Should I be concerned that I’m now collecting vintage accessories…for my vintage accessories??
NO WAY, RAY!
I found these cool vintage hangers a few years ago with the hope of repurposing them to hang some of my vintage neckties. I admire the masculine, midcentury themes…bowling and hunting; two activities I never do, but like many of the vintage ties I’ve found, I love to dream about their history. It’s a recurring exercise for me, not only as a collector, but also as a songwriter.
After I made a few structural repairs to the metal frames to shore them up (JB Weld is incredible stuff), I was ready to get started!
I added some decorative moldings to two pine boards that will serve as the bases for the pieces. Sanding them extra smooth was key (I do like things smooth).
I took the metal hangers down to the hardware store to find wood stains that I thought would best compliment the themes, then I applied FIVE COATS to get the colors rich and deep (next album title?).
After the stains had dried completely, I applied a durable poly finish to the boards. I’ve finished other wooden pieces like these before and it’s always a nerve-racking process for me (bubbles, dust, specks, etc becoming trapped in the finish). My solution? Bourbon…I don’t put it in the poly, I put it in my mouth. Problem solved!
After the finishes had cured, it was time to install the metal hangers onto the boards. I decided to widen the screw holes on the back of the boards with a Forstner drill bit. The larger holes allowed the screws/nuts to be counter-sunk into the wood so the boards could sit flush against the wall when it came time to mount them.
The hunting piece turned out GREAT! I think the rustic color of the stain really compliments the “outdoorsman” theme.
Check out the details. Nothing is manufactured like this anymore. It’s the reason I love vintage stuff, vintage music…vintage everything.
LET’S GO BOWLING!
STRIKE!!
I love the long stretch of this piece. I tried to choose a stain that resembled an old bowling alley lane. How’d I do?
The hanger hooks are shaped like bowling pins. So cool.
I mounted the bowling themed hanger in the “Johnny Lounge” because, well…that’s where all the scoring happens. HEYO!
For my entire adult life, I’ve used a doorknob to hang my ties after I’ve unknotted them. Never again!
The hunting themed hanger was mounted in the foyer of the house. I use it to hang new ties that I plan to wash or press for my collection.
Functional, beautiful and repurposed vintage!
♪ ♫ Blending old with the new…my favorite thing to do ♪ ♫ (see what I did there?)
I hope you dug this post! Viva la vintage! :)