Baby Picture Frame

Baby Picture Frame

Create a pretty picture frame for a special newborn that will be cherished forever. Fabric dye was used to stain the unfinished wood frame, so the frame can be made any color you like. A mitered ribbon accented with a soft bow and duck appliqués add a personal touch to this keepsake frame.

Supplies

• Rit Dye:  Petal Pink
• Unfinished 5” x 7” wood picture frame
• 1 ½ Yds. Blue grosgrain ribbon with edge stitching, 1” wide
• 1 White grosgrain bow
• 5 Duck appliqués
• 2-Cup glass measuring cup & metal spoon
• Rubber gloves
• Fine sandpaper (#220) or steel wool
• Tack cloth
• Straight pins
• All-purpose craft glue
• Clear polyurethane
• Brushes:  1” foam, 1” chip, ½” artist brush
• Plastic wrap
• Paper towels & cardboard
• Plastic drop cloth
• Iron
• Optional:  Jelly jars for storing dyes

Instructions

1. Cover work surface with a plastic drop cloth.
2. Remove glass from picture frame and sand wood lightly.  Remove dust with tack cloth.
3. Dye Preparation:  Wear rubber gloves when mixing dyes.  For powdered dye, pour dye into a glass measuring cup and add 2 cups boiling water or very hot tap water.  Stir until dye is dissolved.  For liquid dye, pour ½ cup liquid dye into measuring cup, and add 2 cups very hot tap water; stir. Note:  When staining wood, keep dye hot for better absorption.  Dyes can be stored in jelly jars and reused several times.  Stored dyes must be reheated in the microwave before use.  Cover with plastic wrap and heat on high for 2 minutes or until steam is created.
4. Prepare Petal Pink and brush to front and back of picture frame.  Allow to dry.
5. To seal the dye-stained wood, apply one or two coats of polyurethane.  Rub lightly with sand paper or steel wool between coats.
6. Beginning in the center at the bottom of the frame, plan the placement of the ribbon on the frame.  Push straight pins into ribbon and wood to hold ribbon in place.  At corners, create a miter in the ribbon:  Fold ribbon back on itself at the picture frame miter, and then fold ribbon at a 45 degree angle from the outside to inside corners of the ribbon.  This forms a diagonal fold that allows the ribbon to turn the corner.  Continue pinning ribbon to frame until reach end.  To finish, fold under one edge of ribbon and overlap raw edge of ribbon.
7. Using the tip of an iron, press ribbon miters to hold their shape.  Using a small artist’s brush apply glue to inside of mitered ribbon.  Finger-press to hold.
8. Remove entire piece of ribbon and place, wrong side up, on cardboard.  Lightly brush glue onto ribbon.
9. Finger-press ribbon to frame.
10. Glue five duck appliqués to bottom of frame.
11. Glue ribbon bow to upper right corner of frame.