Vintage Kitchen Tools Repurposed/Upcycled As Valentine's Day Decorations

January 25, 2022

Photo of a vintage kitchen grater and other parts to create a photo holder with easel back.
Back in 2015, I assembled a grater photo holder, with a DIY easel back, with these parts!

The project was very popular for years on Pinterest! Today, I gave the grater photo holder and a Dollar Tree find a facelift for Valentine's Day. 

(When you click on the bold Amazon, Old Sign Stencils or Dixie Belle Paint Company affiliate links you will be taken to the products I used for this project. If you order it does not change the price or service at all. As an Amazon Affiliate, Old Sign Stencils Affiliate or Dixie Belle Paint Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)  

Instructions from the original project:
Photo of a makeshift easel back for a kitchen grater photo holder.
This wooden corner brace, found in a junk drawer, had the perfect angle to hold the grater like an easel.  The angle on the bottom of the brace had to be leveled off some with a saw, so the grater could stand on a counter or table.  It was trial and error!  

The brace had a couple of screw holes that I filled with spackling.

Photo of a kitchen grater being screwed to a piece of wood.
A screw was driven through a hole in the front of the grater into the "corner brace" stand.

Photo of a kitchen grater with easel back painted white.
Next, I painted the grater with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in "Old White".  This paint sticks really well to metal.  I also painted the wooden brace in back.

Photo of a vintage grater with a DIY easel back holding a vintage photo.
After the grater was waxed with clear wax, I drilled two small holes at the top of the grater to hold the metal label holder.  I used two small machine screws and two nuts to attach the label holder.

Using Picmonkey, I made a card stock label and printed it on my inkjet printer.  I trimmed the card stock to fit, and slid the label into the holder from the top.  Lastly, I added a vintage photo of my great grandfather and two farm horses, with a magnet.  A button was hot glued to the magnet for decoration.

Photo of a vintage grater with a DIY easel back holding a vintage photo.
The grater easel has been in our den lately with this photo of me, my dad and my grandma!  I have groaned enough about the "Be Grate-ful" pun, so it was time for a change.

Photo of a grater with easel stand being painted with Drop Cloth chalk paint.
I removed the metal label holder, and repainted the grater easel with two coats of Dixie Belle Chalk Paint in Drop Cloth, and I waxed the grater with Dixie Belle's Easy Peasy Spray Wax.


Photo of a vintage painted kitchen grater with an added DIY easel back.
I flipped the Be Grate-ful cardstock tag over and applied "Love You" from a rub on transfer sheet from Dollar Tree.  (Even easier than the Picmonkey/inkjet printer/cardstock method)

My slightly yellowed vintage Valentine's from the 1960's coordinate well with Drop Cloth paint.

Photo of a metal mini envelope from Dollar Tree.
This mini metal pink envelope was also a Dollar Tree find.

Photo of Dollar Tree metal envelopes soaking in the sink to remover stickers.
I easily removed the bow, but had to soak the envelopes in hot water to loosen the glitter heart sticker.

Photo of two Dollar Tree metal envelopes with glitter stickers and bows removed.
I sanded the residue from the sticker with fine grit sandpaper, and then painted the envelopes with Drop Cloth paint as well.


Photo of a kitchen grater with easel back, a Bromwell sifter, and a Dollar Tree mini metal envelope painted in Drop Cloth Chalk Paint. Items used in a Valentine's Day vignette with vintage Valentines and faux flowers.
I hot glued Scrabble tiles X and O onto the front of the envelope, and added a jute twine string.

The Bromwell sifter has also been painted in Drop Cloth.

Photo of a kitchen grater with easel back, a Bromwell sifter, and a Dollar Tree mini metal envelope painted in Drop Cloth Chalk Paint. Items used in a Valentine's Day vignette with vintage Valentines and faux flowers.
More vintage Valentine's from my kindergarten class filled the small envelope. The refreshed kitchen ware and Dollar Tree envelope worked out perfectly with the old Valentine's. 

Photo of a kitchen grater with easel back, a Bromwell sifter, and a Dollar Tree mini metal envelope painted in Drop Cloth Chalk Paint. Items used in a Valentine's Day vignette with vintage Valentines and faux flowers.
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Thanks for visiting.
Thanks for reading my blog, Carlene

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Comments

  1. I made two of your Grate-ful graters following your original post! Your update for Valentine's Day is so cute!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love these Valentine upcycles. I have those little metal envelopes from DT. The Scrabble "Xand O" are a great addition. I could use an old box grater for the photos/cards also.

    ReplyDelete

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