Holiday Handmade: Computer Key Frame from The Silly Pearl

Hello Sweet Rose Studio readers! My name is Steph, and I blog over at The Silly Pearl about the crafts I make in between cuddles with my twin girls. Thank you so much Katie for having me here today!

I made this Computer Key Frame for my husband for Father’s Day, but it would made a great men’s gift for the holidays as well! Here’s how I made it.

Materials:

• Old computer keyboards. Depending on your saying, you may need more than one (for example, we had two D’s and two A’s so we needed two keyboards)
• 8×10 inch frame (you can paint it if you like)
• 8×10 inch piece of Cardboard
• A piece of fabric, cut to an 11×14 rectangle
• Two pieces of contrasting fabric, cut to 14×3 inch strips
• Ruler and disappearing ink pen
• Sewing machine (though you could make this no-sew by using glue or hemming tape)
• Hot glue
• A binder clip and a photo

Directions:

Take your contrasting fabric strips and press them lengthwise so they meet in the middle and sort of overlap, so your strips will be about 1.5 inches wide, folded.

Put the fabric and cardboard into the frame to do a “test run” and mark where we want to sew the strips down. Lay the frame face down, then lay the strips nice side down, with the top one about half an inch from the top, and the bottom one almost to the bottom edge. Then, center the fabric rectangle on top, face down, and finally insert the cardboard.

You can shimmy the strips up or down to get them even, then take your disappearing ink pen and draw some lines to mark the top and bottom edge of each strip so you know where to put it.

Then, measure 2 inches from the sides of the frame for the top strip and make a mark on the strip as well as on the main fabric, which you will match up again later.

Top stitch the top strip (just the top one for now) along the edges. If you’re doing this no-sew, you can add some hem tape on the inside, or use fabric glue.

Now, stitch the bottom strip down onto the fabric, along the edges of the strip (or again, use glue/hem tape).

Place the top strip onto the main fabric, matching up the marks you had made and stitch down vertically. Again, use a line of glue underneath if you’re doing this no-sew. Repeat with the opposite side.

Center the computer keys on the bottom strip, spelling out your message. Use hot glue to secure them.

Lay the whole thing face down and then center the cardboard on top. Glue the edges down. You can also cut out another piece of cardboard and cover that with fabric, to hide the fabric edges and make it a nice gift.

Clip a picture to a binder clip, and you’re done!

Hope this gives you some gift ideas for the guys in your life! Thank you again Katie for having me here today! Come visit me on my blog, The Silly Pearl, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Thank you SO much Steph for such a sweet gift idea and your girls are absolutely adorable!