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Fabric Framed and Jewelry Tamed

Psssst... this post *might* contain affiliate links: see my disclosure here.

April 7, 2016

Today’s the big day!! Can you believe that this is the FIFTH #SwapItLikeItsHot?! Hopefully you’ve been enjoying the makeovers all week because there are over over 35 bloggers getting in on this thrift store action! Howdy ho neighbors to those of you coming over from my pal, Danielle at Finding Silver Pennies. (Sidenote: why does everything she posts look so cozy and relaxing and CHIC?!) To recap the schtick of this… we all go out to the thrift store and spend $10 or less. We MAIL what we find to another blogger who gets the privilege of reimagining and repurposing whatever they get! (See previous ones here, here, here, and here!)

THURSDAY Swap 5

Danielle sent me two things: an amazing hand sewn tapestry and a brass candlestick

SWAP 5 before

Let’s start with the embroidery. It’s so SO pretty. Vibrant colors, fun design, whimsy… generally my total cup of tea. But that’s not the deal here… the deal is MAKEOVERS, people. So how does one makeover something that’s already pretty great? I considered making it into a pillow, but it was pretty sure the kids would pull the people off somehow. Then I considered making a bench or a tray and having that under glass as the top, but… that sounded expensive. So I opted for free. (Affiliate link included for your shopping convenience.)

Detail of peruvian fabric

 

DIY SHADOW BOX

Materials

  • 1×2 pine boards
  • L bracket
  • wood glue
  • painters drop cloth
  • Staple gun with 3/8″ staples

Step 1. Cut Wood and Build Frame

I used my miter saw to cut 4 mitered corners and then clamped them together with some wood glue. When the glue had dried, I flipped the frame over and secured the corners with the L brackets.

clamping swap frame

Step 2. Staple Drop Cloth

Just as you would a painter’s canvas, stretch the drop cloth across the bottom edge of the frame. Be careful to pull tight and alternate from side to side and from top to bottom.

canvas stapled on frame

Step 3. Attach the fabric

I just used sewing pins to hold the embroidered square onto the canvas and they work great!

Detail of pin for swap fabric

It’s hanging at the foot of the stairs between the family room and the mudroom and I love it! Such a bright cheery pop of color right there.

view of mudroom with shadow frame

swap project DIY shadow frame

colorful framed fabric

MAKE YOUR OWN JEWELRY DISH

Materials

  • Candlestick base
  • saucer
  • e6000 glue
  • paint pen
  • bead/ Sculpey

Step 1: Glue

For the candlestick… I grabbed a white saucer at Homegoods from the Clearance section for a whopping $1. The base of the candlestick actually unscrewed so this is what I glued onto the saucer with E6000 glue.

glue candlestick to saucer

Step 2: Decorate

Once the glue had set overnight, I went back and added some fun design with a paint pen.  To cover the threads from the candlestick, I added a small bead made from Sculpey.

overhead of swap jewelry holder

jeweler holder swap

place to store jewelry DIY

What do you think? What would YOU have done with these two items? I love hearing about upcycling ideas!

For MORE #SwapItLikeItsHot deliciousness, see what the incomparible Jen from House of Wood made with the goodies I sent along to her! She’s basically like Rumplestiltskin for wood… she works MAGIC over there!

Swap items sent to Jen

Here are the rest of the ladies sharing their makeovers today. Head over and give them some love!

Two Thirty-Five Designs / Finding Silver Pennies / At Charlotte’s House (me!)
The House of Wood / Decor Adventures / Bright Green Door

And don’t forget to go back and see what was shared Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And then COME BACK TOMORROW!

MONDAY

Hearts & Sharts / 58 Water Street / I Am a Homemaker
Prim and Propah / Create & Babble / Windgate Lane
Gourley Girl and Guy / Dogs Don’t Eat Pizza

TUESDAY

Confetti Style / Blue i Style / Polished Habitat
Two Purple Couches / Run to Radiance / Restoration Redoux
Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer / Our Southern Home

WEDNESDAY

DIY on the Cheap / Prodigal Pieces / That’s My Letter
Southern State of Mind / Roadkill Rescue / Always Never Done / Year of Serendipity / Casa Watkins

Frame for Decorative Fabric

Candlestick turned jewelry holder

XO Charlotte

12 Comments · #SwapItLikeItsHot, Crafts

Comments

  1. Danielle says

    April 7, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    I’m so glad you like the fabric. I just saw it and thought of you. I was thinking pillow but I love how you framed it. Gorgeous! Also love the upcycled jewelry holder.

    Reply
    • Charlotte Smith says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:29 am

      I thought pillow too, but that seemed too obvious. I was also fairly convinced the kids would start to pull the people off if they could reach it. Hanging for the win! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Christy@Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer says

    April 7, 2016 at 11:50 pm

    So much work went into the embroidery piece…I’m so glad you kept the integrity of it! It looks perfect framed in its new home! Cute and creative use of the candlestick base too! Thanks so much for pulling this fun series together! XO

    Reply
    • Charlotte Smith says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:28 am

      Thanks, Christy! I know… I couldn’t pull it apart. I LOVE that fabric. Somehow reminds me of my childhood, but not sure why. I think I had something similar. 🙂

      Reply
  3. sara says

    April 8, 2016 at 8:12 am

    Don’t you want to do a tutorial on mitre cuts? 😉 I’m a very bad measurer so I’m too afraid to try to miter anything but would love to add moulding to some flat doors that I can’t stand. I’m so in the dark about this that I’m not even sure if it’s ‘mitre’ or ‘miter’.

    Reply
    • Charlotte Smith says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:28 am

      Not a chance! I managed to screw these ones up… hence the clamps. I think half the battle is making sure your table saw is dead on center with everything. Mind tends to slip a bit and even a fraction of an angle off will make the two cuts come together wrong. And I don’t know either re. the spelling… google seems to like -er so let’s stick with that! 🙂

      Reply
      • sara says

        April 12, 2016 at 1:37 pm

        Hahaha! You sure had me fooled… The frame that you made is amazing. Just love it!!

        Reply
  4. Dena says

    April 11, 2016 at 10:28 am

    Love the frame, Char!

    Reply
    • Charlotte Smith says

      April 11, 2016 at 8:31 pm

      Thanks, love! xx

      Reply
  5. Jillian says

    April 11, 2016 at 8:57 pm

    I swear, the thrifting gods put that tapestry in Danielle’s hands for you! That is so Charlotte!!!!! I love it, so fun. And the fake jewelry on the catch all is perfection.

    Reply
  6. Christine says

    August 4, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    I thought you might like to know that the embroidered piece is called an arpillera. They are made by the Andean villagers, typically as children’s school projects, in Peru. My husband sometimes sells them.

    Reply
    • Charlotte Smith says

      August 8, 2016 at 12:41 pm

      YES! Thanks, Christine! I used to have one growing up and they are SO fun. What an amazing talent!

      Reply

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Lover of color, wrangler of chaos, thrifter of all the things.

head-shot-1 Hi, I'm Charlotte! I'm fixing up our 100 year old house and artfully hoarding armchairs in the garage. I love color. I love flea markets. I love a little mess. My days are spent writing, painting, sanding, laughing and negotiating with our 5 kids. You can read more about us here
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