DIY hanging postcard collage

Postcards on a hanging fabric frame, photo

Last year, I asked for suggestions on ways to display my postcard collection. Everyone had great ideas. But this postcard “tapestry” idea came to me, and I had to try it. It would also work well for photos or Christmas cards. You can easily rotate in new ones whenever you like. I’m planning to make an advent calendar using the same concept. (This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a small commission. You can read my full disclosure here.)

How to make a hanging postcard collage

SUPPLIES

1 yard of sturdy fabric (I used cotton duck cloth)
16 feet of ¾-inch half-round wood trim (available at Lowe’s)
primer (I used Kilz 2 latex primer)
paint (I used Benjamin Moore Aura in Steam AF-15)
postcards or photos
1 yard ribbon or cord

TOOLS

staple gun and ¼-inch staples
miter box and pull saw (or miter saw)
sanding block and fine sandpaper
fabric scissors
needle and thread or sewing machine
small paintbrush
drop cloth
ruler or tape measure
iron and ironing board

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First sort your postcards by height. (Seriously, “they” need to hold a symposium to standardize postcard dimensions. Very few of my postcards were the same size!) Then lay them out in your desired pattern to determine the dimensions of your “tapestry.” I made mine 24 inches wide.

Cutting the wood with a miter box and pull saw, photo

2. Using a miter box and pull saw, cut the trim into 2-foot pieces. Then sand the rough ends smooth.

3. Prime and paint. I painted one coat primer, two coats paint.

4. While the paint dries, measure, mark, and cut your fabric. I cut mine 25 ¼ inches wide (24 inches plus ⅝-inch seams on either side). Overestimate the height at this point.

5. Fold and iron the side seams flat. This makes it much easier to sew.

6. Sew both sides about ½ inch from the edge.

Staple the bottom edge to the wood, photo

7. Fold the bottom edge ⅝ inch and iron. No need to sew this edge because it will be stapled down. When the paint is dry, staple a trim piece to the bottom edge of your fabric. Place a staple every few inches. Keep the staples parallel with the wood, and keep them as close to dead center as you can.

Measuring the first row of postcards, photo

8. Place your first row of postcards under the stapled trim piece. Then measure where your next trim piece should go. The wood pieces should overlap the postcards about ¼ inch.

Stapling the second piece of trim, photo

9. Staple the next piece in place. Start with one staple at each end, then fill in the middle.

Measuring the second row of postcards, photo

10. Continue on, measuring the height of each new row, then stapling.

11. When you get to the last row, mark the top edge. Next fold over the excess fabric and iron flat. Then staple the final piece along the top edge.

Staple the hanging ribbon to the top, photo

12. Finally, fold your ribbon at an angle and staple it to the top of your tapestry. Click here to learn how to make the fancy picture hanger. All you have to do now is insert your postcards and hang it on the wall.