(ESP-ENG) Pequeños Tesoros, Grandes Recuerdos: Creando un Portarretrato con Amor y Materiales Reciclables. / Small Treasures, Big Memories: Creating a Picture Frame with Love and Recyclable Materials.

We will start by cutting two pieces of cardboard, each with a size of 27 centimeters high and 17 centimeters wide. Then, on one of the pieces, we will mark a 2.5 centimeter thick border around all sides and cut out the center following those lines.

Once our main pieces are ready, take a piece of cardboard and wipe the entire surface with a damp cloth. Wait a few seconds and carefully remove the thin layer of paper, leaving only the corrugated part of the cardboard visible. Next, cut two strips 27 centimeters long by 2.5 centimeters wide and two more strips 17 centimeters long by 2.5 centimeters wide.

Now it's time to shape the front piece of our picture frame. We will start by placing paper tape (tirro) around the entire edge, covering both the outside and the inside. This detail will give it a cleaner and firmer finish. Then, we will take our strips of corrugated cardboard and make some small transversal cuts at the ends so that they fit perfectly together. Once ready, we carefully glue them onto the main piece.

In this step, we will cover the entire surface with pieces of toilet paper or napkins. To achieve this, we prepare a simple mixture: 80% school glue and 20% water. We will help ourselves with a brush to apply the mixture, making sure to cover every corner, paying special attention to the corrugated areas of the cardboard. This process will not only give texture, but also resistance to our picture frame.

While the piece dries. We will proceed to elaborate the ornamental details that our frame will have. We take two pieces of egg carton, cut them so that they are small cones. Inside each cone, we will draw the shape of petals and carefully cut them out. Then, with a brush, pencil or any rounded object, we will shape the petals, bending them slightly to achieve the appearance of a flower. Finally, with a bit of silicone, we glue the selected rhinestones or costume jewelry in the center of each flower.

Now it is the turn of the leaves that will accompany our flowers. To do this, we take a piece of the paper bag and design three isosceles triangles with the following measurements: base of 12 centimeters and sides of 9 centimeters. Then we begin to make small accordion folds from the base to the tip, trying to keep the folds as uniform as possible. Once ready, fold each piece in half, making sure that the folds are facing outward. Finally, we join both parts with a little silicone and unfold them. Once all the ornamental pieces are finished, we proceed to paint the front piece of our picture frame white.

With the first part already finished, it's time to work on the back piece of our picture frame. We start by covering the edges with paper tape (tirro) and paint it black. Next, we will cut three strips of cardboard, each 17 centimeters long by 1 centimeter wide, which we will carefully glue to the bottom and sides. This detail will create a small opening between the two pieces, perfect for inserting the photo.

Now we are going to create the base that will support our picture frame. We will cut three pieces of cardboard with the following measurements: one of 10 centimeters high by 6 centimeters wide and two of 8 centimeters high by 6 centimeters wide. We join the pieces forming a kind of triangle, we will make sure to reinforce the joints with paper tape (tirro). Once ready, paint the whole structure black and let it dry. When the paint is completely dry, we carefully glue the base to the bottom of the picture frame to keep it firm.

Finally, we carefully join both pieces together and that's it. This is the result of this magnificent frame, which for me means more than just a simple project. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Take care.