Towel Bar from Frames, How to

If you follow my facebook you recently saw this towel bar project I posted on Sunday.

 I promised a how-to and here it is

Driving down the road one day, after my bathroom was painted, but not yet decorated, I contemplated what to use for towel display.  I could put up the old towel bars that I had removed before painting, but that is no fun.  What could I use that was a re-purpose, I wondered.  Everything I thought of was much too cottag-y or crafty.  How about wood from old frames I thought, and then it hit me.  Why not just use the whole frame!  But how to mount it so it had space behind for the towels?  The solution quickly came to me. Use other frames as spacers and make a frame collage towel bar.  

Note the most frequently asked question I get about this project is...
"what about wet towels and the wood".  The answer is I have a separate hook for wet towels, this is for dry towels, decorative and hand towels. It's also in a rarely used bathroom. If you were going to hang wet towels, regularly, I would suggest a non wood option.

Frames are one of my "must get" items whenever I see them at garage sales and they are cheap.  So I have quite a stash of them and have used them for many projects, some you can see here.  

I gathered several frames I had in various sizes. You'll need one large one and a couple of smaller ones and the various other sizes as you'd like.  You'll want the largest one to be long enough to accommodate your towels.
First I laid out the design on the floor. Then I traced the frames on craft paper and  cut out pieces to do a mock up on the wall.  I carefully arranged, leveled and measured so that when I recruited Hubby to do the drilling we would not have to revisit the placement.

A note about getting hubbs help.  I am perfectly capable of doing this myself. But I'm impatient and not detail oriented. I'd be drilling holes all over the place with no real plan of action. Getting frustrated and damaging my walls in the process.  Hubby is an engineer and always has great ideas about how to make my projects work better. So in an effort to limit the frustrations, I asked him for his help, which he is always glad to give.

Of course all my papers fell off the wall because I used a weak tape.  LOL  Anywhoo, It was pretty easy to slap them back up there so Hubby knew exactly what I was thinking.  First he figured out where he would be drilling to allow for maximum strength.  First up are the 2 spacer frames, which I painted a Yellow color.

Line it up for one last look, then drill through both the frame paper and wall. 

Remove the craft paper and insert a plastic anchor into the hole.

Replace frame and check for accuracy. Then decide where the other holes will go and drill into the frame.  Now an important part of drilling through the frame is to countersink the screws.  We did this by partially drilling with a larger bit down about 1/8", just enough for the screw to sink below the front of the frame. 

 Hubby's tip, Switch the drill to go backwards, so you don't chip up the front of the frame.  I told you he was cleaver!

After securing both spacer frames in their proper places, it was time for the larger frame which will hold the towels. Make sure your frame is strong on the side that will be the lower rung. You don't want it falling apart.

Use a level at each part of this process to make sure everything is strait.

Drill through both frames, again countersinking your screws, secure in 4 places.  
We were careful when hanging the yellow frames, to hide some of our screws underneath where the larger frame would overlap, so that  they are hidden. 
The paper mockups helped with this process.

When finished fill in the exposed holes with wall joint compound, or hole filler. You may need to go over them a few times, as it shrinks as it drys.

 Wipe smooth after each application with a wet cloth to blend into the curves of the frame.

 Once dry and contoured, paint over the holes to blend with frame colors. 

Hang your towels and you are finished.  I added smaller frames to give it more punch. I hung those in the usual way.  You could add lots of frames or just a minimal amount. It's all up to you.

There are also some special flush wall anchors you can purchase and use, but I thought this was easier and more secure.  

These frames are so strong they are not going anywhere.

Picture Frame Towel Bar-past Project Re-visited

This is my most pinned, followed, commented, popular project ever, So I thought I'd post it again.  It's been up in my bathroom for several years now, and is holding up nicely.  The biggest question I get is "what about wet towels".  Answer: You could varnish with marine grade varnish or simply use it for "dry only" towels as I've done.

Driving down the road one day, after my bathroom was painted, but not yet decorated, I contemplated what to use for towel display.  I could put up the old towel bars that I had removed before painting, but that is no fun.  What could I use that was a re-purpose, I wondered.  Everything I thought of was much too cottag-y or crafty.  How about wood from old frames I thought, and then it hit me.  Why not just use the whole frame!  But how to mount it so it had space behind for the towels?  The solution quickly came to me. Use other frames as spacers and make a frame collage towel bar.  

