Tutorial : Photo houses

Several years ago, for an art show, I exhibited photography with the theme "Getting Photos Out of Drawers." 

These photo houses were one way of displaying pictures.  One was of the rooms and garden in the house; two were of the fibre art.  Since then I've done one of Grandkid for his first birthday.

They can sit on a shelf or hang.  They are quite sturdy and are a bit finicky but not hard to make.

Each house takes seven photos – I've used 4×6 here. The two sides and bottom use the entire photo unfolded; the two ends require a picture that can be viewed vertically and folded to a point in its top third;  the two roof ones will also be folded along the top. 

Lay the bottom, sides and ends as shown.  Make sure the photos are facing the right way – that is, as they will appear in the house shape before you turn them over.

Put some tape along the join of one side and the floor and one end and the floor.  I have taped the entire joins in some of the houses, used pieces of tape along the join in others – both worked just fine.  Now stand the side and end up as shown.
Mark a dot where the end piece meets the top of the side piece; do this for both sides and both ends; you will  have four dots, two on each end.
Now mark a dot at the center of the top of each end. Draw a line from this center dot to side dot on end photo.  This is the roof line.

This is what it will look like now.  Nothing else has been taped yet.

Score the roof line and fold inward.

Now tape one roof onto the top of one side. Check that photos are facing right way.
Lay scored side on roof as shown and mark where it meets the roof. Draw a straight line to other end as shown.  Score and fold.

This is one roof lying on top of one end and about to be folded down.  The other end is lying on the table – not yet showing its lines to be scored and folded. Also the second fold of the end facing us (sky photo) has not been folded down yet.  The second side (on the left) has been taped and raised into position.

It makes sense when you are doing it and you can see the house taking shape. Each taping sequence seemed to be different but mostly I found it easiest to get it all measured and folded and tape sides and ends from inside and then proceed with the roof which, of course, you cannot tape from the inside.  (Just had a thought – hmmm – maybe the bottom could be cut away by slicing through the tape and all the fiddly roof taping done from the bottom, then the bottom reattached.) Otherwise – do as I did and turn bits of tape back on itself to make double-sided sticky and put on fold of end and push roof down on top of it and coax into place from the outside.

The appreciation and admiration you get when it is all finished makes it worthwhile!