Hello, fellow creators and vintage enthusiasts! It’s Heather from Thicketworks, and I am thrilled to guide you through a truly enchanting DIY project today. We’re embarking on a journey to craft our very own inexpensive yet incredibly luxurious Faux Antique Keepsake Frames. These aren’t just ordinary frames; they are miniature portals to the past, designed to elegantly showcase your most cherished memories or antique imagery.
The Timeless Allure of Antique Keepsake Frames
There’s an undeniable charm to vintage aesthetics, especially when it comes to preserving precious memories. In the late 1800s, it was a common practice to keep mementos of loved ones in specially crafted cases, often featuring exquisite embossed velvet insets. These cases weren’t just functional; they were expressions of affection, designed with intricate details that spoke of a bygone era of craftsmanship and sentimentality.
Our project aims to recapture that luxurious, historical feel, allowing you to create personalized keepsakes that look like genuine antiques. Whether you’re displaying fascinating historical photos from resources like The Graphics Fairy or your own family heirlooms, these frames will provide a stunning and unique presentation. The star of our show today is a captivating technique: embossing a metallic motif directly into velvet. This method will transform ordinary velvet into a rich, textured surface, mimicking the opulent finishes found in genuine Victorian-era artifacts.
(If your primary interest is just the mesmerizing art of embossing velvet with metallic ink, those specific instructions are highlighted at the beginning of the process section.)
Essential Tools & Materials for Your Vintage Keepsake Frame Project
Before we dive into the creative process, let’s gather everything we’ll need. This project involves a few distinct stages, each requiring specific items to achieve that authentic antique look. Don’t be intimidated by the list – many of these are standard craft supplies, and the results are truly worth the effort! We’ll break it down into two main categories: supplies for the embossed velvet, and materials for the faux-antique keepsake frame itself.
Supplies for Creating Embossed Velvet
- Velvet: This is crucial. Opt for polyester, nylon, viscose, or acetate-based velvet, rather than velveteen. These synthetic blends respond beautifully to heat embossing without the risk of damage that silk velvet might incur. A half-yard of acetate/poly velvet, often available for around $10.00, is typically enough for at least eight frames, making this an incredibly cost-effective luxury.
- Strong Sticky Tape: I highly recommend a 1/2-inch wide, black, stretchy, and very sticky tape, such as electrician’s tape. Its strong adhesion is vital for securing the velvet during the embossing process.
- An Iron: A standard household iron is perfect. Ensure you have a protected, heat-resistant surface to work on.
- Rubber Stamp: Select a rubber stamp with a bold, rather than overly intricate, motif. Clear stamps are not suitable for this technique. Wood-mounted stamps can work, but for this tutorial, we’ll focus on cling-mounted rubber stamps, which offer excellent control and visibility.
- Sturdy Glass Pane: If you’re using cling-mounted rubber stamps, a piece of sturdy plate glass, large enough to mount your stamp, will be incredibly helpful for even pressure distribution.
- Metallic Ink Pad: Achieve that authentic metallic sheen with a Tsukineko Brilliance ink pad in “Galaxy Gold” or a Hero Arts Shadow Ink pad in “Silver”. While other metallic inks might work, these two have been thoroughly tested for optimal results.
- Scissors: For precise cutting of velvet and other materials.
Materials for Crafting Your Faux-Antique Keepsake Frame
- Images: Select images scaled to fit your frames. Inkjet prints are perfectly acceptable. For inspiration, I’ve sourced some wonderful vintage photos from The Graphics Fairy archives, including Unibrow Man, African American Couple, Young African American Man, Amazingly Beautiful Gypsy, Spooky Old Woman, and the adorable Cranky Little Boy.
- Hinged Picture Frames: Look for inexpensive hinged frames, often found at dollar stores. Frames with a 3.5″ x 5″ opening work wonderfully for this project.
- Craft Felt: A few sheets will be needed to create soft padding for your embossed velvet.
- Medium Weight Chipboard: Several 8.5″ x 11″ sheets. This should be slightly heavier than cereal box weight, providing a sturdy base for your frames.
- Pencil: For tracing and marking.
- Spray Adhesive: Essential for securely mounting felt onto chipboard, and velvet onto the felt/chipboard backing. Always use in a well-ventilated area and follow safety warnings.
- Black Gesso or Craft Paint: Serves as an excellent primer and provides a rich, dark base for aging.
- Craft Paint: Choose colors that complement your desired aged aesthetic. Earthy tones, muted metallics, or deep jewel tones work well.
- Metallic Rub/Wax: Inka Gold or Rub-n-Buff in your favorite metallic shade will add a beautiful gilded finish and highlight embossed details.
