the right size or that work well with these shapes. A better way is to modify your images digitally, using a photo editing software program such as Photoshop CS or Photoshop Elements. You can then print your photos or any part of your photo -- in the exact shape and size to fit the little sections on the photo cube. Note that the upper and bottom shapes are reversed.

If you would like step by step directions for modifying your photos in Photoshp CS or Elements, please refer to the instructions at this link: Digital Image Editing to Fit the Photo Cube.

Never used a Sizzix Big Shot before? (It sometimes goes by the name of Sizzix Bigkick when its sold in Walmart, Michaels and possibly other department stores). If you've never used the Big Shot, I urge you to view this video that I made. It shows you how to use the Big Shot in several ways, and these ways are by no means all the product can do. I love the Big Shot. It's one of my favorite tools and I can't say enough good things about it.

Obviously, you do not need to limit your 3-D ball decorating to Christmas or winter holiday themes.

You can use it for any purpose you desire.

Since the ball flattens out to fit in an envelope, you could even use it for special invitations or messages.

In the photo to the right, I have decorated the balls with a Celtic theme for St. Patrick's Day.