Sunday, April 19, 2009

3 years in the making....

This project has been 3 years in the making!!!
I purchased these vintage ceiling tiles at a local antique store that was going out of business (If I recall correctly I purchased them for about $15 per tile...a total steal :)).At the time of purchase they were pretty beat up but I knew that a little paint and some creative juice could fix them right up into a beautiful frame. A friend of mine had given me the idea; she had seen vintage tiles used as picture frames at a local boutique so of course I fell in love with the idea and was on a mission to make my own. Well, as things would have it the tiles sat in our garage collecting dust for the past 3 years. Every now and then I would gather a little inspiration to fix them up and get hung but it just never happened. Never happened until I became extremly inspired this past Nov. You see, my birdy friend and I were selling some of our products at a local holiday boutique when I came accross one talented gal who has a business creating these ceiling tile frames. I so badly wish she had a blog or website so I could share because when I say she creates beautiful one of a kind pieces I am not exagerrating...her creations are superb!!! Seeing her work truly inspired me to get my tiles completed so I could display them as part of my homes decor. The only obstacle back in Nov. was the fact that David and I were smack dab in the middle of purchasing our new home so that left no time for me to create :(. Needless to say these frames were on the forefront of mind so I wasted no time in getting them spruced up as soon as we began to settle into our new home.

Last week was a break through in my tile mission....we got them hung up on the family room wall and WOW- that was just what that wall needed. This project cost me less then $80 to complete for all 3 frames; a fraction of the price that one frame would have cost had I purchased one at the boutique (I think the frames at the boutique were selling for $200-$300 per frame). If you have a wall that needs just a little something I urge you to be on the look out for some vintage ceiling tiles...they offer a unique and beautiful way to display your beloved family photos- give it a try :).

PS- It certainly doesn't take 3 years to get these completed- LOL! You could probably complete one frame in under an hour.
*This is an old post but I'm linking to
Do It Yourself Day at a Soft Place to Land
and to Power of Paint Party at Domestically Speaking>/a>
Visit thecsiproject.com


10 comments:

Stephanie SM said...

three years is nothing compared to the projects i have in my craft room...and compared to the others still left in your garage, it's actually very quick! :)

Jennifer said...

Those are gorgeous Heather!

jealeo said...

What a beautiful arrangement of tiles. Love It!

Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures said...

It looks great. Did you use metallic acrylic paint on them. How did you apply the photo to the tile?

Maryann @ Domestically-Speaking said...

What a great idea... love the tiles!

michelle@somedaycrafts said...

These are very charming. The tiles are beautiful and making them into frames is a great idea! I am featuring these at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com. Grab my "featured" button.

Brooke said...

Okay, I have some of these that I scored for $5 from a junkyard. Did you cut out the place for the photo and put glass in there or did you just lay the photo on top? I can't tell from the picture and I'm very interested. They look awesome, great job!!!!!!!!

Unknown said...

Hey Heather. Those looking stunning over your bed! You're one smart cookie.

Hugs...Tracy :)

Decor To Adore said...

This was an amazing project. Congratulations on your top 10 win!

Fleur de Bee said...

These are both fantastic and so gorgeous!! You are so crafty!! How's your crown coming along? Can't wait to see the photos!!

xo Molly