Cross-Stitch Magazine Holder

Designer: Jaydee Decker

• 1/2"×10' copper pipe
• Tubing cutter
• 8-1⁄2" 90° copper elbows
• Spray paint: metallic gold
• 36-1⁄2×17-1⁄4" piece of canvas: natural
• Sewing thread: natural
• Cutting mat
• Crafts knife
• Tapestry needle
• Worsted-weight yarn: orange

Cut copper pipe to the following lengths:

• 4--14" long pieces
• 2--17" long pieces
• 2--9" long pieces

1. Spray-paint each copper pipe piece and each 90° elbow with metallic gold spray paint. Let dry.

2. Fold under one long edge of canvas 1⁄4", then 1⁄4" again; press. Sew just inside folded edge with natural sewing thread. Repeat on opposite long edge.

3. Fold under one short edge of canvas 1⁄4", then 1⁄4" again; press. Fold under an additional 2" and press. Sew just inside folded edge to make a sleeve to accommodate the pipe. Repeat on opposite short edge.

4. Lay canvas facedown on work surface. Fold in half so sleeve edges meet and crease the fold; unfold. Using pencil and ruler, measure and draw a 13×7" rectangle on center of one half of fabric. Make small marks every 1" along the drawn lines. Connect 1" marks to make a 1" grid consisting of 91 squares (13×7). Referring to the chart in the image on the left, mark an X in each corresponding square on fabric.

5. Place grid portion of canvas with grid facing up on cutting mat. Find center square on grid. Using the tip of a crafts knife, poke a small hole in fabric on all four corners of each drawn X.

6. Holding canvas with grid side up and following the chart below, cross-stitch design from back side using tapestry needle and orange yarn. To do this, push needle down into fabric (from grid/back side to front) for first half of cross-stitch and bring it back up from front to back for second half of cross-stitch. Check stitches on front as you stitch. Knot tail on grid side for first stitch, weave tail from last stitch under previous stitches; trim ends.

7. With front side facedown, insert a 17" copper pipe length into each canvas sleeve. Attach a 90° elbow to each end.

8. Pick up canvas so front side faces out and, referring to photo, insert a 14" copper pipe length to each open elbow end to make four side supports for the frame. Attach a 90° elbow to each end.

9. Insert a 9″ copper pipe length into two side elbows to make a side bottom support. Repeat on opposite side.