Locker Hooking: Create Edges with Color, Texture

Locker Hooking: Techniques for Framing EdgesWhen locker hooking a new project, there are so many ways to get creative when framing the canvas edges of your designs–whether you’re hooking a rug, a small mat, or a basket. You can use contrasting colors to add interest, frame broader edges, wrap with an overlay of twine or ribbon, or try placing a ruched frame around the edge. Below are just a few examples.

Locker Hooked Petals Coaster - Free Pattern at Color Crazy

BASIC WRAP: Covered in both books, Hook, Loop & Lock and Locking Loops, the basic way to frame your edge is to wrap the very edge with a matching or contrasting color. The “Petals Coaster” above is a good example of how this looks (Free pattern found at ColorCrazy). There’s a textural element and nice contrast to this design with the Color Crazy Poppana strips and the color of the design framing the edges.

GO WIDE: Wide borders make for an interesting frame–especially for mats and rugs. You can also add other textural elements like twine or ribbon. Below is a mat design from the Locking Loops book that has a 2 square wide border and the first locker hooked row around the edge includes twine.

Locker hooked mat with wide edge and twine in border.
Locker hooked mat with wide edge and twine in border.

GO FOR TEXTURE: Last year, Color Crazy added a new collection of pre-cut fabric strips called Satinique. In addition to a satiny shimmer, they’re cut on the bias to add texture. Here’s how they frame up edges:

Coasters framed with Color Crazy Satinique strips cut on the bias.
Coasters framed with Color Crazy Satinique strips cut on the bias.

Satinique also adds vibrant color plus a chenille-like quality to locker hooked projects. I do recommend using 1 to 1 1/2 yard strips at a time to prevent excess fraying. Coasters below are hooked on 5-mesh canvas and are 25 x 25 squares wide plus the 8 squares for fold over canvas.

Satininque-edge-locker-hooked coasters

Coasters locker hooked with Color Crazy Fabric Hand-dyed strips and Satinique.
Coasters locker hooked with Color Crazy Hand-dyed fabric strips and Satinique.

LAYER TEXTURE: You can get very creative by layering yarn, ribbon or colorful twine when you frame. The Tic-Tac-Toe board below has twine wrapped over the wide framed edges. It adds wonderful texture. Just wrap the edges to frame with fabric strips, then use your tapestry needle threaded with twine to wrap over the framed edge.

Locker hooked tic-tac-toe mat with wide frame and twine.
Locker hooked tic-tac-toe mat with wide frame and twine.
Creating a padded framed edge.
Creating a padded framed edge.

PAD YOUR EDGES: Padding your edges adds a nice touch for many designs. Use bulky yarn as you wrap an edge. Or, you can stitch on the yarn to a wide edge and then wrap.

The Blue Flower Trinket basket below features a padded edge created by wrapping bulky yarn with matching rayon ribbon.

The Country French Hamper from the Locking Loops book also has a padded top edge.

Blue Flower Trinket Basket Locker Hooked with Framed Padded Edge
Blue Flower Trinket Basket with Padded Edge includes ceramic tile piece.
Locker hooked hamper with padded framed edge from the "Locking Loops" book.
Locker hooked hamper with padded framed edge from “Locking Loops” book.

RUCHED FRAMES: You can also add a broad ruched frame around the edge that shows off qualities in beautiful fabrics like in the mat below.

Locker hooked mat with wide ruched frame.
Locker hooked mat with ruched frame and glass tile.

CROCHET:  Yes, crochet! You can crochet around the frame to add some vintage appeal. Use a cotton yarn or fabric strip to match. Below is a very simple coaster design with a crocheted scalloped edge. (Free pattern for similar trivet design at colorcrazy.)

Locker hooked coaster with crocheted scalloped edge. 5-Mesh canvas. Free similar pattern.
Locker hooked coaster with crocheted scalloped edge. 5-Mesh canvas.

So whether you just want to add a little contrast or a lot of texture, give some of these ideas a try, or create your own. The possibilities are endless. Have any questions about these techniques? Message me via Facebook on the Color Crazy Page, email at info@colorcrazy.com, or post your questions below.

Locker Hooking: varied framing techniques and creative ideas.