- Glue Stick: For adhering images.
- Heavy-Duty Adhesive: For a strong, lasting bond, I prefer Fabri-Tac, but any reliable, strong craft adhesive will work.
- Sturdy & Sharp Craft Knife: For precise cuts. Always use with caution.
- Cutting Mat: Protects your work surface and aids in accurate cutting.
- Metal Ruler: For straight and accurate cuts with your craft knife.
- Washi or Low-Tack Tape: Useful for temporary positioning without damaging surfaces.
- Die Cutting Machine: I use a Sizzix / Vintaj Big Kick, but any comparable machine will do.
- Ornamentally Shaped Die: To cut out your decorative ‘frame’ shapes. The Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Magnetic Die – “Mini Baroque” is an excellent choice for a classic look.
- Embossing Folder: Select one with a suitable motif to add texture to your chipboard.
- Spray Bottle of Water: A light mist helps chipboard emboss more effectively.
- Stapler & Staples: A mini-stapler is ideal for discreetly securing elements.
- Coarse Grit Sandpaper or Metal File: For distressing the frame edges.
- Emery Board or Pumice Bar: To sand and distress surface layers, revealing underlying textures. (Dollar store finds are perfect for this!)
While this list might seem extensive, each item plays a vital role in achieving the exquisite, multi-layered finish of our faux antique frames. The preparation is part of the creative journey, and the reward is a truly unique, handcrafted heirloom.
The Crafting Process: A Step-by-Step Guide to Antique Elegance
Now that our materials are assembled, let’s begin the exciting transformation. We’ll start with the unique embossed velvet, then move on to constructing and distressing the frame components.
Mastering Embossed Velvet: A Detailed Guide
- Disassemble the Picture Frame: Carefully bend back the metal prongs on your dollar store frame. Remove the backer boards, any cardboard inserts, and the glass. Exercise caution with the glass, as it’s often brittle and can have sharp edges. Set the inner cardboard pieces aside; we’ll repurpose them later. The glass and original backer boards can be discarded or stored, as they won’t be needed for this project. Leave the prongs in place for now.
- Select Your Die: Choose an ornamental die that will become your inner “insert frame” shape. It should be slightly smaller than the opening of your picture frame to allow for a snug fit and a visible border.
- Choose Your Rubber Stamp Motif: Select a design that will comfortably fit within the shape of your chosen die. For a classic vintage look, I’m using one of the Tim Holtz / Stampers Anonymous “Distress Damask” cling stamps, which offers a beautiful, bold pattern.
- Prepare Your Velvet Piece: Cut a piece of your chosen velvet approximately half an inch larger than your selected die on all sides. This extra margin provides flexibility during the stamping and cutting process.
- Ink Your Rubber Stamp: Mount your rubber stamp face up on the sturdy plate glass. This stable surface provides a firm foundation. Carefully ink the entire surface of the stamp with your chosen metallic ink, ensuring even coverage for a crisp impression.
- Position and Secure the Velvet: This step requires a steady hand! Carefully center the velvet fabric, face down, over the inked stamp. The key here is to avoid any shifting once the fabric makes contact with the ink. Once perfectly aligned, securely tape all four sides of the velvet to the glass using your strong sticky tape. This prevents movement during ironing, which is critical for a clear emboss.
- Ironing for Embossing: Ensure your iron is set to the ‘no steam’ setting. I typically use the ‘wool’ setting, but you might need to experiment carefully with a scrap piece of velvet to find the optimal heat for your specific fabric. Press straight down on the back of the velvet/stamp sandwich, applying firm and even contact with the entire surface of the design. Hold for about 3 seconds at a time, lifting and repeating until you are confident the entire design has been thoroughly ‘impressed’ into the velvet’s pile. The most important rule here is to prevent the velvet from shifting *at all* while heat is being applied. Also, be extremely careful not to touch the utility tape with the hot iron to avoid a sticky mess and potential damage!
If all goes well, you’ll be rewarded with a stunning result:
Now, gently remove your beautifully embossed velvet and set it aside. Try not to get too lost in admiring its luxurious texture – we have more crafting to do!
Assembling Your Inset Frame with Embossed Velvet
This stage focuses on creating the layered chipboard components that will form the structural and decorative elements of your keepsake frame.
- Chipboard Preparation: Retrieve one of the cardboard inserts you removed from the original frames. Use this, along with the frame itself, as a template to cut your chipboard pieces. For each folding frame, you will need to cut:
- Six chipboard pieces sized to fit snugly as inserts into the back of each frame opening.
- Two of these will serve as backing boards for your photo and the velvet insert.
- Two will become embossed “inset frames.”
