Decorating with heirlooms: how to create unique artwork

Decorating with heirlooms: how to create unique artwork

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

Is it wrong that an inanimate object makes you swoon? I am in love with my new custom artwork in my dining room and it’s one of my favorite DIYs for this room.

I love that they were gifts from my family, that they were cheap to make, and that it only took about 15 minutes to transform the look of my dining room.

A few months ago, I was invited to join my Mom and my aunts on a girls trip. I think I started packing before I hung up the phone! A weekend away for a stay-at-home, working, homeschooling momma is like winning the lottery. So many times, we get so wrapped up in our everyday busyness that we forget to take moments for ourselves. I knew that not only would it be a weekend to rejuvenate my soul, but it would be a sweet opportunity to get to know my aunts better.

It was a lovely weekend! Memories were made, laughs were shared, and my cup was overflowing. Right before the trip came to an end, my aunt handed me something so special. In early 2016, my grandma passed away, and my aunt found two old marriage certificates stuffed away in a drawer of a musty dresser. She knew my love for heirlooms and family history, and she gave those certificates for me.

Yes, I was a sobbing, blubbering mess.

Heirloom Hutch29

My dining room is my heirloom hot spot. I have filled this room with beautiful pieces given to me from my and my husband families. It makes my heart oh-so-happy to surround ourselves at meal time with treasures from someone else’s past. I feel so much love in this room with all these sentimental gifts.

I originally framed in our vintage hutch with my old DIY artwork. It worked for a while, but the small frames and prints seemed to disappear in this room. After getting these gorgeous marriage certificates, I had to add them to this room. I knew if I framed them, they would be right at home amongst all the other heirloom photos from my family hung in the opposite corner.

Heirloom Keys: {Noting Grace}13

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

There are two certificates from the same marriage of my great grandparents in the early 1920s – one is from the church which is so colorful and still in great condition.

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

The other certificate is from the state and is equally as ornate. I got the frames from a local store, Olde Time Pottery, for $9.99 each.

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

I took some satin ribbon I already had in my supplies and added trim above each picture. I stumbled upon these metal embellishments while looking for the ribbon and was so excited to find them! I added them to hide the nails holding the ribbon!

Don’t you just love when something works out like that?!

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

The ribbon added height to the frames and made the vintage prints just pop!

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

See that sweet little scale? That was another gift I received from my great aunt.

When she was a little girl, living on the family homestead, she used to help her mother sell homemade butter. She used that scale to weigh the butter before packaging it.

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

Now it’s a part of my home and is perfect for my growing vintage scale collection.

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

 

How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

Do you add vintage elements to your decor? Have you been given special gifts and you’re not sure how to incorporate them into your home? Let me know how you display your family treasures!

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How to create custom artwork - this blogger used old marriage licenses to create a unique look in her dining room.

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