My daughter needed a quick gift for a baby shower, so I made a framed photo gallery with her help. I found an $8 frame at the local flea market, which Jess painted with white gesso. We layered squares and rectangles of cotton directly onto cotton batting and fused them into place. I backed the batting with muslin and added some stitching, stamping, buttons and bits. Then I stretched four ribbons across the piece, two vertical and two horizontal, and stitched them on the outside edge only. This will allow the parents to insert photos under the ribbons to display as they wish, changing the photos at will.
With a staple gun, the piece was then mounted on foam core, cut just a little smaller than the 11" x 14" opening of the frame. It was tucked into the frame and held in place with finishing nails.
This particular effort was a little "rough and dirty" because time was short and I wanted Jess to participate as much as possible, but with a bit more care the project could be quite polished. I think it has lots of applications (weddings, Christmas, etc.) and I will be on the lookout for suitable frames at local charity shops.
Good job. You really did a great piece of art work here. I am sure they will be happy to receive this pretty gift you made.
ReplyDeleteThat is utterly charming and I think it will be used and appreciated for a long time. Thanks for sharing the idea - it's often the simplest ones that are the best.
ReplyDeleteHilary
Great idea, Heather. I'm sure Jess was very pleased to produce such a nice little gift.
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