1. Photo Frame with old postage stamps

Time: 1 hour plus drying time
Cost: Under $20

Materials:

• Plain frame available from Bunnings, Spotlight, Lincraft or even better - recycle one you no longer like or use. Plain frames from a store range from $4 for a small one to $10 for a larger one like I used.
• Paint. I used leftover paint from another project but you could use a small test pot or borrow some of your kids paints!
• Glue. PVA is good. I bought 2 bottles from Kmart for $2.
• Clear satin varnish. I bought a small pot from Bunnings in the craft section for $5. You can buy it in a spray but it's more expensive.
• Paint brush
• A collection of old postage stamps. You can pick these up really cheaply on sites like ebay and trademe. I bought loads of them for $10 on ebay and have more than I could ever use. If you don't want to use stamps you could cut out squares from magazines, use old comic books, recipe books, letters, postcards, or maps. Anything bright and graphic will work.

Here we go...

Paint your frame and leave it to dry. If you're impatient like me then you can speed things up with your trusty hairdryer.

Arrange your stamps in front of you in colour groups. This will make it easier for you when you stick them on. I like mine to look random but you could be fancy and do a pattern using the different colours of your materials. Work from the top and brush on the glue to a small area at a time. Make sure all of the edges are stuck down firmly.

Once your frame is covered and it's dry grab your clear satin or gloss varnish. I need to add a warning here people, because at this stage in my own project I was in for a bit of a surprise. Varnish stinks. A lot. Keep some windows open or preferably do this bit outside. Stir your varnish according to the instructions on the pot then brush over one coat. Leave it to dry for 2 hours and then do another coat. Once it's dry you're done! One very original, very cool frame made all by yourself.

There are so many options with these frames. You could make one for a child's birthday using pictures of their favourite things, or by cutting out the letters of their name and sticking them on. You can use stamps from a particular country and then pop your travel pic in the frame to remember your trip. The possibilities are endless. Have fun!