I'm sharing two fabulous grad projects with you that are budget friendly and will honor your graduate during their special party.

If you're looking for affordable projects to celebrate your graduate, you're going to love these ideas! Today I'm sharing how to make a graduation wreath highlighting your child, as well as an extra large print. Keep reading and I'll show you how to make each one.

Nothing shows the growth of your child quite like a Commemorative Grad Wreath. I was inspired to make this after seeing the  Grad Wreath on Joyful Scribblings. I made several changes to mine, making it unique and even more budget-friendly!

This graduation memory wreath is one of my top-pinned projects. It's been featured at Joann, Better Homes and Gardens,  Parenting Magazine and more!

Graduation DIY projects that won't break the bank

How to make a graduation memory wreath 

Supplies

• wreath form - straw or Styrofoam will work best (or if you're cheap thrifty like me, make a wreath form by attaching the ends of a pool noodle with duct tape and wrap with strips of canvas drop cloth  (see image below) or fabric in the color of your graduate's school
• metal fasteners
• black button
• heavy black card stock (I used Bazzill Basics; it's the perfect weight)
• hot glue and glue gun
• 8-12 pictures of your child (wallet size will be too small for this wreath; just print favorite pictures and then crop them all to roughly the same size)
• E-6000 glue  (or another strong, quick-set glue)
• large alphabet stickers  (I like white because it shows up so well on the black, but other light colors would probably work as well if you want to coordinate with your child's school colors)

The grad cap (mortarboard) is heavy duty black card stock cut into a 7-1/2" square.  I glued a black button onto a metal fastener and inserted the fastener through the middle of the paper square. This elevated the button slightly so that I could easily hang my son's tassel from it. It's a cinch to just slip over the button, or remove it to actually wear it to graduation, hehe.


Large white stickers on the mortarboard spell out his name and graduation year.

Adding the pictures of your child  

• I collected favorite pictures of my son from birth through present and glued them to black card stock to give them structure, leaving a small outline. My paper trimmer saved me so much time on getting the cuts perfect.
• I used a dab of hot glue on each mounted picture to attach them to the wreath form, overlapping them slightly.

And that is it! Easiest and most memorable wreath ever! It makes a huge impact, is totally personal, and fun to see how my son has changed over the years.

This memory wreath could be used for any graduation...kindergarten, 8th grade, college, nursing school, etc! Use your imagination and make it your own!

I'll admit that I did shed a few tears as I reminisced at the little boy who seemed to grow into a young man overnight. I will treasure this wreath for many years (and I'm sure his future wife will too).

Update: Don't miss the black and white version of this wreath!

How to make large custom graduate portraits

This budget project satisfied my desire for something bold (and inexpensive) at my son's graduation party. I made 2 of these large prints and they definitely made a statement!

This extra large project involved taking my flash drive of grad pics to Staples and requesting Architects or Engineers prints (if you have a copyright on your pictures from the photographer, please don't ignore it...my pictures were all taken by a friend who gave me creative license to do what I wanted with them).

Engineering prints are usually about $3.50 but they were having a sale and they were $3! The prints are 2' x 3'...very large...perfect for making a statement. They are printed onto regular copy-type paper and they are only available in black and white.
He came home with this weird wood that I'd never seen before called triply underlayment, with the pieces already cut to size. It's a nice thin wood. One 4' x 4' piece was enough for 2 canvases, and cost only $10, making each canvas only $5 each! And there's a nice strip leftover for another project like a sign.

Supply List for Custom Canvas:

• engineering print
• canvas or wood, cut to size
• ModPodge
• foam brush
• black acrylic paint

Total Cost for 2 canvases was about $26 including all the supplies  
Once that dried I flipped it over and using a craft knife I cut off the excess paper that was hanging over the edges of my wood. The wood acted as a guide for cutting. Simple enough.

Then I turned it back over, front up, and brushed a layer of Mod Podge on top of the print. I was going for some texture and decided to try a technique for creating texture on canvas I read about online by pressing a small canvas directly down onto the wet Mod Podge. This did give it a unique look as it dried. The wrinkles interfered a little though.

After that was dry, I brushed black craft paint around the edges of the wood and up onto the print. When  I had it printed at Staples, three edges had a white border so I wanted to cover that up. I gave the whole portrait a hand-painted border of black. I wasn't going for perfection....remember the wrinkles?

Okay, here's some pictures of the process I just described:

You can see the texture that was created by pressing the canvas onto the wet Mod Podge in the picture in the top right hand corner.  
This one looks great as the centerpiece of my Graduation Mantle...I mounted the other portrait on a tall display easel just inside the front door.

If you are looking for more, you might enjoy these thrifty DIY Graduation projects...