I went around my house with my little digital camera snapping shots of vintage hardware: cupboard hinges, glass knobs, i.d. plates, old lunch box hinges & latches. I brought them into my computer and placed them on a page, covered over the label wording on a few i.d. plates and printed them out onto label stock. (Feel free to grab my hardware image, you may want to zest it up a bit in Photoshop.)
If you choose to make paper hardware, find a burnishing tool to emboss areas of the image- around the screws, frame, outline the edge of the hardware image itself, etc. You can use many different things to burnish. An actual burnishing tool, end of a paintbrush, tip of a crochet hook or knitting needle, or my personal favorite, the signature pen I begged my UPS guy for years ago when he delivered packages to my design firm. He was cool- said he had more. I use my rubbery-soft mousepad to lay my image on to get a good, deep embossing.
After burnishing the image and cutting it out, run a colored marker around the paper’s edge to remove the white cut area.
Then start sticking your paper hardware on stuff. I added hardware to a couple of mini sketchbooks, and hinged and latched a small gift box.
If you don’t have label stock handy, print to card stock and use spray adhesive or glue. You can add more reality to your labels by painting white glue or Mod Podge to some of the image to create a sheen. Paint glass knobs (avoid painting the rusty screw in the middle), i.d. plates (again, avoid painting the paper area for writing.) You get the idea.
Now, go look through your house for some fun, old hardware!
way to cool
That’s so clever!
you are so stinkin creative!!
You ALWAYS have the best tutorials! You go girl!
Brilliant!!!!
Just love your blog, thanks so much for sharing this.
You should submit this idea to Somerset Studio Magazine…truly wonderful and just up their alley. Thanks for sharing with us–the idea and the hardware sheet. 🙂
How cute! You’re so creative!
Nice one, Cathe!
I love your hardware photo’s, I have downloaded them and I am sure I will be using them on something…. thanks 🙂
That is so cute…you could actually use some of them mailing labels. Great idea.
you are brilliant!!! I have to try this!
Totally sick…and she’s still bloggin’….GET WELL SOON!!!
Caryn
That is so COOL!
Awesome idea- and leaves room for lots of other things you can do that for as well. I am looking around my house immediately!
Thats so cool!Thanx for sharing ; )
That’s so cute!!! Thanks for sharing!
Very nice – thanks for sharing!
Your projects keep topping themselves. What an incredible, and replicable, idea! Love it :0
You are just way too crafty for me. What a fun idea!
That was really clever, great idea.
your a true original!!! thanks for the inspiration.
Oh now that is totally groovy 🙂
Wow, what a great idea!!!! So clever are you!
Thanks….
What a great idea ~ thank you for taking the time to make these available.
Kindly, ldh
That has got to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen! How do you think up this stuff?
Awesome!!
I LOVE this! so clever.
You are AWESOME!! Thank you for sharing such cool hardware!! Have a BEAUTIFUL weekend!:)
Wow! What a great idea! Thanks a lot for the free images!
i love your idea , soooo awesome and cool. thank you for sharing this;-D
Pingback: Vintage Card/Label Holders and Free Printables | Just Something I Made
wonderful ideas, must try this sometime
WOW!! double wow!! neat stuff . my brain is so stuffed full of ideas & my house is overflowing with cool stuff. I’m pretty creative & dabble in many arts & crafts, such as my newest china painting, the oldest quilting & sewing, also decorative painting & refinnishing old & new furniture, even made a few pieces my self. Everyone loves my stuff I usually give it away, but have no modern tech knowledge, therefore I can’t even post it online or sell it. Printing this on my new lap top is about as mod as I get. Don’t even quite get facebook yet, but I’ll keep trying, learning, & of course crafting. Thank you for the fab ideas. You are so talented & kind for sharing. Sincerely, Michele Ruiz
Pingback: More Paper Hardware | Just Something I Made
Thanks so much for this post! I’m creating an art lesson plan for the high school level and your idea for paper hardware will enhance my lesson! I’m having the students 1. create a map of their day and from that map create a game board with game pieces. 2. students will create a container to hold their game board. I will let students use paper hardware or real hardware as part of their container construction. Thanks so much for the inspiration!!
Sue from Wisconsin
I love these! What a cute, kitchy idea. I will be looking to paint and decoupage a few sturdy show boxes I think to give this a try. Thanks so much!
thanks so very much for all your printables….just adore them!!!!!!