Cutting Larger Mats Down For a Smaller Frame

I was SOOOOOO excited to find these watercolor prints of New York City for Princess Fives room! 

As you know, I am working on making a Broadway show quilt for her. I have most if it cut and just need to finalize a few things and start sewing. I was hoping to get it finished before Christmas but have had so many things come up that I haven't been able to work on it at all. 

I am so frustrated that I haven't even started sewing the quilt I wanted to give my father for Christmas either as I cut it out in October, I thought I would have it sewn by Christmas but I have been working so hard at catching up in the house from years of neglect that it hasn't happened. 

I have to share that getting stuff cleaned out and cleaned up feels so good but I have so much more to go that sometimes I feel like I am swimming uphill! I try daily to remember all that I have gotten done as sometimes it doesn't seem like much but in reality, I know I have done lots, but to the outside eye, it still looks like a huge mess or like I got nothing done. 

Sometimes, you need to make more of a mess to make things work. I had to pull all sorts of bins of stuff out to get to what was behind so it does look like I am making more of a mess but in the end, I can get rid of lots of the stuff that was hidden behind the mess so it is going somewhere! 

These prints were at a second hand store a few weeks back and I thought they matched the cute headboard / wall print canvas I found Princess a few months back. Here is a link to see that canvas. 

Find a frame that is the size you want the final picture to be. The mats on these prints were about 2 1/2 wide and it just dwarfed the frames I was looking at using. 

Also, the person that had these used tape to just stick them on the wall and so the mats were dirty on the outside edge so I found a frame that wasn't currently being used and I wouldn't put up again and removed the glass and laid the glass over the picture and mat centering it to see how it would look cut down to the glass size. 

I showed it to Princess Five and she really liked the smaller mat on it so I used an exacto knife (box cutter) and followed the outside of the glass to cut the mat down to fit into the smaller frame. I went over the cuts again just to make sure it cut all the way through the mat. 

It popped out really easily once I ran the cutter over a few times as you can see in the pictures. 

I only had one frame so I went to the second hand store with a tape measure and found one the exact same size as the first and then cut down the second mat to fit into the new frame. 

The set came out great and cutting down the mat wasn't hard or difficult. Just remember to hold the blade straight as if you go at an angle, it can cut into the glass. Also, don't push hard on the center of the glass while cutting as the pressure can crack the glass. Keep your hands near the edges and always be careful using knives and around glass. 

Also, if there are nicks or scratches on the frame, take a Sharpie and fill in the nick and run your finger over it while it is still wet and this blends in the black filling in the nick or scratch without leaving a marker streak. I have posts about this, here is a link to one. 

Didn't the set come out beautiful? It will look amazing next to the cute Broadway quilt and canvas landscape. 

She caught a glimpse of something I was working on for her room to give her for Christmas the other day and she got the biggest smile on her face... I'll have to share about that on another post! 

Have a BLESSED DAY!