DIY Project: Silk Lined Picture Frame

Wow, I never thought I’d go nearly a month without posting. Over the six years blogging here, that’s the longest break. The truth is I’m suffering from a dis-ease. The dis-ease of being busy. Oh so, so busy. This article is an interesting reminder that we’re supposed to be human beings, not human doings.

Though I do like to do. I like “do it yourself” projects for the fun of it, when I’m not busy being busy. And today, here is an easy, fast DIY project I made recently that appears somewhere in this room:

Here’s a clue. I thought the area above the sofa looked boring with only the big mirror there. This is how it looked for 12 years!

I like to keep things simple, but it was time for a change.

I made a silk-lined picture frame to display tribal brass spoons that I found at My Dream Canvas. If you love brass pieces from India, Anu at the My Dream Canvas blog and shop has beautiful brass collectibles!

Where did the idea to line a picture frame with silk come from? Well, I had silk left over from another project. And I remembered silk-lined wall niches I saw in Thailand, and how they can add rich color to a wall.

Those wall niches add so much color to this room in the Jim Thompson house in Bangkok.

Why not get the same look by lining a frame with silk?

Here are supplies you would need:

l found a deep picture frame because I needed a frame deep enough for the brass spoons. You can also use a shadowbox.

Iron your silk, if needed, so it is smooth.

First, cover the backing of the frame with silk. Pull the silk taut over a solid backing like foam core board or thick cardboard. Tape the silk in place on the back side. I used blue painters tape because there was a roll sitting literally right behind me, and I was too lazy to search all over the house for more appropriate tape. I know there is a lot of tape in here! I just can’t find it when I need it!

For the sides of the frame, I just needed tiny strips, because my frame wasn’t super deep. I found basswood that’s so lightweight, I could cut it to size with scissors!

Cut pieces of silk and pull the silk around your side pieces, and tape the silk in place on the side that will be pressed against the frame (it won’t show).

Because my strips were so thin, I was working with small everything, including skinny slivers of tape.

I did not use glass, but if you want glass, place your frame with the front laying face down. Place the glass in the frame. You are next going to glue the side strips in, and this is going to make the glass difficult to remove later, so be careful to not break the glass.

Next, run a line of glue along the sides of the frame, and push the silk-covered pieces into place against the glue.

Then assemble your objects or artwork on the silk-covered backing. I actually did this after my frame was finished and hanging on the wall, because I didn’t use glass. So if you don’t use glass, you can assemble your display later.

Push your silk-covered backing against the silk-covered strips on the sides, and tape the backing to the frame. Again, I used blue painters tape. Because it was convenient and it works.

I think this silk-lined frame idea is great for displaying objects. It gives them a nice colorful background, and silk fabric elevates the luxe factor and makes things look more expensive.

Here’s the frame on the wall, and here you see how the orange silk ties in with the pillows on the sofa and other things in the room: