Finishing Your Cross Stitching on a Budget Part III: Avoid the Frame!

So you think framing is scary. Or you’ve run out of wall space for frames so you’re looking for alternatives. In any case, I like small stuff that I don’t have to frame. I’ll drool over large pretty pieces but I never seem to start any of them because I like things that I can stitch quickly and finish without framing in just a few hours.

I love working with perforated plastic, perforated paper and vinyl weave because it takes very little to finish and is really easy to drop into a frame. Let’s look at some examples.

Here are some cute mini sampler of the month out of 365 Tiny Cross Stitch Designs. I made these for my mother. They are stitched on plastic canvas so all I had to do to finish them was cut them out. And here’s what they go with:

I made her a nice nameplate out of plastic canvas and she can change it for every season. Cheap, yet cute.

You can even make pieces that are ready to hang with a little wire like this piece from Dimensions:

If you really would rather work with fabric, may I suggest a banner…

I tend to do a lot with frayed Aida. I find that it tends to stay together even after fraying. And the stiffness that a lot of people don’t like about working with it makes it idea for doing things like this journal:

I just attached it with some craft glue and it was good to go.

You can also buy these nifty cloth frames at most LNS. The one in this picture was a little pricey, but if you are a wiz on the sewing machine, you might consider making your own.

Here’s an example of where I made my own cool fabric hanger using some batting and strips of fabric that I sewed onto the design.

If you want something a bit more functional, you can always do a set of coasters. I’ve seen a few different styles of coaster so you can get something that suits your design. I made these for a wedding present.