Light up Mothers Day Frame
Instruction
This was a project I started over a month ago and just finalized. It was made to hold 4x6 photos and includes a layered design of a mother holding a baby. The lights behind it add a unique and lovely touch to an otherwise standard frame. Using clear acrylic gives it a classic and, yet, original look at the same time.
Height is approximately 8"
Width is approximately 9"
Depth is approximately 4.3"
Included is both the XCS Plans and SVG plans
This project will take a little while to put together as there are a few parts and pieces that take time to engrave and then you want to be 100% sure of placement of each part before adhereing together.
In the plans there are various colors. I note what each color stands for in the plans but to break it down here:
Wood - IMPORTANT: Green is the first cut done on wood. Be sure to go to the “Layer and Object List” in the bottom right of XCS and set the Green color to the top spot. Then click the three dots to the right of “Process” in the bottom right. Select “User Defining” under “Processing Path” and then turn on “By Layer”. This will ensure that Green cuts first before anything else is engraved/cut on the wood.
Set Dark Blue as the second layer to be done. This is Engraving the wood.
Set Purple as the third layer to be done. This is to Cut the wood
Acrylic
It is not as important to set layers here. Just be sure to cut/engrave/score each piece as layed out in the plans. Two will be reversed and one will not be.
Yellow is Scored Acrylic
Light Blue is Engraved Acrylic
Orange is the Picture engraving on Acrylic
Red is cutting the acrylic
Black color is on both wood and acrylic and is ignored. It is just used to make notes and separate the different parts of the plans.
Since there is clear acrylic in this, I recommend using the P2 or a similar CO2 machine to do this project. The settings provided are my own settings and may differ with your set up/material/machine that you use. It is always recommended to run test grids to discover you own settings.
The Fairy Light strand was purchased from Amazon but you can also locate these at crafts stores.
I used 3m 468mp adhesive to put some of this together (particularly the acrylic) but you could also use Weldon 4 for the acrylic if you desire.
Cut out/egrave/score the acrylic using the above settings.
There are 10 pieces for the Acrylic.
3 frame pieces and 6 letters spelling MOM twice and 1 piece that has “I LOVE YOU” engraved along the top.
First, when using 3m 468mp adhesive, and in order to save on it since it is an expensive material, I applied it and cut it out with a razor knife AFTER laser cutting the pieces. (See Photos). The center piece is the only piece of the frame that gets the adhesive applied and it goes on both sides. Take the scraps from that and use it to put in on the engraved side of each letter. Use more of the scraps for the wood. (See next step)
Take the engraved M and the scored M. Peel the paper from the adhesive away on the engraved M. Take the scored M and face the scored part towards the engraved part and then bring the two together softly. Do not press them together. Work your fingers around the edges until they feel aligned on all sides. THEN press togther firmly starting at the center and working to the edge of each letter. When done, you should have a smooth surfaced M on both sides.
Do this same thing with the other M and the O.
Cut out/ engrave the wood using the above settings.
IMPORTANT: This was noted above but it is important that it be noted here. The green part should be cut before any other part is cut/engraved. If the green is cut last or even after the purple cut, then you risk the bend of the legs not working correctly. To change the set up to where the green is cut first, go to the “Layer and Object List” in the bottom right of XCS and set the Green color to the top spot. Then click the three dots to the right of “Process” in the bottom right. Select “User Defining” under “Processing Path” and then turn on “By Layer”. This will ensure that Green cuts first before anything else is engraved/cut on the wood.
There are 6 pieces to the wood parts
1 Base plate, 2 Base walls, 1 “Happy Mothers Day” plaque, 1 Light backer, 1 light backer frame.
Take the 3m 468mp scrap from the previous step and use it on both sides of the light backer frame. Cut the pieces to fit. Then, lay the light backer piece down with the curved edge facing right. Peel off the adhesive paper on the light backer frame on the one side that will match up with the light backer laying flat. Slowly bring the two pieces together and, just like with the acrylic, do not press down. Work the two pieces together so that the edges line up all the way around. (See photo)
IMPORTANT: Dry fit before using glue.
Unfortunately I did not have any photos that I could use for this step to help show this step better. I will try my best to explain the assembly.
There are 3 pieces to the base. The two base legs are actually a part of a larger piece, just broken down into two pieces to assemble easier and not waste wood. You will not that the legs each have a wide tab on one side. These tabs go together and there is only one place that they will go together on the base plate. Take note of this during assembly.
