One of the great things about blogging is that it creates a permanent digital record of your words, which provides previously unimaginable opportunities to eat them later.
Awhile back I said that one should never give a craft project as a gift. Just a few weeks ago, I said DIY Wednesday would never have projects involving lace. Yum yum. Aren't those words tasty.
Today's project is made out of lace and I'm giving it to a 14 -year-old as a gift. Before you roll your eyes, this project is officially cool because it was swiped from Urban Outfitters.
I was on the hunt for a gift for a middle-school graduation party (Yes, we have those here. Also parties for graduating from pre-K, K, grade school and high school.) The graduate in question loves jewelry. I though a jewelry tree or this clever Sepia Lace Frame Jewelry Holder shown above would be just the ticket. But the thing was $38 - on sale - at our local Brooklyn Urban Outfitters. (Addendum: It's now down to $19.99 from its original price of $48.)
Here is how to make your own for under $5. Mine cost me absolutely nothing to make.
First you will need a small picture frame. An empty frame would be great since the glass and matting aren't needed anyway. I came across this particular frame a week after my trip to Urban Outfitters for free but you could probably pick up something similar at a garage sale or thrift store for a dollar or two.
Next I found a fakey polyester lace jacket, which was perfect since the lace was sturdy and stiff. Find one at a thrift store and don't pay more than $3 for it.
Cut a rectangle of lace to fit inside the back of your frame.
Optional: Soak the lace in a mix of glue and water and allow to dry to give extra stiffness.
Using superglue or a glue gun, glue the lace along one short edge of your frame and allow to dry completely. You may want to reinforce your glued edge with a strip of thin cardboard (such as from an old greeting card.)
Pulling the lace taut, glue the opposite short edge and hold edge until it dries.
Glue the remaining two edges.
I don't recommend using staples since they can cause your frame to splinter and your lace to stretch, and your project will then require an intervention by the more handy member of your household who will then want his wages in homemade ice cream.
But he did a nice job.
Very cute and very funny. He *did* do a nice job.
ReplyDeleteLove it. It's just as deeeelicious as those words you feasted on. Hehe.
ReplyDeletexo,
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I'm normally not wild about lace either, but this is nice.
ReplyDeleteI love this, and it's so timely. I've been creating a little dressing table-like area in my bedroom. I bought a jewelry tree ($12.99 - not bad) but i don't like it in the room. this is a much better idea, and i know i have old frames already. THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteMarvelous project and post! I am so happy to have found your blog.
ReplyDeleteI really like that project! I think people should be wary of gifting diy, but it's not out of the question. My rule of thumb is if it could be sold on Etsy (since really, it's all just really great diy), you can gift it. Yours looks like it came straight from Urban Outfitters!
ReplyDeletethat's a great gift, and if she doesn't like it you can give it to me:)
ReplyDeleteOh pretty! I love the lace. She's going to love it! I'll be linking to this.
ReplyDeleteOoh. Fun. I'm gonna do it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brom.
I just made one last week after seeing that same Urban Outfitters frame! How funny! I actually used varied sizes of doilies for mine to add a little something extra to it. Great minds think alike. And it was sooooooooo easy to do. I just bought a thrift store frame, flippped the image and added the doilies. :)
ReplyDeleteCool. Do you have a photo? Post a link. :)
ReplyDelete