A covered picture frame can make a treasured family photo even more of a centrepiece. Choose a frame with fairly wide borders and cover with a classic natural linen fabric decorated with ribbon in muted tones, adding pretty ribbon rosettes at the corners for a stylish and unusual look.
1½ hours
1. Cut a piece of linen 8 cm/3¼ in. bigger all around than the frame. Cut a length of the first colour of grosgrain ribbon the same size as each side of the fabric. Pin and machine stitch the ribbons across the width of the fabric 5 cm/2 in. from the top and the bottom. Repeat along the length of the fabric, again placing the ribbons 5 cm/2 in. from the edge of the fabric.
2. Take the second colour of grosgrain ribbon and machine stitch it onto the fabric about 5 mm/¼ in. inside the first ribbon. Turn the ribbon over at each corner neatly.
3. From the centre of the fabric, cut out a rectangle 1.5 cm/½ in. smaller than the inside measurement of the frame. Snip diagonally into each corner to a depth of 1.5 cm/½ in. to create four flaps. Lay the frame on the wrong side of the fabric and glue the flaps of fabric to the wrong side of the frame, holding them in place until firmly stuck. Pull the outer part of the fabric over the back of the frame, fold in the corners neatly and glue in place.
4. Cut eight 20-cm/8-in. lengths of co-ordinating ribbon. Work a line of running stitch along the bottom of each ribbon and pull the thread to gather into a rosette. Finish with a few stitches to hold the ends together and sew a button to the middle of each one. Glue two rosettes onto each corner of the frame.