Once you are sure of where the pieces go, disassemble and put glue on each of the tabs. It is recommended to do one leg at a time to make it easier. Once that is done, then apply overlapping glue at the joint where the two legs meet up and around the interior joint where the legs meet the base plate.
I use 2p10 Activator Spray to speed up the hardening of the glue in this step which made it easier to fully assemble it.
IMPORTANT: Before doing this step, ensure the light works by removing the battery tab and then switching it on. You want to check the lights periodically during the assembly as well.
There is a small hole to one side of the long hole in the base plate. Run your Fairy Light cord through here almost all the way, Then, starting in the center of the Light Backer, loop the light strand around putting a drop of hot glue periodically to hold it down. Hot glue hardens fast so it allows this step to progress quickly. Once you put down a drop of glue, give it a minute to set and then do another loop or two. I did two to three loops and then put down glue across all strands.
You want to continue to loop it in every increasing sized circles until you get close to the hole in the base with the strand fitting through the cut at the bottom of the light backer frame. (See photo 3)
Turn the base over and then put hot glue on the opposite side away from the screws. Adhere it to the underside of the base. Press and hold it in place for a few minutes. Then adhere the excess light strand (there should be no lights under the base) so that they lie away from any of the other holes.
IMPORTANT: There is one piece that has “I LOVE YOU” engraved on the top. Absolutely no adhesive should be on this piece at all. If there is, you need to remove it completely.
Again, I did not take photos during this step but it is pretty straight forward. The three pieces will align only one way. Ensure that the middle piece has adhesive on both sides.
Remove the adhesive on one side of the middle piece and then line up the piece that is supposed to match up. Then do the same to the opposite side. Basically when all three pieces are assembled, you will find it smooth on both the front and the back. The engraved/scored parts will all be “inside” the frame.
Pop the frame tab at the bottom into the long cutout on the base. It will be a tight fit and may take a bit of a push, but it will snap in. Be sure that the “opening” of the frame faces the 3 holes and the back of the woman and child is towards the wire assembly for the lights.
Then peel the adhesive paper from the light backer frame and slowly lift and line it up to the back of the woman and child. Once the edges align, press firmly. Run a bead of 2p10 adhesive along the joint where the light frame meets the base.
Next, take each letter of “MOM” and put it in the three holes. Be sure the scored part facing forward to get the best effect. Again, this may be a tight fit but it will go in with a bit of effort.
Turn the entire assembly upside down and pull any little bit of excess wire through and hot glue it down. Then run a bead of hot glue along the edges where the acrylic tabs protrude through the wood.
Turn the frame right side up again and then lay the “HAPPY MOTHERS DAY” face down in front of the base. Put a bit of 2p10 on the back and then adhere it to the front, covering the joint where the two parts of the legs meet. Hold for a minute to allow adhesion.
Your frame is now complete.
This frame fits 4x6 portrait style photos. Slide the photo part way in and then slide in the acrylic piece that has “I LOVE YOU” engraved across it on top of the photo. Once that piece is about a third of the way down, continue to bring down the photo a bit more followed by a bit more of the acrylic. The photo will need to be fully in the frame before the acrylic piece can come down all the way. If you try to bring them both in at the same time, or you insert the photo completely without at least starting the acrylic, you risk damaging/ bending the photo.
It was asked by a tester why I did not put in a photo slide out like in my Baby Box plans. (See this link for the free download of those plans: https://projects.xtool.com/project/47767-custom-baby-box-with-milestone-frames-first-ornament-and-baby-teefs-box )
I did not because the light actually created a shadow of the hole that could be seen through the photo. Besides, it worked without the photo slide.
The artwork of the woman and child as well as the wood grain were AI Generated. I took 3 copies of the woman and child and manipulated them to give me differing contrasts and edited them to remove parts to allow for a slight 3d Effect. This was very time consuming and probably the most lengthy part of the process of creating this. I hope it works great for you and you enjoy it.
I would love to see your assembly of this product. While I used 3mm Maple MDF for the base, any 3mm wood should work for this. Drop a photo in the comments of your assembly and let me see what you come up with.
Feel free to change the sign on the front of the base should you decide it does not need to say “HAPPY MOTHERS DAY” on it.