Recyling an Old Letterpress Drawer

     If you're anything like me, you love vintage junk goodies, and love to find new purposes for them.  Case in point: I have always loved seeing letterpress trays at flea markets and antique stores, but what the heck do you do with one?  (Contrary to popular belief, I am not a hoarder of useless items.)
     A printer used to have to type set each letter in order to print newspapers and such.  They would lay out letters in a row, and after inking a plate, press paper against the letters to create an imprinted image. Hundreds and hundreds of letters would need to be stored, and they were neatly organized in drawers and put into large cabinets.  Since modern technology has made letterpress almost obsolete, you see these trays for sale from time to time.  But back to my original question.  What the heck could you use one for now?
     After spotting one for $8 at a flea market, I decided I would purchase now, and decide later.  Fast forward a year, and I have finally gotten around to making it something.  I decided to make it a showcase for old family photos, and hung it on the wall in my craft room. It is a work in progress, as I will probably be tweaking it here and there as I find little goodies small enough to fit in the compartments.

 Here is how my letterpress drawer started.  It was in pretty rough shape, and needed a serious cleaning with a toothbrush and some water. I then cut photos and slips of decorative paper to fill in certain sections.

Here is the tray from a distance, so you can get the gist of what it looks like on the wall.  Note the cool antique cup pull on the front (now bottom) of the drawer. This drawer is likely over 100 years old!

I added the word "Family" in the center of the tray to set the theme.  I cut out the letters using my Cricut machine (of course) and the "Stamped" cartridge.

This key was found in an old family desk, and no one has a clue what it went to.

This dapper gentleman is my great-grandfather.  Thank goodness I didn't inherit his ear genes.  Does he look Irish, or what?

The little holes I filled with teeny pictures, which are easier to find than you would imagine.  Most old pictures are pretty small.  Those that are not you can crop or edit them to fit.

Some of the empty spaces I filled with decorative paper including pages from hymnals and dictionaries. I also like the look of some of the spaces being empty.  This was a fun project, and a great way to showcase some tiny old photos that probably would not have been suitable for framing.

Don't forget about our giveaway!  Dragonfly papers is giving away a recycled Nancy Drew journal and your choice of note card sets from our shop.  Check out the details HERE.