DIY Family Recipe Art | How I Made An “Old” Recipe Card & Framed It

Sources: Wicker Vase | Wicker Tray | Pendant

I absolutely adore unexpected decor in the kitchen. Art, mirrors, lamps, books, candlesticks, stools, maybe even an antique chair at the end of the cabinets. Something unexpected can be the difference between a purely functional space and a captivating room.

Sources: Wicker Vase | Wicker Tray

Last week I was perusing Pinterest when I saw this pin of a framed recipe card and I was so intrigued by it. Not only is art in the kitchen fun…but framing something that isn’t traditionally used as art is even better!

If you happen to have a genuine old family recipe card that you could frame, that’s ideal! But if not, here’s how I created my imitation of an old recipe card with a recipe that’s been in my family for years!

I used Canva to create my recipe card. It’s a free online site that’s really easy and fun to use! Just sign up with your email address and create a password if you don’t already have an account.

I created a 5” x 3” recipe card template for you to use to speed up this process! You can download the recipe card template here. Just change the text to your ingredients and cooking instructions to personalize it!

Once you’ve customized the recipe card, download the design as a “PDF Print.” Then open this site and convert the pdf into a jpg file. (Canva’s version of a jpg file is lower quality so I prefer to download my designs as a PDF first, and then convert it to a jpg offsite to maintain image quality.)

Ok next, open a Word document and upload your recipe card file onto your Word document. (click Insert > Pictures > Picture From File > and select the recipe card saved on your computer) It should upload as 5” x 3” and be ready to print.

Print it (in color) on a sheet of thicker cardstock paper. Once the ink dries, cut it out and then you can start to “age” it.

I crinkled mine up, ripped the corner, bent the other corners, burned the side of it lightly with a match, and then rubbed some maple flavoring on the whole card with my finger to make it look older. There’s no wrong way to do this.

I chose to float mount the recipe card in my frame, but you can also tuck it behind a mat, or stick it in a frame that’s the same size as your card. Completely up to you!

To float mount your recipe like I did, pick a backing. I bought this creamy mat board at Michaels and cut it to the size of an old frame I had. Then I cut out a couple pieces of mat board that were slightly smaller than my recipe card and stacked them/taped them together. Then I taped them to the back of the recipe card and taped that all to my backing!

My frame didn’t come with glass but you can choose to go with or without glass.

It’s a simple project with a lot of personality and it genuinely looks like an old recipe card. Even Chris thought it was real! How appropriate is this art for the kitchen though? Unexpected, personal, and a conversation starter.

Sources: Wicker Vase | Wicker Tray

For those wondering what my family recipe is, It’s called Pannekoeken and it’s the most delicious breakfast dish you could eat! Top it with strawberries and whip cream and enjoy! Here’s the recipe-