upcycling old quilt frame

Antique quilts aren't something you see at thrift stores very often. But on a little jaunt through the Georgia mountains one weekend, I found TWO old quilts. I didn't want to be greedy and buy both, but I did take one of them home. It was crumbling and damaged, so it was definitely a cutter quilt that was destined for upcycling. And I knew right away that I wanted to display it by using a vintage window as a quilt frame.

Antique quilts or vintage quilts at a thrift store

Now. Let's just get something out of the way before I continue. I'm going to upcycle this quilt– and some folks may consider that a sacrilege. It's threadbare and tattered beyond repair in some places.

Vintage quilt that is falling apart for upcycling crafts

I feel like a news anchor warning viewers of graphic footage ahead!

And if you can't bear to see it repurposed, then you may want to stop reading right now.

Still with me? Ok, good!

I already had this old window in my garage and thought it might be perfect as a quilt frame.

Vintage window to be used for displaying an antique quilt

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Creating a Quilt Frame with a Vintage Window

First, I needed to find a segment of vintage quilt that not only fit inside the old window, but had the least amount of damage.

Let me tell you, that was no easy task!

But, I spread it out on my kitchen floor and moved the window around until I found the right section for a quilt display.

How to display a quilt in an antique window for country decor

Next, I slid my self-healing cutting mat underneath the vintage quilt and old window. Then, I used a rotary cutter to cut the quilt along the edge of the window frame, leaving a 1″ margin.

Then, using painter's tape ( like this kind ) , I added a bubble of tape at each corner between the wood and the quilt. The tape would hold the quilt in place on the window frame.

Centering a cutter quilt in a quilt frame with a vintage window

With the front of my vintage window facing the floor, I needed to secure the section of cutter quilt to the quilt frame. Because this was a fairly delicate procedure, I used dainty wire nails and my silly (but super handy) craft hammer .

Ever so carefully, I tapped the nails through the quilt into the outer frame of the window. I pulled it snug without stretching out the old quilt.I also removed the bubbles of painter's tape as I went along.

Tacking an antique quilt to a vintage window for a quilt display

With my quilt piece securely attached to the window, I simply needed to trim off the excess. My rotary cutter was perfect for the task of trimming the antique quilt right along the edge of the window.

Cutting a vintage quilt to fit in an old window as a quilt frame

Ready to see how my quilt display in the vintage window turned out?

Upcycling a Vintage Window as a Quilt Frame for an Antique Quilt

The vintage window worked out perfectly as a quilt frame!

Quilt display in a vintage window for primitive decor

I think I'll display my quilt frame on our mantel for now. It works perfectly as country decor or vintage farmhouse decor, don't you think?

Upcycling a vintage window as a quilt frame for primitive decor

And guess what, I already repurposed another portion of the vintage quilt into a potholder for my kitchen !

How to upcycle country quilts into a potholder or kitchen hot pad that is big enough for a baking dish

And if you enjoyed this upcycling idea for a quilt frame in an old window, then you'll love this shabby chic wall decor that I made with vintage doilies !

Framed doilies as shabby chic wall decor

Plus, if you love simple sewing projects and upcycling fabric, then you may also be interested in my book, "Crafting with Flannel" ! It's available for online purchase from Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.

Craft book for flannel shirts