The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-15
PICTURE FRAMES.
They Make Pretty Christmas Gifts
and Bright Decorations.

Every housewife has a loving eye
for dainty photograph frames be-
cause they are sc linked with loving
associations OF the friends whose faces
they frame. And especially now,
when the time for gifts is drawing
near, do talks about these things seem
interesting almost to enchantment.
If you can afford it, the better plan
is to begin your work by ordering of
a stationer some heavy foundation
cards cut from heavy cardboard, in
the shape you may desire. two cards
being required for each frame, but il
economy is a consideration, and you
make your measurements very care
fully and cut them very exactly, you
can save the ten cents a pair, which is
the usual cost of the cut cards. Next,
provide yourself with a pot OF strong,
well-strained flour paste, in which
some gum arabic and a bit OF
alum have been added before boiling.
Any material almost may be chosen
for the observation-disclosures figured
English cretonne, gold-stamped Ja-
panese cotton crepe, printed India
silk or the beautiful brocades of
French looms-these if you do not
wish to do the decorating yourself.
Ii you are skilful with your needle
or brush--most beautiful results can
be obtained either by painting or by
embroidering with fine fiosses and
occasional gold or silver threads upon
pongee, ooze, leather, chamois skin,
kid. heavy silk, or one of the endless
weaves Of linen which lend themselves
so kindly to the decorators needs.
The embroidery should, of course, be
finished and carefully pressed before
FASTING the fabric to the frame, but
painting is much better done after
the frame is made. Having selected
your covering, lay it right side
down upon a table, placing the
foundation card also right side down
upon it, and cut the cover, leaving
plenty of margin. Paste back this
margin very carefully, giving especial
attention to the fitting of the corners,
and the perfect preservation of the
curves of the opening, which may be
secured by shipping the material
close to the card, and pressing the lit
tie Sits thus made firmly into place.
Place the gummed cards between
folds of soft old muslin, and lay these
between many layers of newspaper
under a heavy weight. Before they
are perfectly dry, take them out and
iron them slowly until they are stiff.
Now gum the pairs together on the
top and sides, leaving the bottom open
for the insertion of the photograph,
and dry again in the same way. II
you want to make a three or four fold
frame, gum tiny ribbon hinges be-
tween the pairs of faces before the
second FASTING, and il you wish a
single frame, make a standard OF
pasteboard, covering it with the
same material you have used for the
frame, and gum it strongly to the
back by means of a bit of the stuff,
which you have made longer than the
standard.
A very pretty frame may be made in
much the same general way, although
very fine overland sewing gives a bet
ter result. No opening is cut in the
two cards, both sides of each being
smoothly and evenly covered with the
material. Across the top and bottom
| of one card, folds of the material, en-
riched with embroidery and lined
with plain linen, are carefully sewed.
and between these folds the photo
graph is slipped, the dotted line in
the design showing it's position. The
tops of the two cards are overhanded
together, and the one side is made to
do duty as prop for the other when
open, or as cover when closed.
In much the same fashion is made
the heart shaped frame. Gum a thin
layer of cotton wadding over the face
of the heart, and over this a piece OF
yellow India silk. On this paste a
cover of boiling cloth on which but
tercups, natural foliage, have beer
embroidered. After the standard has
been fitted, sew a fine gold cord ali
around the heart.
Finally, very charming little frame
for the tiny portraits now SO popula
are cut from heavy whitman paper il
the form of some favorite flower;
pansy, a daisy or a four-leaved clover
with an opening in the centre large
enough for the pictured face. Pain
these forms with broad washes O
color. sharply defined lights and shad
ows, and outline each petal with
tiny line of gold or silver paint. Past
on a back and standard of heav'
white bristol board, and you hav
with very little. trouble or expense
very pretty trifie for your own bou
v - - - 49, 49,.