With Thread the Word Embroidery

Using fabric remnants as a mount is a great way to add a little extra dimension to the framed pieces in your home. Whether plain or patterned, fabric can really offset something as simple as a photo, a postcard, or in this case a playing card from a vintage game, elevating a simple frame into something much more interesting than what you started with. Here, Sarah from Thread the Word Embroidery shows us how to create a DIY fabric mount for a frame in just 4 easy steps.

Browse smaller remnants of fabric here.

What you’ll need:

  • A frame 
  • Something to go in the frame (it should be slightly smaller than the frame itself so you have space around it to see the fabric) 
  • Fabric of your choice (you can find so many great options from Florence & Joy, like these!)
  • Fabric scissors
  • Some tape or glue dots if it helps secure the thing you’re framing central in the middle of the fabric
Framing with Fabric

Step 1:

Cut the fabric the size of the insert of the frame. You can either measure this or cut around the piece of paper that is usually in the frame as a place holder (I am quite lazy and find this easiest). If the fabric has a pattern that goes in a certain direction, consider this and whether the frame will be hung portrait or landscape.

Arrange and then secure what you want to frame (card, photo, postcard, whatever it might be) in the middle of the fabric. You might find it useful to use glue dots on the corners or a bit of rolled over tape would also work (so it’s sticky on both sides). Using something that can be moved without issue is best as you might not get it exactly right the first time. Make sure whatever you’re framing is equidistant from the top and the bottom of the frame, as well as the sides.

Step 2:

Arrange and then secure what you want to frame (card, photo, postcard, whatever it might be) in the middle of the fabric. You might find it useful to use glue dots on the corners or a bit of rolled over tape would also work (so it’s sticky on both sides). Using something that can be moved without issue is best as you might not get it exactly right the first time. Make sure whatever you’re framing is equidistant from the top and the bottom of the frame, as well as the sides.

fabric for mounting

Step 3:

Slide the fabric (with the image secured in place) into the frame. You may want to flip it around just to check everything is looking as it should.

Step 4:

Slide on the back of the original frame and ta-da! You’ve used fabric as a creative tool for framing and created a piece no one else is going to have! 

About Sarah and Thread the Word Embroidery

Thread The Word is a bespoke embroidery studio run by Sarah, born out of a love for freehand embroidery and reclaimed textiles that would otherwise end up in landfill. Sarah combines the two, hand-embroidering personalised gifts and artwork onto vintage and upcycled fabrics — from signed cushion covers and framed illustrated initials to wedding-inspired napkins and custom vintage jackets – turning special occasions like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and new babies into one-of-a-kind keepsakes.

Alongside commissions, she also takes on brand collaborations and corporate gifting projects (having worked with names like Ted Baker and Space NK x NARS), and has exhibited her work at Whitstable’s Fishslab Gallery. Sarah’s work is a lovely blend of craftsmanship, sustainability and sentiment.

Find out more here: https://www.threadthewordembroidery.com