Keepsake Old Tools Display

Hi MRL friends! It’s Angie from Knick of Time, and it’s good to be back again this month with a  tutorial to make rustic display for old tools that are family keepsakes.

How to display old tools

I was given a bunch of old tools that belonged to my husband’s grandfather. Rather than keep them boxed up in storage, I created a rustic display for them. So we can enjoy seeing them in our home, and they are a remembrance for my husband of his grandfather. I didn’t know him myself, but these tools give me a glimpse into the hard worker he must have been.

Vintage family keepsakes

First, I created a basic frame with pallet wood, like the one I made for my Framed Feed Bag.

Begin with a basic frame

More pieces of pallet wood were cut to fit behind the opening, and screwed onto the back of the frame.

Fill in the back of the frame with more pallet boards

Here’s how it looks from the front.

If you want it less rustic, you can sand the wood , but I wanted mine to be really rustic and old looking. You could also paint just the frame to make it stand out from the background, and match your room colors.

Pallet frame to hold old tools

Use wire to attach each piece securely to the wood. You can either drill small holes on both sides of each tool, or use the gaps between the pallet pieces to thread the wire from the front , twisting it on the back side.

Attach old tools with wire

For this small pick with a wooden handle, I screwed it in place from the back side.

This idea could be used for all kinds of keepsakes, not just old tools. Imagine displaying some of your grandmother’s cooking utensils, your mother’s silverware, or your dad’s fishing gear.

I also have some special keepsakes that belonged to my grandparents, so I plan to create another display like this one, and hang both of them in our bedroom, on either side of our bed.

I hope to get a small engraved plaque to attach to the display, with my husband’s grandfather’s name on it, so my kids and future  generations will know these aren’t just any old tools – they belonged to their own family member, and they are keepsakes. I’m so glad my father-in-law gifted these tools to me. He knows how much I love old things, and knew I would find something to do with them!

Rustic display for old tools

If you love old tools as much as I do, you’ll love this Repurposed Tools Round-up at Knick of Time.

See you next month!

Click Here for more information about dismantling pallets.

see more of Angie’s projects below: