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I want to use either 3" wooden hoops or the lids from Mason jars to "frame" three small cross stitch pieces as Christmas ornaments. I need your input on two things:

(1) If I use the wooden hoops, I want to wrap them in ribbon first. How do I make sure the ribbon stays put?

(2) If I use the Mason jar lids, do I use the seal as the backing or cardboard? And how to I get the stitched piece and backing to stay in the lid ring? Oh, and was is the easiest and best way to add a hanger to the lid?

Mason lids are those two piece lids? Either the seal or the cardboard should work well. Two sided tape should stick the work to the lid, if not…use the cardboard. To stick it inside the lid, just a few drops of glue. Adding the hanger…glue gun.

I would think the best way to wrap your hoop is to use the same technique you would use to wrap with bias binding for a non-slip finish. See this tutorial from Mary Corbet, and adapt to your ribbon.

I would only add that it would help to choose as non-slippery a ribbon as you can find that looks festive - binding a hoop is fiddly at the best of times if you're going for a tidy finish, butwith slippery organza ribbon it might be a step too far...

You can also use flexi-hoops, which come with a wood-grain or coloured finish and a hanging loop. You gather the excess fabric with running stitch and then either sew on a felt backing, or use a thick card circle to push the gathered fabric into the hoop. You can see it (not in detail but it will give you an idea) at the end of this blog post.

New tip needed

I am cross stitching a picture that has a scarf in it. I want to add frills on the end, using same colours as scarf. Any suggestions how to do it so they are safely secured?

I’ve done it before, but can’t find the pattern book.

I'd probably go for Turkey Rug stitch - depending on how densely you stitch that it can be bushy or fringe-y.

Thank you.

I finally found one of the patterns I have, and it used Turkey stitch.