- The remaining two will act as un-embossed backing for these “inset frames.”
- Two larger chipboard pieces, sized to fit the entire back of the folding frame, extending all the way to the edges on all sides. These will form the outer shell and finished backing of your folding frame.
Our aim is to build a beautiful, layered effect, as shown:
Note on Layering: You may find that you need to cut additional chipboard pieces to achieve enough layers for everything to fit perfectly snug within your specific dollar store frames. I often use three 8.5″ x 11″ chipboard sheets per folding frame, but your needs may vary. It’s better to have extra layers you can trim than not enough to fill the depth.
Once all your chipboard pieces are cut, we’ll begin texturing them:
- Emboss Outer Shell Pieces: Take the two larger “outer shell” sized chipboard pieces and emboss them using your chosen embossing folder. Set them aside.
- Emboss Insert Pieces: Emboss two of the “insert” sized chipboard pieces with the same or a complementary motif. Leave the remaining four “insert” sized pieces plain (un-embossed).
- Set Aside Backing Inserts: From the plain “insert” sized chipboard pieces, set aside two. These will serve as the backing for your velvet panel and your photo panel later on.
Pro Tip for Embossing: To achieve more pronounced and crisp embossed impressions, lightly spritz your chipboard with water before enclosing it in the embossing folder and running it through your machine.
- Layer for Die Cutting: Carefully layer the two embossed chipboard inserts atop two of the plain chipboard inserts, ensuring the embossed surface is uppermost. Use a small amount of low-tack or Washi tape to adhere each set together. This keeps them perfectly aligned in preparation for die cutting the center aperture.
- Die Cut the Aperture: Center your chosen ornamental die over the taped, layered cards. Lightly tape the die in place to prevent shifting, then send it through your die-cutting machine. The goal here is to produce matched pairs of “insert” frames – one embossed layer and one plain layer. We are creating two ‘frames’ from these negative cuts: one that will perfectly complement the velvet panel, and another for the photo panel. Remember, we are after the ‘negatives’ of the die-cut shape (the frame itself), rather than the central medallion cutouts.
As a wonderful bonus, these embossed and plain die-cut medallions make fantastic gift tags or decorative embellishments for other craft projects!
- Glue Frame Layers: Carefully glue the embossed layer of each “frame” onto its un-embossed mate. This creates a double thickness of chipboard, adding dimension and sturdiness. Pay close attention to aligning the inner edges of the cut-out shapes for a clean finish. Once glued and cured, they should resemble this:
- Finish the Inset Frames: Once the glue has fully cured, coat the embossed surface of both layered frames with black Gesso or black craft paint. It’s crucial to thoroughly cover the inner edge of the aperture for a professional look. After the Gesso or paint has dried, use your Inka Gold or Rub-n-Buff to highlight the embossed design of one frame, creating a striking metallic finish. Leave the other frame black for a contrasting, dramatic effect. I often like to add a subtle spatter of contrasting paint on the black surface for added texture and visual interest. (Since I’m making multiple frames, the picture shows double the amount needed; you’ll require one black and one metallic frame for a single project.)
Creating the Luxurious Embossed Velvet Padding
This section details the assembly of the velvet panel, ensuring it has that plush, protruding quality characteristic of antique keepsake boxes.
- Die Cut Felt Padding: Using your ornamental die, cut out 2 or 3 layers of craft felt. This time, we want the central medallion shapes – these will form the soft padding for our embossed velvet panels. You can discard the felt ‘frames’ for this step. Remember those two plain “insert” sized pieces of chipboard you set aside earlier? Now’s the time to retrieve them!
- Position Felt on Chipboard: Trace the aperture from your metallic “insert frame” onto one of the plain chipboard inserts. This tracing acts as a guide. Carefully place one layer of your die-cut felt medallion onto this chipboard, matching it precisely to the traced shape. The aim is to position the padding so it exactly matches the center of the frame opening, creating a consistent and elegant effect. (The other plain “insert” piece will be used as the backing for your photo panel.)
- Adhere Felt Layers: Once you are satisfied with the felt’s placement, use spray adhesive to adhere the first layer of felt to the chipboard insert. Then, adhere the second (and optionally third) layer of die-cut felt directly atop the first, building a stack of one layer of chipboard with two or three layers of felt glued to its surface. Always apply spray adhesive outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, strictly following all safety warnings. This layering creates the plush, raised padding for your velvet.
- Apply Adhesive to Padding: Now, spray adhesive over the entire surface of the felt layers and the exposed chipboard, paying particular attention to spraying along the edges where the felt meets the cardboard. This ensures the velvet will adhere smoothly and securely.
