Finding Renewed Life For Old Treasures

A few years ago I cleaned out an old drawer filled with beautiful silk scarves that were purchased by (and for) me nearly a decade ago.  Since I rarely wear these types of scarves anymore, I had a dilemma. On one hand, I felt they were being wasted and I didn’t like that.  Some were gifts from family and friends and held deep sentimental value so I wasn’t comfortable giving them to Goodwill.

As I unfolded the stack, I was struck by the extraordinary details in every scarf and it occurred to me that each was a piece of art in its own way.  The beautiful patina of colors in sprawling prints on a silk canvas felt so very undervalued.

I wanted to find a way to give new life to these forgotten treasures rather than sitting idle in a drawer so I came up with 3 solutions.

1. I selected a few with softer palettes and took them to a professional framer. We chose complimentary mats and frames to highlight each scarf.  Once they were complete, I measured and hung my newly framed art in an upstairs den and they completely transformed the space. I’m so happy when I catch a glimpse of them and feel immense joy at the memories that flood through my mind.

(Images above courtesy of Pinterest)

2. With the help of a local tailor I transformed a beautiful Hermes candy colored print (circa 1990) into a spectacular halter-top for my niece. The tailor folded the silk square into a triangle, and then sewed around the perimeter.  He then inserted a gold, braided fabricated cord into the smaller part of the triangle, which then became the top of the halter so that she could wrap and tie the bottom.

She was thrilled to wear a unique, fashion forward and edgy top and I loved that I could give her something that was so distinctive – especially for someone her age. 

On a side note, You may recall that I recreated a similar look with a larger cotton Hermes scarf that I wore under a giraffe print blazer and Frame jeans in my Weekend A La Mode post earlier this year.  

3. This summer, I met with a talented upholsterer who helped me create large sumptuous square pillows with my brighter scarves. The photos below were taken the day I picked up the finished products from his store. I was delighted that he was able to line and fuse different silk scarves together, and then fill them until they were fabulously stuffed and puffy. The pillows are now one-of-a-kind statement pieces and if I was handy with a sewing machine, I would make several more as gifts for friends and family.

So, now I want to hear your ideas!  How do you give new life to some of your unused treasures?

Xo Kathleen