Dump those boring old photo frames and decorate your space with this cute LOVE photo holder. Don’t get me wrong I love a pretty frame but sometimes photos are an odd size (coz you cropped it to remove that weirdo in the background doing something silly) and finding the right frame that fits is nearly impossible. Or maybe you just want to display your photos in a different way.
The photo holder is super easy to make and, best of all you get to recycle an aluminium can too. Here’s how you can make one too.
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What you Need to Make a LOVE Photo Holder
All you need is an empty aluminium can, a solid piece of wood, a craft knife and a sharp pair of scissors to cut the can and the letters. I cheated a little. Since we’re a Sizzix creative team member I decided to use the Alphabet Die Cut Out that we received in our box of goodies. Every few months they send us a whole bunch of freebies that we get to play with. It’s the first time I’ve seen one of these over-sized BIGZ dies and I’m loving it.
You’ll also need a drill, a piece of wire and some screws to attach the letters to the block of wood. You can also glue the letters on if you prefer.
Making The Aluminium LOVE Letters
Start off by removing the top and bottom of the aluminium can with a craft knife. I found the easiest way to do it is to put a damp towel down on a flat surface and wedge the can up against it. The towel stops the can from rolling around when you’re cutting. You just need to make a small initial cut with the craft knife and then you can use a pair of scissors to cut all the way around. Scissors create a smoother edge. Once the top and bottom have been removed, cut down the length of the can and flatten out. You should end up with a decent sized piece of aluminium for your letters. Be sure to wear some gloves, the edges can be sharp.
If you’re using a die cutting machine, place the aluminium sheet right side up over the letters you want before cutting. Unless you want to see the branding on the aluminium can. Aluminium is pretty soft, somewhere between paper and cardboard, so you can cut the letters out by hand too.
You can either use the cut out letters, or you can cut around the “cut-outs” and end up with something like this.
Creating The LOVE Photo Holder Base
Find a nice chunky piece of wood that’s wide enough to hold all your letters. I used one of the left over pieces from when we made a frame for Mozart. It was a bit rough around the edges so I gave it a quick sand before using a heat gun to make it look a little more weathered.
Mmmm, seems to me we like our Bosch tools. (Pssst that’s an affiliate link to our Amazon shop right there). If you want to speed things up, you can use wood burning paste.
Position your LOVE letters and screw or glue them on. Drill a small hole on top of the block of wood and insert a piece of wire that’s been bent into a curly shape. I always have loads of small, wire off cuts lying around from making wire art.
Add your photo and you’re done.
I’m loving the way the aluminium letters contrast so nicely against the burnt wood.
Not a bad way to recycle an aluminium can, right!!?
That photo of our kids was taken almost 18 years ago and it’s still one of my favorites.
And I think the LOVE photo holder is the perfect way to display it. What do you think?
Looking for a few more ideas on how to display your photos? We’ve got you covered Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a very small commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more unique DIY and craft ideas for you ;-)
Until next time, hope you have a beautiful, love filled week. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-15 / Source Amazon Affiliates
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