December 20, 2012

Framed Chicken Wire Card Display

 framed chicken wire

I have been wanting to copy a project that I saw 
Debbie at ReFresh ReStyle blog did last spring
where she backed an open frame with chicken wire.
Debbie shows how you can have the framed chicken wire
 function as a sort of bulletin board or even a jewelry holder.
  I also thought the frame would serve well as
a display for Christmas cards so they could stay out
and in view to be enjoyed during the holiday season.

The frames started out as black frames with glass from
Michael's.  To make them look richer, I  painted the frames
gold then added patches of gold leafing on top of the paint.
I ordered reproduction antique blueprints off the internet
to approximate a designer's look I had seen that was $1000.
The copy cat attempt was about $100.
DIY coral

After a couple of years of the blueprints under glass, I switched
the artwork out with art posters.  I added a finish to the posters
that made them look kinda like original works with no glass.
gold leaf picture frame

This past summer I changed the posters and the paint finish on
the frames.  I tried to make the frames look like driftwood to go
with the beach-y art prints with a hand painted look.
make a frame look like driftwood

  I wasn't very happy with the frames or the prints of this change.
framed beach prints

I was ready to get rid of that look and try the framed chicken wire.
Cutting chicken wire and hammering nails seemed like a
good man-assisted project but Tom Kat wasn't too excited
about participating. In the end, he helped anyway.

The 2" opening chicken wire was the least exensive roll I
found at the home improvement store...it also would require
less cutting...so that's how that decision was made. 
silver chicken wire

The chicken wire was not wide enough to cover the opening
in the frames so we cut two pieces of chicken wire for each
 frame to layer them to cover the opening.

If you have a good stapler, you could just staple the 
wire onto the back of the frame.
We don't have a good stapler so we used nails that
 look like large staples and hammered
them in to keep the chicken wire in place.
use staple nails to attach chicken wire

The attaching of the chicken wire was pretty easy with two
people...one to hammer and one to keep the wire from rolling up.
attach chicken wire to frame
I don't have good pictures of this part...a man on a mission
does not like to stop for photos.

We joined the two pieces of chicken wire together with
cut ends of the pattern.  We tried to match up the hexagons.
make chicken wire wider

Here is what the finished product looked like
before any Christmas cards were added:
chicken wire in frame

Since I am using some silver in this Christmas' decor, I tried
dry-brushing some silver paint over the driftwood color frames.
paint frame silver

It looked holiday-ish enough.
layer paint to make antique look frame

To attach the cards to the chicken wire, I got some
teeny tiny wooden clothes pins at Michaels.
small wooden clothes pins

They got painted silver too.
tiny wooden clothes pins painted silver
Aren't the clothes pins cute?
tiny clothes pins

attach cards to chicken wire

If you need some "fillers" for your Chicken Wire
Christmas Card Display, you can add ornaments also.
attach ornaments to chicken wire



attach cards to chicken wire



Christmas card display


display cards on framed chicken wire

I think the framed chicken wire will be great to change out
seasonally with different subject matter.  Debbie put burlap
behind her chicken wire; that is another element that
could be added/changed to the frames to keep them current.
how to frame chicken wire
 I'm linking this to the Under $100 Linky Party so here is a
cost breakdown for one chicken wire frame:
Original frame $25 (you may have one on hand)
Roll of chicken wire $8 (lots left over)
Tiny clothes pins $3 for 50
Silver acrylic paint $2

This beautiful card on the display reminds us that
"Jesus Is The Reason For The Season".

4 comments

  1. That turned out really cute. I actually like all the ways you had the frames-including the next to last one with the tropical prints- xo Diana

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  2. Oooooooh, I just love, love, love that look! I keep harping on my hubby to pick up some chicken wire. I have a frame ready and waiting!

    Jeanine

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. Love the chicken wire idea! Love what you did with the frames too!! Great ideas!!

    ReplyDelete

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