Old Picture Frames

Probably the easiest quick-fix yet!

Since we built our home and moved in a year and a half ago recently, we're still going through boxes from the old house. We have 45 several years, and 5 kids worth of "stuff", so filling up large garbage bags and trips to the Thrift Shop have been commonplace. There are clothes, there are LOTS of stuffed animals, there are filing cabinets, there are shoes... you name it, we have it.  Most of what we're uncovering goes straight to the dump, but some things are usable, and there are a few totes full of things we just don't want to throw away, but don't know where to put it.

One such box is full of my Cooks Illustrated magazines.

I don't know if you know of this magazine, but the recipes are bulletproof and the cover art is beautiful. Prints and canvases of the art are available on line at a pretty penny. So, it's been in the back of my mind to use the magazine covers for something.

And then yesterday I stumbled upon an old picture frame.  It was faded. It was worn.  It was, well, ugly.

[caption id="attachment_814" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Old picture frame[/caption]

Still. I was bored. So I carried it up to the kitchen and peered into my Narnia wardrobe/craft cabinet.

[caption id="attachment_815" align="aligncenter" width="225"] craft cabinet[/caption]

I found two types of ribbon, which, conveniently would cover the frame perfectly.  The width of the wider ribbon was exactly the width of the frame. So, glue gun in hand, and Big A, peering at me with suspicion (that's how he gets when I hold a glue gun), I soon had a prettier frame for the cover photo from one of my old Cooks Illustrated magazines.

[caption id="attachment_817" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Ribbon Frame[/caption]

The edges of the frame were already black, so I didn't have to even bother covering them up.

[caption id="attachment_818" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Old Frame[/caption]

I like that swirly black and white ribbon, but it was a little too white for me, so I just added a strip of black ribbon on top. I didn't measure to center the ribbon, I just used my super-power of eyeballing it.

And then I framed my favorite cover picture.

[caption id="attachment_820" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Finished Ribbon Frame[/caption]

Little A (19), who is waaaay to like his father, thought this was all very amusing. He scoffed: "are you seriously going to frame a magazine picture?"

Hmph.

(Just ignore him.)

So, I still don't know where I'm going to hang this framed "magazine picture". But I'll find somewhere.

Meanwhile, I'm going to spend a little time looking through my old issues. I'd forgotten how interesting the recipe testing is, and how humorous at times. The recipes may not be cutting-edge, but this is the one place you can learn how to cook the best roast chicken, the tastiest French Onion Soup, or the richest tasting stew. All the while picking up knife skills, and cooking tips.

You can get a whole cookbook of the no-nonsense recipes here:The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of America's Most Trusted Cooking Magazine