Note the most frequently asked question I get about this project is...
"what about wet towels and the wood".  The answer is I have a separate hook for wet towels, this is for dry towels, decorative and hand towels. It's also in a rarely used bathroom. If you were going to hang wet towels, regularly, I would suggest a non wood option.

Frames are one of my "must get" items whenever I see them at garage sales and they are cheap.  So I have quite a stash of them and have used them for many projects, some you can see here.  

I gathered several frames I had in various sizes. You'll need one large one and a couple of smaller ones and the various other sizes as you'd like.  You'll want the largest one to be long enough to accommodate your towels.
First I laid out the design on the floor. Then I traced the frames on craft paper and  cut out pieces to do a mock up on the wall.  I carefully arranged, leveled and measured so that when I recruited Hubby to do the drilling we would not have to revisit the placement.

A note about getting hubbs help.  I am perfectly capable of doing this myself. But I'm impatient and not detail oriented. I'd be drilling holes all over the place with no real plan of action. Getting frustrated and damaging my walls in the process.  Hubby is an engineer and always has great ideas about how to make my projects work better. So in an effort to limit the frustrations, I asked him for his help, which he is always glad to give.

Of course all my papers fell off the wall because I used a weak tape.  LOL  Anywhoo, It was pretty easy to slap them back up there so Hubby knew exactly what I was thinking.  First he figured out where he would be drilling to allow for maximum strength.  First up are the 2 spacer frames, which I painted a Yellow color.

Line it up for one last look, then drill through both the frame paper and wall. 

Remove the craft paper and insert a plastic anchor into the hole.

Replace frame and check for accuracy. Then decide where the other holes will go and drill into the frame.  Now an important part of drilling through the frame is to countersink the screws.  We did this by partially drilling with a larger bit down about 1/8", just enough for the screw to sink below the front of the frame. 

 Hubby's tip, Switch the drill to go backwards, so you don't chip up the front of the frame.  I told you he was cleaver!

After securing both spacer frames in their proper places, it was time for the larger frame which will hold the towels. Make sure your frame is strong on the side that will be the lower rung. You don't want it falling apart.

Use a level at each part of this process to make sure everything is strait.

Drill through both frames, again countersinking your screws, secure in 4 places.  
We were careful when hanging the yellow frames, to hide some of our screws underneath where the larger frame would overlap, so that  they are hidden. 
The paper mockups helped with this process.

When finished fill in the exposed holes with wall joint compound, or hole filler. You may need to go over them a few times, as it shrinks as it drys.

 Wipe smooth after each application with a wet cloth to blend into the curves of the frame.

 Once dry and contoured, paint over the holes to blend with frame colors. 

Hang your towels and you are finished.  I added smaller frames to give it more punch. I hung those in the usual way.  You could add lots of frames or just a minimal amount. It's all up to you.

There are also some special flush wall anchors you can purchase and use, but I thought this was easier and more secure.  

These frames are so strong they are not going anywhere.

Frames

I love using frames when decorating, but I feel like my love of the diversity of empty frames is going un-noticed. I recently did the display above at my Antique Booth, to try and show how empty wooden frames can be used in your home decor.
They are plentiful, usually cheap (if found at garage sales) and beautiful.

Here are some other ways I've used empty frames in my home.

Above is a frame collage I made by hanging old frames from a quilt rack from rope.
I used the round grates to add geometrical interest.

Below, I have a grouping of frames with various found objects inside them. This display is above the couch in our family room.


Also in the family room, some unusual shaped frames hold a large 1/2 cut spindle


This frame is part of a bigger display. It looks as if the old ceiling tin pieces are trying to escape the "box".

How about framing a collection, to give it unity

In my guest room, I framed an old spring set from a chair to make a display board, and on the right, I layered 2 frames and hung an open book inside.


Below, I framed some old lace, and use this to store and display my earrings


The mantle below is decorated with various old frames


What do I look for in a frame? First it must be wood. Then I look at shape and condition. I like unusual shapes, and carved details. Lastly is price, I'm cheap and I like my junk to be cheap too. Remember, if the color is off, a little paint will take care of that. If some of the jesso is chipped, all-the-better.
Signs of age add character!

