All-American Star Frame

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Bring out the "star" quality in your child!

Difficulty rating

• Required supplies:
• 1 yd. Pellon Wonder Under
• 1/2 yd. Pellon Fusible Fleece
• 1/8" foamcore board
• Chipboard or illustration board
• 1/2 yd. lightweight denim fabric
• Assorted small pieces of red, white and blue cotton print fabrics
• 2 yds. 1/4" wide decorative trim in red
• Glue gun
• Iron, pressing cloth, spray bottle with water
• Utility knife, ruler, pencil, waterproof marker

Instructions (Print version)

1. Using the utility knife, cut an 8 1/2"x10 1/2" rectangle from the foamcore board. Center and cut out a 4 1/2"x6 1/2" rectangle from the center of the foamcore. This is the picture opening. Cut a 2"x8 1/2" piece of foamcore for the easel back for the frame. Mark a line 2" down from the top end of the easel back and score along this line with the utility knife. Gently bend easel back along this line. You will also need to cut an 8 1/2"x10 1/2" rectangle from the cardboard. This will be the frame back. If you would like the frame to have rounded corners on the outer edges and for the frame opening, you can place the rim of a glass on the inside of each corner and mark around it to create a rounded corner. Do this for the frame front, picture opening and frame back. Trim away excess board.
2. Place the frame front on the Fusible Fleece and using it as a pattern, outline around frame and opening using the waterproof marker. Do this three or four times, then cut out pieces of fleece. Place one piece of Fusible Fleece, fusible side down over the frame front. With pressing cloth over fleece, spray cloth gently with some water, then fuse fleece in place. Repeat this process with remaining pieces of fleece, layering one piece over the next.
3. Use the frame back as a pattern, outline around back on paper side of Wonder Under, then draw a line 1 1/2" wider all around. This will be your cutting line. You will need to do this a second time (one will be used for the frame front, one for the frame back.) Do the same thing with the easel back adding 1" all around. Outline around easel back a second time, but do not add anything. Fuse Wonder under to denim and cut out all pieces.
4. Center one piece of denim (fusible side down) over fleece on frame front. Always remove paper backing from Wonder Under before fusing. Fuse in place over fleece only. Turn over to wrong side, wrap fabric around to back and fuse in place over foamcore, trimming fabric as necessary around corners so that fabric lies flat. Cut an opening in the center of the fabric, then cut to corners. Wrap fabric around to back, trimming away excess, then fuse in place. Center second piece of denim over frame back, fuse in place, wrap fabric around to back and fuse in place, again trimming as necessary. Center larger piece of easel fabric over easel stand, (side that is not scored.) Fuse fabric in same manner as above. Fuse other piece of fabric to scored side of easel back.
5. Fuse Wonder Under to various cotton fabrics. Use Shapecutter and ShapeTemplate to cut a variety of star sizes. Paper side of Wonder Under should be facing up when cutting. Remove paper backing, arrange stars on front of frame and fuse in place. Stars can overlap each other or be layered one on top of the other.
6. Glue decorative braid to picture opening.
7. To assemble frame, with wrong sides of frame front and back together, glue front to back along top and sides only, leaving bottom open so you can slide photos in and out. Glue easel back to back of frame centering it side to side matching bottom edge of easel to bottom edge of frame (glue square at top of easel back only, scored side against frame back.) Glue decorative trim around edges of completed frame to cover seam where front and back are glued together.