DIY Child's First Year Photo Frame

Create a sweet first year picture frame to celebrate a child’s first year and show how much they’ve grown! This paper craft can be made with your cutting machine and makes a beautiful gift.

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Hello Crafty Friends! Today I’m excited to share a tutorial with you for making your own first year photo frame. A few years ago I made these for both of my kids and had so much fun choosing the papers and photos. The files I created to make this sweet frame are now available in my shop and make putting this together a fun and simple project.

This first year photo frame makes a beautiful gift for expecting parents, first birthdays and more. It is also a fun project to make for your own kids. You can make it and fill it as they grow or make it after they have already turned one.

This frame is perfect for showcasing monthly photos from birth to their first birthday. Use it to display pictures from mini photoshoots taken each month with cute props like milestone stickers or a milestone blanket. Or fill it with more candid pictures of baby each month doing something something they love.

This first year frame is easily customizable. Mix and match prints or choose papers in the same hue. There are so many possibilities!

Below is the tutorial for making your own first year frame. Purchase my First Year Photo Frame files to make creating this a breeze! The files include an SVG cut file for the photo mat and banners plus an editable PDF that can be used with the free version of Adobe Reader so you can customize the monthly labels. I also include four different ways you can print photos to fit the frame!

How to Make a First Year Photo Frame

Supplies Needed

First Year Photo Frame Cut Files available in my Shop
Cardstock
- 8.5″ x 11″ for background mat
- 2-3 different colors of cardstock for the banners
- White cardstock for the labels
Adhesive – Gluestick, double-sided tape, Bearly glue, or tape runner
Paper trimmer for the labels
Cutting Machine
Cricut Tools
Standard Cutting Mat
Brayer
Frame – My frame was an 11″x14″ frame with a 8″x10″ mat opening from Joann Fabrics. The outer dimensions of the frame measures 13″x16″

Creating the Monthly Labels

To create the monthly labels, use the editable PDF file with the free version of Adobe Reader. This will allow you to edit the labels. There are three different font styles to choose from. Each font comes with three versions of the monthly forms giving you lots of options to customize the labels.

Once printed, cut the labels with a scissors or paper trimmer.

Cutting the Mat and Adding the Labels

Cut out the photo mat, monthly banners and name banner using a cutting machine. I like to use shades of the same color for the banners layering them together with the lightest color on top. There is an extra layer you can choose to use for the name banner.

Use adhesive to layer the monthly banners and large name banner, then adhere them to the photo mat. The name label can go above the large picture opening or below it – you decide! Simply rotate the photo mat the way you’d like it.

Add Your Pictures

Add your monthly pictures behind the photo mat. The PDF tutorial that comes with the files includes tutorials for four different ways you can print photos that will fit the photo mat.