For more ideas,
I have a whole page of frame ideas on my web site here.

2015 Christmas Tree Project with Old frames and trim

As you know if you follow my blog, I don't currently put up a traditional Christmas tree. Every year for the past 4 or 5 years, I've put up an alternative to a traditional tree.

 I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to pinning unusual tree ideas.

 

This year I was inspired by a pin from Lucy Designs.  She took trim molding and old frames and makes some fabulous all white trees that have been featured in magazines.

I was inspired by her designs and a pile of old frames to do a similar project for myself.

 

First I gathered and took apart various old frames I had from past projects.  I look for  old frames at garage sales and scoop them up when they are a good price.  I laid them out in my barn until I had the basic design I was looking for. I was going to use frames for the base, but later changed my mind. I used an old ornate hinge for the topper.

Next I pulled out some scrap wood and my screw driver and began drilling from the back to secure the wood in place. This took awhile to get it all just right.  In the end the back looked like this. No pretty but strong.

 And there you have it.  My version of this project involved some moderate woodworking skills. I did use my miter saw on a few pieces and the drill as well.  but if you had enough frames you probably would not need the miter saw.

I like the variation of colors, and in person you can see the dimension that the old and sometimes shabby frames give it. Watch in the next few days for some more  Christmas projects, past and present.

 

I probably won't use this as my substitute tree this year, but It's a fun decoration item. Right now it's on my porch, until I'm ready to start really decorating for Christmas. 

Junky Photo display

It may seem strange,with as much as I love using vintage frames in my decor that I don't necessarily like having my photos in frames. I really love using unusual items to display photographs. 

Click some photos and links to go to similar items in my etsy store.

This this display on a shelf in my home office.  I've used a store sign holder,  wooden photo film holders

 Even music holders and flower frogs, but not regular frames.

This fun item is for enlarging prints in a dark room. The black bars are moveable so you can add that white border around the print.  You move them along those bars on the side. I love the wood frame and the glass in front makes it perfect for photos.

Or these fabulous items, used to hold film in vintage field cameras.  Nice wooden frames as well.

Even this garden sign would be great as a photo frame.

I've even propped photos up in items like this for display.

This is another one of those enlarger mattes for darkroom developing.  It has 2 sides and is perfect for larger photos.

Do you prefer regular frames or unusual ways to display your photos?

Pictures are all we have now-the Wedding Day

Again, my day started early and I was able to get in the church to start on the foyer table. I made the little frame collage there by stringing burlap ribbon and attaching various frames. Inside the frames were a variety of photo's that the bride provided. Beside the collage is an old typewriter, with a note in it that says "Please Sign our Register" The register is there in front of the pen.
More photo's a wonderful arrangement and some more burlap ribbon and babies breath. The bride wanted lots and lots of babies breath and that is what she got.
In front of the Bride's portrait are scattered various snapshots.
Here you see the completed draped arch, 2 frames with floating green vases filled with babies breath are hung on each side. A shabby chandie from the top and 2 single garden candelabras on each side. A Vintage brooch finishes off the floating vases. When the candles were lit and the complete wedding party was in place it was absolutely fabulous. I can't wait to share those pics with you.
Down the isle we decorated every other pew with more burlap ribbon, a boquet of babies breath and and some beautiful green ribbon, chosen by the Bride.

Next post the reception area, which is where the bulk of the decorating took place.

BTW it was a fabulous wedding. What took 2 days to put up, took less than 2 hrs to take down. She got just what she wanted and I'm glad for that.

I'm beat!!!! But so glad I could do this for her.

Cost breakdown:
Church:
Cost if purchased in () and are approximate
Arch Borrowed, cost for family Zero ($50-$200)
Fabric behind arch purchased at a re-use shop $10
Single light candle stands on sides of arch owned by me, cost for family Zero ($30-$50)
candle hurricane lamps $24.00
Ribbon $50.00
Shabby Chandelier owned by me, cost for family Zero ($16-$100)

Foyer Table
All props borrowed cost for family Zero ($80-$150)
Broaches $4
Frames $5
Sign in book and pen unknown
Photo's unknown
Green glass vase approx $4
Flowers (all part of florist bill) unknown

As you can see it helps to know people like me who just have lots of fun stuff lying around :)