Memory Screen

 

Like any girl, I had a lot of dreams and plans for my wedding.  Most of them were completely implausible simply because neither I nor my family has access to several thousand dollars to blow on one event, even when that event is the wedding of the oldest daughter.  (An outdoor pavilion covered with yards of flowing chiffon and explosions of flowers perfuming the air- who was I kidding?)  I have six other sisters who will eventually need dresses and bouquets as well.  I tried to make a case for them all using the same colors and decorations, but the idea didn’t go over too well for some reason.

There were, however, a few ideas I was able to keep for my dream wedding.  Receptions are never complete without a display of the bride and groom.  I wanted a unique way of celebrating our relationship that I would be able to make myself, and a small hinged screen I could use to display pictures, notes, and memorabilia was the perfect answer.  Though above I have only one pictured, I actually made a pair and displayed them side by side.

 I began with six wooden boards, all cut to the same length and width, 18’*10′.  I painted them all with a layer of cream colored acrylic paint, and then took decorative paper (mostly in cream, but some also in purple and red, my wedding colors) and used modge podge to make a collage on each board.  I alternately painted and modge podged until each board was covered with paper and colored the way I wanted it.  I used my cricut to cut out different designs and add them to each collage.

As you can probably imagine, these steps took several days, as I had six boards to paint, collage, and let dry.  Once all of that was done, I sanded each board, rounding the edges of the wood as well as some places on top, to add dimension.

I sealed it all again with another layer of modge podge (though next time I do this I will use something else- modge podge it too sticky and my pictures and pins become adhered to the surface) let it dry, and then assembled each of the screens.

It was quite an arm workout screwing those hinges in place, let me tell ya. Mostly because I had to make sure I was placing them correctly. It would have been tragic if, after all that work and waiting, my tabletop screen was tilted because I had put a screw 2 inches up on one board, and 2 1/2 inches up on the other. *horrified shiver*

I decided to string three lines of wire across my screen- at the top, in the middle, and near the bottom, leaving enough room for a piture to hang without touching the table.  I used the tiniest picture nails I could find, nailed them on the edges of each board, and wrapped white wire around each nail in the row.

Done!  Now all I had to do was hang pictures, notes, anthing I wanted really.While I was deciding what to include, I had a thought.  Why should they all be things I’ve collected and hung?  I would love it if others would include things, too.  So I stamped some blank note cards, provided some extra pins, and asked others to share their own memories and wishes with us and pin them up. It was a great way to include all the guests at our reception, and the cards are wonderful insights from friends and family that I will treasure.

Now I have my screens displayed in our home, in different places rather than side by side at the moment.  They serve as photo frames, displays, and an obvious place for love notes and reminders.  Maybe that sounds a little cheesy- but then, I am a newly-wed.  I’m allowed to be cheesy.