Wednesday 17 May 2017

Nan's Recipe Kitchen Art

Make personal art for your kitchen using old handwritten recipes.
Nan's recipe kitchen art
My maternal grandma, Pearl was a great cook, she had been a kitchen maid and then a cook in a grand house in her young days - think Daisy then Mrs Patmore in Downton Abbey. She gave that up when she married my granddad but still loved to cook, always making everything from scratch.
I have a few cookbooks that belonged to my mum and tucked inside I found a few recipes handwritten by my nan.
old handwritten recipe
This one is a recipe for apple cake and I can remember my nan baking this for us. It was delicious.
I thought it would be nice to conserve this little bit of family history so I turned my nan's recipe into art to go on the wall in our kitchen.
I first shared this idea almost 2 years ago on The Pinning Mama when I was a guest contributor there and this art has been on the wall in our kitchen ever since. As I dusted it the other day I thought it was high time I shared it with you all here.
Making art with old recipe and plastic cutlery
To make a similar piece of art for your kitchen you will need:
A box frame, mine was a 23cm x 23cm Ribba from Ikea
A handwritten recipe (ideally you want one from your own family of course but if you don't have one you are welcome to use my nan's - she would have been delighted! Just right click on the picture of it above and then save it on your computer)
Coloured card
Plastic cutlery
Glue for paper - I used a pritt stick
Strong PVA glue or hot glue gun
Access to a scanner and colour printer
First you want to copy your recipe. We are not cutting up and glueing onto a precious handwritten bit of family memorabilia! Scan, enlarging if necessary and print your recipe - or photocopy in colour, again enlarging if needed.
Now cut it to a 20cm x 20cm square.
Cut your coloured card to fit exactly inside your box frame.
Making art with old recipe and plastic cutlery
Mount the recipe copy onto the coloured card with the paper glue.
Using the strong pva or hot glue gun, attach the plastic cutlery to the recipe in a pleasing arrangement. I wasn't going to set the world alight with this 'lined up' thing but I like it simple. You can be more adventurous if you want!
I used pva and held the cutlery in place by putting mugs on top until the glue set.
Pop the art into the box frame and Ta-dah you are finished. It's ready to hang.
nan's recipe kitchen art
A pretty and personal piece of art for your kitchen, or dining room, or any other space you like to eat I guess.
Sum of their Stories
Sum of their Stories

Hello, I'm Julie. I love making things and this is where I share my enthusiasm.

24 comments:

  1. What a great idea! I love my Nan's recipes that are in my Mum's recipe files. They do tend to bring back good memories! This idea has already got me thinking about a potential embroidery piece!

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    1. Ooo, I love the idea of an embroidered version, what a great idea.

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  2. I love this idea! I want to make one with one of my grandma's recipes! So adorable and sentimental.

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    1. Glad you like it and if you do have a go it turns out well. It's very quick and simple to do.

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  3. Wonderful idea - keeps your grandmother with you.

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    1. There is something really special about a persons handwriting isn't there? Somehow it makes them feel close.

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  4. Fantastic idea, and I love that you had a Daisy and a Mrs. Patmoore in your family tree!

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    1. Downton Abbey is such a favourite programme, I love everything about it. Watching it did remind me of stories my nan would tell about her young days.

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  5. What a great idea!! Thanks so much for the party each week!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  6. What a lovely sweet way to preserve some family history

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    1. Thanks, there is something special about a handwritten anything and recipes are the thing most likely to be kept and passed on I guess. I'm glad to have the few recipes I have in my nan's writing, I also have one my grandad wrote out (my nan must have been dictating!) and a few from my mum too.

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  7. What a great way to save treasured hand written recipes - I have to pin this!! Thanks for sharing at the Pleasures of the NW's DIY Party!

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  8. What a lovely idea! I need to get some scans of my grandmother's recipe cards. My family members would love to get a gift like this. #HomeMattersParty

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  9. This is a fantastic idea. I love the Downton Abbey reference it let me know exactly what kind of cook your Gran was. I can just imagine the wealth of recipes. Pinning this idea.

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  10. What a clever idea I wish I had my Nana's recipes :)

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  11. This is such a sweet way to preserve those old recipes. I definitely want to make one of these for my mom's birthday. She would love it. Thanks for the awesome idea!

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  12. That is such a sweet way to display your Nan's recipe Julie! It has now become much more than a recipe. Love the cute use of the plastic cutlery.

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  13. What a treasure! This is a wonderful way to showcase your Nan's recipe. This was the Most Clicked from our last Snickerdoodle Party. All of the party co-hosts will be featuring it at tomorrow's party. Thanks for partying with us, Julie.

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    1. That's such lovely new Beverly, thanks for letting me know.

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  14. What a great way to preserve family history

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    1. Thanks Vicky, better than just sitting in a drawer or stuffed in the front of a cook book anyway!

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  15. Wonderful idea. Wouldn't it make a neat wedding present? Thanks for sharing with us at Creatively Crafty #ccbg :)

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