3D Clay Picture Frames
Access the full lesson with vocab, supply list, teacher instructions, and step-by-step visual student instructions to use it with your classes!
The amazing thing about making 3D photographs and picture frames out of clay is that it can be done in so many ways. I have created tons of frame templates for this project, and have had students create photographs in a variety of themes (a travel destination, a nostalgic memory, a pet, the list goes on). So, every time I do this project the results are different and it’s so fun!
They’re pretty simple to make, too. Once the templates are printed, cut out, and used to cut the slabs of clay, the inside of the frame can be drawn on with a clay tool.
Then, students carve out the background, midground, and foreground, adding elements that are sculpted out towards the viewer (coming out of the frame) which bends reality. This gets students challenging their creative skills and building confidence in depicting reality.
We use paintbrushes and water to smooth out layers as we carve, working from the back of the image to the front. Textures really bring these to life, but so does paint, so I remind students that they should aim for a balance between the two. This requires them to imagine everything that they are sculpting with color as they go.
Once everything is placed accurately, students clean up any crumbs or marks and add any texture(s) to their frame itself. Again, this is all about balance because certain simpler scenes do very well with a filigree or wood frame while other more complex scenes benefit from a simpler design.
After the frame and photograph are completely finished, students work on the back side of the frame to attach the easel backing (also from the original template). Any smoothing is finalized, and the frame is complete! I let all of them dry standing, like the one in the photograph to the right. These are typically very sturdy as long as students attach them properly and while both pieces are at the leather-hard clay consistency.
My students love this project—try the full lesson with your students and let me know what your class creates!
