Window Shopping: Vintage Seed Packet Display

For nearly a year now, I’ve had an antique window sash sitting in my garage, waiting for his project-day to arrive. I bought it during a road trip to Forest City, North Carolina because it was the perfect size (24” X 19.5”), definitely vintage (sash cords still attached- so maybe from the ‘30s or ‘40s?), and was perfectly chippy.

Cleaned up and ready to be repurposed.

At first I thought I would use it to display vintage postcards…but I had no idea what I’d do with it afterwards! Fast forward a few months when I purchased some GORGEOUS circa-1918 unused flower seed packets.

Like little art canvases!

Aren’t they stunning? Like little works of art, little colorful canvases that HAVE to be on display somehow. I bought six packets…the window has six panes…why not combine them together and use for my Springtime mantelscape? This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience.

Creating a Seed Packet Window Display

I didn’t want to affix the packets to the panes directly- so I immediately thought of those black photo corners that I would see in my mother’s and grandmother’s photo albums.

Well, for the life of me, I couldn’t find them in any stores! Maybe I didn’t look hard enough, who knows- but I was fairly certain I could find some vintage ones online, and I was right!

So that nothing sticks to the seed packets…

Before working on the display, I wiped down the window, preserving as much of the chippy paint as possible, and used a little Windex on the glass. Let me tell you- it was filthy! And I had to chuckle to myself at the paint job, particularly on what would have been the exterior side- globby and drippy, with paint smudges on the glass. Perhaps it was last painted by an exhausted farmer who just didn’t give a darn about painting his windows? Or maybe a it was painted by a young child that didn’t really know what he was doing…either way, it was fun to daydream about.

Now, I suppose I could have measured everything here, but eh, I didn’t have the patience! So, this part came together quickly. I centered each packet on the pane as best I could, then used photo corners on opposite ends to hold it in place.

Easy does it…

Perfect!

The Big Reveal

And then, voilà! An adorable seed packet display to become the centerpiece of my Spring mantel!

Ta-da!

Isn’t that just charming? I can’t wait to build around it to welcome Spring into our home.

I’ve also used vegetable seed packets in a similar way to create farmhouse kitchen decor…

And I’ve reused the window in a brand new project to display an old cutter quilt!

Don’t you just love a re-repurpose?? My wallet sure does!

Craft on!

S

Want to be notified when I publish my next upcycling project tutorial?

PIN ME!