I ran out of ribbon for our presents Tuesday night & so I went to Michael’s Wednesday morning to buy stick-on bows (I’m lazy). I found cloth ribbons but no bows but I found something wonderful you can use right now to make a few last-minute ornaments or gifts.
Near the cash register, at my local store at least, they had a display of small decorative frames to use as ornaments. There were three shapes: squares, rectangles, and rounds. Some were all metal, above, some were enameled, below, and some had jewels, not pictured. Most, but not all, had charms hanging from the top with the year engraved on them. A few also had the year on the frame itself. All have ribbons already on them for hanging.
I suspect they are designed to hold pictures, but they are wonderful for small needlepoint pieces, of which I’m sure you have many.
The squares are 2. 5 inches, and the rounds were 2 or 2.25 inches. I think the rectangle is about 2×3.
Finding the Canvas
I opened one of the frames and moved the clips holding the back on. With the back off I could test fit ornaments. Some designs, such as the crab, fit perfectly. Others, like the Christmas Twinchy, were too small. Depending on the style of the Twinchy and the canvas color, some of these also worked well.
Finishing the Ornament
My first step was to use needle nose pliers to remove the date charms. I don’t like dated ornaments much and figured some would be saved for future years.
Then I used the paper backing to center and trim the canvas. Do not throw the paper away because it has the plastic “glass” attached to it. You need to trim exactly to this size because there is little margins at the edges of the frame.
If you want to use the “glass” insert it first. Then add your needlepoint. Make sure the needlepoint fits nicely. Put on the thicker cardboard back and move the tabs back in place to secure it.
Hang your finished ornament or attach it to a gift.
I bet you thought it was too late to get anything done for this year!
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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