DIY Framed Display for Antiques

About a year ago, I hung some old wooden utensils I got from my grandmother’s house on the wall in my dining room.

And I never quite liked the way it looked. Plus I’ve since painted the walls and added trim to my cased openings. So it was time to spice up the wall decor with this DIY Framed Display!

Don’t forget to watch the video above to help fill in the blanks I don’t cover below!

Here are the materials I used:

• 1/2″ plywood
• miter saw
• tape measure
• brad nailer & air compressor
• 5/8″ brad nails
• 1″ brad nails
• wainscot cap rail (or other trim)
• wood glue
• paint
• scissors
• spray adhesive
• smoothing tool
• picture hanging wire
• fabric

I already had my design and measurements figured out in my head, so the first step was to notch the corners of my plywood. Each inset is 2 inches by 2 inches cut out with a jigsaw.

Then it was time to cut my trim molding. I’m using wainscot cap rail which has a reveal on the back. This is perfect since the plywood can sit right in there once it’s all assembled. But it does create an extra layer when it comes to cutting the trim to size. The inset is 1/4″ deep. So I have to subtract half an inch (1/4 times 2) from each cut. It’s hard to explain why that is. But just know that if you’re cutting 45 degree angles with the same material to create this project, you’ll want to do the same!

Once everything was cut with the miter saw, I used my brad nailer, compressor, and 1″ nails to assemble the frame. But I didn’t attach it to the plywood just yet, I only attached the trim pieces to each other. That’s because I wanted to add some fabric to the plywood first.

After the frame was glued and nailed together, I took it outside to spray paint it a shiny gold (Rust-Oleum’s Metallic Gold). While the glue dried, I used spray adhesive and a smoothing tool to attach my lightweight fabric to the plywood. The edges don’t have to be perfect but make sure to get all of the bubbles out from underneath the fabric!

With the fabric attached and the frame dry, I flipped them over and attached them together using my shorter, 5/8″ nails. To ensure they didn’t pop through the front of the frame, I used my nailer at a slight angle. This also helps the nails grab more of the “fat” of the trim.

To hang the whole she-bang on the wall, I used picture hanging wire from a kit. It comes with some small eye screws that attach to the back of my plywood. I spaced out my wooden utensils and used some small nails and a hammer to hang them on the front of the framed display.

I love having family “heirlooms” on display in my home. It suites my upcycling- & recycling-loving soul!

I’m sure you can think of several things in your home that could use a fun background display like this! It doesn’t have to be giant wooden utensils! And I hope you’ll let me know if you use this project in your home by commenting below!

Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea