Make a jewellery frame

CL feb13 make Sarah Moore jewellery frame

I love my collections of earrings and bracelets, and like to have them on show. This jewellery frame has pockets folded into the material that provide a pretty way to store – and display – each item. Here, I have used vintage floral fabric but any patterned material will work, as long as it’s not too thick.

You will need

● frame with a solid back that can either stand or be hung
● fabric just over twice the length of, and 10cm wider than, your frame
● ruler
● scissors and pins
● iron
● sewing machine
● double-sided sticky tape or fabric glue
● needle and thread

1 Cut your fabric to size, then turn over a narrow hem on all sides. Iron flat, pin in place and sew, removing the pins as you go.

2 For the pockets, lay the material out, right side facing up. Pleat, leaving sufficient distance between the top edge and the first pouch so it will fit inside your frame, and bearing in mind the size of the items you want to store – you could make some pouches deeper than others to hold bigger things. Use your ruler as a guide.

3 Iron the pockets flat and pin in place at the sides. Using running stitch, sew down each edge of the fabric to secure the folds, then go from top to bottom at intervals across your material, to form individual pouches. Remove the pins as you go and press again.

4 To display in your frame, attach a few strips of double-sided sticky tape to the solid back panel, peel off the backing paper, then place onto the wrong side of your fabric. Smooth the cloth down, ensuring it is secured. Reposition until you are happy.

5 Fold the overhanging edges of material over the back of the frame, top and bottom first, then the sides, and hand-sew the corners together to create a neat finish.

6 Put the pocket panel into the frame and fix the back in place with the clips.

Tip: Choose plainer fabrics if you’re making this for a man – the design is ideal for cufflinks and watches