Framing Made Easy

A Piece of Fabric

Aunt Gertie’s needlepoint or a scrap of vintage toile can become art if it’s properly framed. Besides, the best way to protect that special cross-stitch from the elements (dust, humidity, kids’ hands) is to have a layer of glass over it. Although it’s easy to go the DIY route, you’d be well-advised to enlist a professional framer for fragile, heirloom-quality pieces.
 
 

What You Need

• Foam board
• Utility knife
• Flat-head pins
• White satin cloth tape (at art-supply stores)
• Self-adhesive spacers
• Frame

 

How to Frame It

Step 1: Using a utility knife, cut the foam board to the size of the fabric you want to frame, leaving at least an inch of extra fabric around the edges.
 
 Step 2: Stretch the fabric over the board. Secure it by placing a pin in the center of one side. Next, put a pin at each end. Then pin the centers of the gaps, alternating from end to end.
 
 Step 3: Pin the opposite side of the board in the same way (see Step 2), pulling the fabric taut. Repeat for the remaining two sides.
 
 Step 4: Fold over the extra fabric, and secure it with cloth tape. Before inserting the piece into the frame, attach spacers to the glass (see Step 3 in A Series of Photos) so the fabric won’t be squashed.