DIY Vintage Doily Art
I managed to squeeze in some time last week to work on a project I've been
wanting to do for a while. Remember that huge bag of crocheted doilies that we
inherited from Mama Handyluster? I had
thought I would frame them all individually
- but then realized that's a lot of doilies and a lot of frames that will take
up a lot of wall space! So I came up with a new plan.
First, I gathered some materials: fabric scraps, a picture frame (1' x 3'), and some foam board. Using the piece of cardboard that came with the frame as a template, I cut a piece of foam board just slightly bigger. The foam board should just fit the hole in the frame, with a margin of about 1/16th of an inch from the edges.
At this point, you might want to get an extra set of hands to help you.
Next, I temporarily wrapped the foam in the fabric scraps to see how the
doilies would look against the different materials.
I picked one of the fabrics and cut a swatch big enough to wrap the foam board. HandyMan ironed the fabric, using some spray starch to get it nice and flat, and we wrapped the foam board and taped off the excess on the back.
After I settled on a design, I used some sewing pins to hold the doilies in
place. The pins were too long so I snipped off the ends from behind. Then we
put the foam board in the frame and attached the backing. Unfortunately, I
had to remove the glass from the frame as there wasn't enough depth once the
foam was in place.
And here is the doily art hanging in Chloe's room. I managed to use quite a few of the doilies which was great because they were all made by HandyMan's great grandmother and I wanted to keep these pieces of the family history. HandyMan's not a fan of doilies but even he had to agree this project turned out pretty cute.
27 comments
Oh, thats beautiful. I may need to go and raid my Mum's doily stash now!
ReplyDeleteNow that is beyond adorable!
ReplyDeleteI just added your blog to my blog roll, looking forward to reading more!
Janell
Very cute! And I love that it has some meaning, thats the best part!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic way to display family keepsakes! love your ideas - as usual!
ReplyDeleteThat is incredibly cute , so stylish too .
ReplyDeleteChris
What a great idea! I too have a stash of doilies, although mine came from yard sales and not family...
ReplyDeletewhat a great idea!! you are so inventive, doilies will never be the same!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty! I wish I had vintage doilies too!
ReplyDeleteIt looks wonderful! I love this idea! My mother has some of my great grandmother's doilis stashed away somewhere. I'm thinking of sneaking them off to frame them for her for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThat looks great ... it's like her own little collection of snowflakes! I like how you didn't get too organized or symmetrical with the layout.
ReplyDeletewhat a great idea! I have tons of these things and never knew what to do with them.
ReplyDeleteLooks great!
ReplyDeleteSo clever, and what a charming effect! Good for you!
ReplyDeletejbhat
Seriously looks amazing...cute, cute, cute : )
ReplyDeleteWow this is so pretty and easy to make (at least you make it seem easy) I love it!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, how do you build upon your cute amazingness?! Such a great idea and very well executed!
ReplyDeletePlease do Chloe a favor and write a note to go with the doilies. Tell her all about who made them and why and show a little family tree perhaps. Then slip it in a clear page protector and attach it to the back of the frame. Then when she is older and can't quite remember the stories you told her she can take it off the wall & look at the back.
ReplyDeleteI would never have thought of it, but when I had some NASA memorabilia reframed we found a letter slipped behind the main piece. The framer put it in a self adhesive page protector and attached it to the back for me - much better than my idea of just slipping it behind the main piece again - hidden from sight and memory!
Cheryl
Orlando, FL
you are really creative! That looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhat an adorable project! I recently snagged a few doilies and was going to put them in individual frames, but now I'm re-thinking it...
ReplyDeleteVery cute. I love it. what a great idea. i May have to copy that in the future.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. It's nice for Chloe to have something from her great grandmother ... and for you to preserve Handyman's family history.
ReplyDeleteSuch nice comments from you all. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteCheryl - that's a GREAT suggestion! I'll have to ask Mama Handyluster more about the history of these pieces and write up a little note.
Get Mama Handyluster to handwrite the note - and you & Handyman add to it - for something like this handwritten is precious and the more people that add personal stories the better.
ReplyDeleteCheryl
Orlando
Great before and after post on Design Sponge!!
ReplyDeleteLooks fabulous. May I ask where you purchased the frame?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Fantastic idea - how special for Chloe!
ReplyDeleteI just love this :)
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