- Velvet Application: With the sticky surface ready, gently place your embossed velvet over the top of the felt padding. Carefully align your embossed motif directly over the raised padding. Once positioned, firmly press the velvet down onto the felt and the surrounding chipboard edges. A bone folder can be incredibly helpful in achieving a smooth, wrinkle-free adhesion, especially around the edges of the padding.
- Securing the Velvet Panel: Place your metallic “insert frame” over the velvet and padding, easing it into position until it fits snugly. Once it’s firmly in place, use your stapler to secure it. It’s essential to staple along the very outer edges of the frame. This technique serves two purposes: it captures the velvet securely inside the frame and gently forces the felt padding to protrude slightly through the aperture, creating that desirable plush, dimensional effect. Keeping the staples along the outer edge ensures they won’t be visible when the panel is ultimately placed inside the main picture frame. Trim away any velvet that overhangs the edges of the assembled layers for a neat finish.
Final Assembly and Vintage Distressing
With our velvet panel complete, we’re ready for the final assembly and the magical distressing techniques that will truly bring our frames to life with an authentic aged patina.
- Insert Velvet Panel: Carefully slide the completed padded velvet panel into the left side of your picture frame. Once it’s snugly in place, bend the little prong ‘thingies’ on the back of the frame to clamp it down securely.
- Prepare and Insert Photo Panel: Take your chosen photo and center it beneath the black “insert frame.” Trace around the outer edge of the frame onto your photo, then trim the image precisely to fit. Use a glue stick to adhere the trimmed image to the remaining plain “insert” sized chipboard card. Next, glue the black “insert frame” over the image, creating a clean, layered photo sandwich. Once the glue has dried, place this photo panel into the right side of the picture frame. If it doesn’t sit flush with the back of the frame, add additional layers of chipboard behind it until it’s perfectly snug. Clamp it down with the frame’s prongs.
Crucial Note: We are about to permanently enclose the back of the frame, so take this opportunity to make any last-minute adjustments to your panels now.
- Prepare Backing Panels: Retrieve the two embossed rectangles of chipboard that you prepared earlier, sized to match the external dimensions of the frame. Verify that they fit perfectly onto the back of each side of the hinged frame.
- Apply Heavy-Duty Adhesive: Cover the entire back surface of each embossed chipboard panel with a generous, even layer of your heavy-duty adhesive. I find an old credit card works brilliantly for spreading the adhesive smoothly and efficiently.
- Glue Backing Panels: Carefully glue each of the two prepared panels to the back of each side of the frame, ensuring they are perfectly aligned. Allow the adhesive to cure completely, making certain the bond is secure. If necessary, place a heavy object on top to weigh it down while drying, ensuring maximum adhesion.
- Add Metallic Finish (Optional): For an extra touch of vintage opulence, you can add a layer of metallic finish (like Inka Gold or Rub-n-Buff) to the embossed backing panels. This step adds depth and cohesion to the overall antique aesthetic.
- Distress the Edges: To simulate the natural wear and tear of a century and a half, use coarse-grit sandpaper or a metal file to gently distress the edges of the embossed panels and the frame itself. Focus on areas that would naturally show age and handling.
- Surface Sanding: Take your emery board or pumice bar and lightly sand away at the surface layers of your distressed frame. This technique will strategically reveal glimpses of the chipboard beneath, adding another layer of authentic aging and texture.
- Layered Distressed Finish: Finally, use various craft paints to create a layered and distressed finish on the main frame structure. This is where you can truly disguise its humble dollar store origins and imbue it with the rich character of a genuine antique. Apply thin washes, dry-brushing, and dabbing techniques to build up a complex, aged patina. And there you have it!
Your Finished Faux Antique Keepsake Frame!
The result is nothing short of “instant history” – a beautifully aged and artfully distressed ‘heirloom’ perfectly suited for your favorite vignette spot, mantelpiece, or cherished display. Each frame tells a story, not just of the photo it holds, but of the craftsmanship that brought it to life.
Embrace Your Creativity: Beyond the Project
I absolutely adored making these keepsake frames and am genuinely excited to incorporate more embossed velvet into future projects. The versatility of this technique opens up a world of creative possibilities. Thank you for joining me on this detailed crafting adventure, and I sincerely hope you find joy and inspiration in applying these techniques to your own unique creations!
Connect with Thicketworks for More Faux-Finish Inspiration
If you’re eager to explore more faux-finish techniques, artistic embellishments, and creative DIY ideas, please stop by Thicketworks and delve into my other projects. I always love to hear from fellow crafters and enthusiasts, so feel free to connect and share your wonderful work!
Take Care,
Heather
- Six chipboard pieces sized to fit snugly as inserts into the back of each frame opening.