I have never framed needlepoint myself, but I have finished other people's canvasses by making them into pillows, Christmas stockings, etc.

What you're proposing is just trimming and folding the canvas. Really bad idea. The canvas you are stitching is either taped or hemmed along the edge. If you cut away the hem or tape, the canvas WILL ravel right up to your stitching. You need some sort of edge finish.

If you put the piece into an actual frame, you would block the canvas and wrap the excess around some sort of backing - acid free mat board, foam core, or something.

If you're making a wall hanging, you still need to block the piece, and then back it with some sort of fabric and add a hanging sleeve.

First, you need to finish the stitching.
Then "block" it.
Then decide whether to stitch it to fabric, wrap it around acid-free foam core and frame it, or whatever ...

How big is it? What mesh canvas? And how big an unstitched margin do you have?

First dumb question, what is blocking?

The project is 19" x 7" but the finished area is 17" x 5", one inch left all around. I don't know from mesh canvases, but the holes are appx 2mm.

Thank you SO much for your help, I really appreciate it!

Here is the pic of the project with the needlework finished.

Here is a link that might be useful: needlepoint owls

Okay, I have blocked the needlepoint and bought muslin for the backing. How do I attach the muslin, and, because it is thin, should I double it up?

Thanks!