Wednesday 30 January 2013

Box Frame Collection

2013Jan30 box frame collection 1If you’re anything like me you probably have loads of random things stashed away in cupboards and boxes; things you have collected but don’t know what to do with them.  I thought it seemed such a shame to have these hidden away so decided to make a framed collection.

It’s taken me a while (too long pondering how to do it!) but I finally finished putting it all together today :)  I started with a 6x6 inch box frame and gathered together the objects I wanted to frame; some coins I have from trips to France and Belgium, a piece of Fool’s Gold I bought at the Natural History Museum in London, a conker from the chestnut tree in my Grandma’s garden, a button I found inside the sewing box my Nanna gave me, an old key I decorated with wire, beads and tiny cogs and a collection of fossils and teeth I picked up from Walton beach (one is definitely a shark’s tooth, the others look like teeth but could just be rocks!).
2013Jan30 box frame collection 2I divided the inner frame by making sections from pieces of mount board.  Each section was then painted and decorated with paper.  I wasn’t sure how to attach the objects but tested out using a hot melt glue gun on some spare bits.  It worked really well – the glue held the coins and stones to the paper but will come off again without damaging the objects.  The key and button have been stitched to their backing paper and the fool’s gold and conker just sit loose in their compartments.  To finish it off I gave the frame a couple of coats of varnish.
I’d love to make another one now – maybe a bigger one too!  Finishing this one has given me more confidence to know how to make the next one so hopefully it won’t take so long!

2 comments:

  1. I love this idea Hazel! Like you, I have lots of collected odds and ends that tend to pile up in the corners of drawers. Finally got some of them out on display when I happened upon some wooden cube shelves in the thrift store, but since then things have piled up some . . . will have to try this. :)

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    1. Thanks Veronica! I think I'm going to have to make more of these - I have collected so much stuff and this seemed a good way to display and organise it (plus I hate dusting so my collection keeps much cleaner in a frame like this!!) :)

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