Fast Fridays: What to Do When Your Matte Is the Wrong Size

Awhile ago, I purchased a photo by artist Jen Zahigian as a gift. Now generally, I believe that a gift should come in usable form, without putting extra burden on the recipient. In Tuesday’s post, I told you to add a cord to a pendant; today, I’m telling you to frame your art. Yes, if your recipient is picky, you can forgo this step, but for most people, it’s a welcomed addition, and you can find well-priced options at craft stores and even places like Ikea.

So, I bought the photo, the frame, and a matte. I took them home, tried them out and realized the opening in  the matte was about 1.25 inches wider than the photo. Now, I have a matte cutter, so I could have gone out, purchased some matte board and custom-cut it, but I am resourceful (read as: too lazy to go shop again), so I figured I could come up with a crafty way to solve the problem. I took some half-inch ribbon I had lying around the house and affixed it to the backside of the matte to create a border all the way around, and then slipped the photo in place and closed up the frame. Problem solved! Best part: no one’s the wiser.

Wrap it, gift it, and you’ve got a happy gift-recipient with a lovely piece of art for their home (or office, or wherever)!