DIY Photo Display Stand

I’m Carla Schauer, and I make craft and decor projects, art for licensing, and printables for my Etsy shop. Then I blog about it all at Carla Schauer Designs. I believe everyone can be creative and I’m on a mission to show everyone how to find her (or his!) own inner artist. I’m happy to be here today to share my printable display with you, and show you how to make one for your own home.

I have teens and tweens, and I’m always trying to find ways to give them tidbits of advice without lecturing or inducing eye rolls. One of my current favorite methods is adding inspirational printables into my home decor as a sort of sneaky subliminal message. I change them out every few weeks for a fresh look and a new message.

I started with unfinished wood pieces to make my display stand. I used a hollow box for the main portion, along with a candlestick for a base and a ball foot for the top finial. When working with unfinished wood, I like to use an all-purpose sealer as a base coat to keep the wood from absorbing all my paint.

After applying the sealer coat, I painted my wood pieces using acrylic craft paint (aqua, white, orange, and lime) to match my decor. I kept the box simple so it didn’t compete with the printable designs, and added a little pizzazz on the candlestick base with the rest of the colors.

A coordinating orange button glued to the top of the box made the base of the finial. Then the wooden ball foot was glued in place on the button to form the rest of the decoration.

I chose a small white bulldog clip for hanging the printables so I can interchange them when I want something new. I glued the clip in place on the front of the box, using the printable as a guide to the location of the clip.

My display fits 4×6 printables, which I like to use in smaller nooks or shelves. The printable I used is one I designed for an earlier project. It’s a freebie, so go ahead and grab it: SHINE Printable Art. You can resize standard printables to fit smaller displays as well.

After printing and cutting out my art, I added an orange cardstock mat to add an additional pop of color. Since the printables I use in this display aren’t framed, the cardstock adds a little extra strength as well.

Thanks for letting me hang out with you today! Come visit me anytime, and check out some of my favorite projects: