Fabric wrapped mats with paper, not fabric

Jean McLean

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Joined
Feb 25, 2001
Posts
128
Loc
Millinocket, ME, USA
Just wondering if any of you have tried this? I have nice sheets of 100% acid free paper approximately 11 x 14 in size. I would like to take an 11 x 14 uncut mat and mount the designer paper to the top. I have some cute Christmas paper. Once it is mounted, put it in the CMC and cut your design as usual. I keep some fallouts from mats I cut such as hearts, stars, etc. I would like to place the fallout under the paper then mount it to the mat. This will give it an embossed look. Anyone tried it?
 
Where ya been, Jean?

I'm not sure that paper would conform for that nice embossed look you get with a piece of suede, for example. I would expect it to tear or crinkle, but not stretch.

I'm frequently wrong about these things, though, so don't let me discourage you from experimenting.
 
Sure, why not? If you're doing a 4 ply the paper will usually stretch enough to wrap without crinkling, especially if it has absorbed some moisture from the adhesive. Just work it and massage it in.

8 ply mats might be another story, but I've found that if it tears a little in the corners of the opening, it's easy to tear little bitty patches with feathered edges and patch it. Thos hand made papers usually have so much texture that the little patches blend right in and you'd never know they were there.
 
This isn't decorator paper, but it's basically what you are talking about I think. I made the design on my computer and print it on parchment paper then mount it on matboard and cut out the opening. I do these to have small pictures to use up my moulding cutoffs.

DogCatABCs.jpg
 
I live at my camp all summer and leave my computer at home. I have shows I go to and I need to constantly paint in the summer for the shows so only do Grumble and Hitchhikers when we move back home for 7 months. No shows in the winter! Well, I did one last winter in Daytona, Florida. It was only the second show I have ever done outside of Maine. I didn't think anyone would even notice me gone!
 
I just love how we can show our pictures on this site....I forgot how!

Anyway, your cat and dog designs are so cute and it gives me more ideas. Thanks
 
I will probably never learn how to post photos, but for my one and only foray into framing, I made the moulding, cut the sides (hardest part for me I am mitre challanged) and wrapped the mat with marbled paper. It looks beautiful, but phew! that was the end of it for me.

So yes, you can make very nice paper wrapped mats, and if you do sharp creases as per Barb's package wrapping, you can use a minimum of adhesive. For me, that was the easiest part of the whole exercise!

Rebecca
 
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