I did a lot of cutting and gluing with old catalogues when I was a kid and I’m still doing it. These ladies are from a 1951 Eatons catalogue I bought at a local auction sale. I picked my favourite images from the surprising number of pages dedicated to ladies’ hats, and glued photocopies onto a wide Ikea frame.
Oil pastel was perfect for adding colour and some lively marks. Then I brushed on several layers of matte Mod Podge for protection.
I trimmed the hats with bits of patterned paper, fabric, ribbon, tiny feathers and netting. Small jewels from my collection were the finishing touch on a fun feminine millinery project.
I covered another frame with a collage of patterns from magazine paper, and then slowly and carefully loaded on the jewels. I spent hours arranging and balancing, sometimes looking for symmetry and sometimes not. A long pearl necklace made a nice border along the outside edge.
So if you're wondering what to do with that excess of old junk jewellery, and you're in the mood for a little glue-dabbing, consider giving a second life to these sparkly remnants of the past.
As people have known for generations, making things with your hands can be therapeutic and satisfying. You may love the result, or you can always give it away!
