So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Friday, June 19, 2009

101 Gift Ideas - Making Decorative Picture Frames!...

By Anna Meenaghan

With the credit crunch as it is, more and more people will be turning towards home crafts. So, with this in view, I have written the following article on making frames for your pictures, family photos etc. Usually, the clip frames you can buy are the cheapest option, but often you would prefer to have a framed edge.

So, this being the case, why not have a go at making some of your own. If you can make your own, it will give you a sense of achievement, and before you know it, you will probably find yourself making more.

I am sure that your friends and family would be delighted to receive a gift like this. Once you have the method I am about to describe to you, no doubt you could adapt it to use for other sizes. Basically, you will realise, that your materials needed for this, are relatively inexpensive.

So what do you need? A No. 10 paintbrush, some Rekar glue, a sheet of wood 20.5cm x 21.5cm (hardboard would be fine), acrylic silk paint in colour of your choice, a sheet of acetate and plenty of natural wooden household pegs, plus, of course, your photo or picture.

Where do I start on this project? First of all, I suggest that you choose somewhere with a nice flat surface to work on. Make sure that your picture is a suitable size to fit the frame. Take your piece of wood and then centralise your photo or picture on to this. You could mark the wood with a pencil dot at the four corners of your picture. Then, with your brush, glue the photo to the wood.

The picture then has to be covered with the acetate. Now we have reached the peg stage. Just pick up one for starters and carefully pull the long top part of the peg apart. To do this, pull one side towards you and one side away, and make sure the spring part is removed. So, all that remains, is the two wooden parts.

This needs to be repeated until you have enough pegs to go all round the edge of your picture, three times. Try grouping the pegs in the following way. Commence by going down the left side of the wood. Place the pegs going in a downward direction starting from the top. Using the longest and thinnest part of the peg on its back, to the top edge. It is likely that you may use 3 to 4 pegs to do 1 row down 1 side.

We now move to the centre row of pegs and the pattern formation. Starting this time with the thick, gripping part of the peg, touching the top, still with the flat side down. The final inside row is done exactly the same way as the first row. Once you have the pattern complete and copied on the right side, it is time to stick them carefully in position. I do stress, not all pegs are always a uniform size, so it could be you have to cut them to fit the wood. Personally, I would leave it to dry with an object of weight on it.

We move on now to the foot of our wood frame and we are going to lay the pegs across this time. Start on the left, with the bulky part of the peg touching the side of the frame. Hence the middle row will start with the long thin part, and the last row with the bulky edge.

Repeat this at the top now. When all this is complete and thoroughly dried, you can then paint the pegs in orange or a colour of your choice. This should not take that long to dry. Any dried flowers can then be stuck to your frame.

The side edges could be improved now with your paintbrush. Stick several of your spare pegs together and hold these to the edge of your frame so that you can just run your brush along very carefully.

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