If you want to frame, try finding a standard-sized frame your piece will fit in. Target has wonderful ready-made frames. So do many of the craft and fabric shops (like Northwest Fabrics and Michael's). You can fudge a little bit by having a mat cut to make your piece expand to fill the space. Standard size frames can be more than 50% cheaper than custom ones.

Look for frames at garage sales, crazy days sales and antique or second hand shops. Again, much cheaper than custom framing. Cute mats can really dress up a boring frame, so don't worry if your find is not the greatest. Check your garage, attic or storage closet for frames you've put away. Take out art you don't like anymore, and fill that frame with needlework.

Consider framing alternatives.

• A pillow
• A wall-hanging with a brass rod or twig from a tree
• A table runner
• A Christmas stocking or ornament
• A bun warmer
• A needle roll
• A jewelry box

One other thing you could do is give stitched, but unframed pieces to friends as wedding, Christmas, anniversary, housewarming and birthday gifts. They might pick out different framing than you would anyway. It's still a much-appreciated gift. Some people like to give a small framing gift certificate along with finished pieces. It's a nice way to share your wares without letting them collect dust in your closet.

What my readers have to suggest...

• Hi, I was just checking out the "finishing ideas" page on the website and thought I'd pass on a few great tutorials that I've come across. I'll start right now by saying they're not mine, I have nothing to do with these pages except that I love them. I don't know if you would pass them on without first checking it out with the page owner or not, but either way here are a few great resources for "alternates to framing" that I've found!

  No Sew Decorative Cube
  No Sew Decorative Flat Fold
  Dani's Tutorial section on her web page
  Wallhanging Tutorial on Kitty Couture (Blog)
  Crazy Quilt Needlebook - Great for small projects (can easily be done with XS instead of quilting)
  

• Dear friend, my name is Nicoletta and I 'm an italian stitcher. I red your suggestions for alternative framing, they are good, I usually finished my stitched in different way because I get bored of the frames, and also they are expensive. Also I enjoy my self sooooo much finishing them with my fantasy. Some of my finishing stitches were published on Carriagehousesampling web-site and Blackbirdˆädesigns web site, and I think they look pretty. So I'm just sending you some pictures for showing to the others stitchers friends how they can finish their stiches in a different wayThe first one is a scissor keeper, the second one are scissors fobs and the last one is a needle Christmas roll.Love Niky.

• Niky sends me pictures all of the time -- see pictures of her finishing ideas on Niky's Page

• "I have done several coasters and trivet sets for all kind of occasions - male and female friends and family. Try this, the kits are fairly inexpensive and last forever." - Debbie
• "I have some different ideas for framing. ˆäI mount my cross stitch on a mounting board, then I stiffen coordinating or contrasting ribbon with the old fashioned sugar stiffener used for stiffening crocheted snowflakes or other small items. ˆäI cover the back with acid free paper with information like the name of the piece, date and occasion for gift and info on how to keep it clean. ˆäThen I include the correct size brass or colored easel. ˆäI also use ribbon instead of regular mat boards when framing a project. ˆä

  My husband and I love to explore local Humane Society stores in different cities and other thrift stores and I'm always amazed at the amount of ribbons we find that are in like-new condition, most still in original wrappers.

  I have also used fabric remnants stiffened with commercial stiffeners as mat boards and then made little "stands" of pieces cut from cardboard boxes and then glued and wrapped with the fabric.

  I have only done this once, but a friend wanted a particular herb sampler I'd stitched mounted in a wooden tray with a glass cover. ˆäI know it isn't good for the glass to touch the piece for several reasons, so we assembled it similar to a shadow box and she loved it." - Anonymous in New Mexico

• "I love making small pieces, and have made many into christmas ornaments. I like the look of bell pulls, so for a homey looking piece, I used long cinnamon sticks for the bell pull hardware. It looks "country", smells nice, and they work perfectly. Just tie craft ribbon to both ends to make a hanger." -- Joanne Jepson
• "I made pin cushions of many of my small items. I've also made belts, purses, cumberbuns, straps for musical instruments, pins, desk bloters, chair seats and jackets."
• "I have taken my work and done a quilt border around it, placed a piece of pre-quilted fabric on the back, and I use double fold bias tape around the edges. I then put loops (made from the bias tape) on the top and hang from a dowel on the wall. It is very cute done this way." -- Heidi Grist aka "stitchnkid"
• "In "The Stitchery Magazine", May 1997 issue on page 26 is an article entitled Stitches That Count by Pat Carson: using Danish stitches. I have made the design featured using the three special stitches to finish the edges. This finish creates a "serviette" which is Danish for "napkin". I have used these stitches and variations of them to finish other pieces of stitchery. I am now working on a 10 inch square design centered on an 18 inch square piece of 32 count linen. So when I am finished it will serve as a centerpiece for my table. The other smaller pieces work well under a bud vase, under a small picture on an easel, etc. Your imagination is all that limits the use of them." -- Jane

• "Something I've done before that I really liked was use a scroll frame for a display frame. My dad and I made several different scroll frames (experimenting). Some of them were too heavy to be very functional for stitching but very pretty because of the graining so I put a small cross-stitched piece in them and they worked great! I hung them with nails through the holes where the bolts and wing nuts would go. The ones I used were made of oak and other pretty woods but you could just paint the store bought ones." --Jennifer Koenig, Florence, Texas

• "I enjoy doing spiritual/environmental/inspirational-type words of wisdom. To keep the "earthy" look I use sticks or twigs from our trees in the backyard. I backstitch the saying, perhaps add a border and depending upon the message, bits of feathers, small pine cones, whatever, then back it nicely. I hold the twigs together by wrapping twine at each corner and making a hanging loop. I attach the piece with glue, since it is small and lightweight. Sometimes I just glue the sticks together." -- Laurie Dawson, Milwaukee, WI

• "Instead of bell pull hardware, wooden dowels from a craft shop can be put on top, fringe the bottom, as for placemats and napkins. Hang on a cord or ribbon from a fabric or craft store. Stitch on waste cavas onto a sweatshirt etc. Make a photo album, or other book, cover. I'm contemplating attempting this for a friend's baby. I saw it done for a wedding album." From Lisa Sweeney, North Carolina

• "A friend of mine and I experimented with a homemade fabric frame. Cut a piece of cardboard to desired size. Cut a doubled piece of Quilt Batting the same size and place on cardboard with cross stitch on top. Now cut fabric to frame your piece, stuff -- making it thicker than the cross stich to give depth, and glue around using a glue gun. It's hard to explain without pictures but we experimented first. We've seen other's done with buttons all around, too." --Jodie Brown

• "I've seen it done before, and have used it on some of my work. wooden embroidery hoops with lace glued around the back edge, to dress it up even more, tie a ribbon around the screw that tightens the outer hoop." -- anonymous reader

• "I have done several canvases to fit small waste baskets. The best are the oval shaped metal waste containers about 13" tall. I put the needlepoint on half the container & velvet or whatever on back and finish be gluing braid around top, bottom, & down the sides. Right now I'm working on a LONG bell pull:)" --Bunne

© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com