DIY Silk Lined Picture Frame

8 Materials
Inspired by the colorful silk-lined wall niches that I saw in Thailand, I made a silk-lined picture frame to display little collectibles. Here I show you how to do it! It's super easy and fast.
No, this is not my house! This is the Jim Thompson house in Bangkok. Jim Thompson makes famous Thai silks. Here you can see how a wall niche lined in silk adds lots of color to a room. Scroll all the way down to see my living room!
Supplies:


-- A deeper picture frame or shadowbox


-- Foam core board or heavy cardboard


-- Little basswood, cardboard or foam core strips to line the frame sides (this may not be necessary if you have a really deep frame)


-- Silk fabric


-- Yardstick


-- Pen


-- Scissors


-- Glue


-- Tape


And your objects for display. For my project, I wanted to frame tribal brass spoons from India.


I really like silk, but you can also do this project with other fabrics like cotton, linen, burlap, polyester. It depends on the look you want. I had this orange silk left over from making a pillow for my living room, so the silk-lined picture frame and silk pillow would be coordinating colors in the room.
First pull the silk taut and cover a piece of foam core board or heavy cardboard. Tape the silk on the back of the foam core board to secure. I used blue painters tape because that's what was sitting nearby. It worked fine.
Cover the side pieces with silk. My frame was not very deep so I covered little strips of basswood.
Run a strip of glue along the side of the frame, and press the side pieces into place.


After this step, place your backing down and tape it to the back of the frame to secure it.
Flip your frame over - this is what you see! A silk-lined frame, including silk on the sides. Now you can assemble your collectibles or objects in the frame.
Here you can see the brass spoons assembled in my frame.


I attached the spoons to the frame with tiny nails. You can also use clear fishing line.
Here it is hanging on my living room wall. You can see the choice of orange silk ties in with pillows and chairs in the room!
Suggested materials:
  • Picture Frame or Shadowbox   (Craft store)
  • Foam core board or heavy cardboard   (Craft store)
  • Silk fabric   (Fabric shop or craft store)
See all materials
Deb @ NomadicDecorator.com
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Robbyn King-Tygrett Robbyn King-Tygrett on Apr 26, 2016
    Your chairs! I love them. May I ask where you found them? Btw, the silk framing idea is beautiful. Thank you.
  • LF LF on Apr 26, 2016
    How did you fasten the spoon set to the silk?
  • Maria Maria on Mar 03, 2017
    The splash of color is beautiful! I planned on donating a pair of similar 12"x36" long frames. Any advice on what else to mount?
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