About 2 months ago, I decided that I wanted to decorate my house with a vintage Florida scarf. So I started checking daily on Etsy and finally, one day, I spotted the perfect Florida 1950’s scarf! That’s the era of my house and the colors are exactly what I’m decorating with! When it arrived- I was SO excited, I put it right on the wall before figuring out how to hang it!!! Here’s how to display a silk scarf.

vintage state scarf

Inspiration image of framed handkerchief’s from Pure Joy Home

In the 1950’s and 60’s vintage souvenir scarves and handkerchiefs were made for all of the United States and the National Parks. Can I just say, these are my types of souvenir! The scarves featured beautiful yet fun graphics and a map of the state with illustrated landmarks. These are usually around 30″ square.

There are also handkerchiefs from the 50’s and 60’s. These are, in general, a little different in style with scalloped embroidered edges, a sweeter font is used for the state name, and the map is usually more simple. The hanky is illustrated with the state flower (which is so cute!). These are smaller, around 12″ square- like in the picture above.

Both the scarf and hankies are adorable and would work great for this project! I rounded up a bunch in case anyone else wants to frame one too! Just note the size and quality before buying. You can also search eBay or Etsy for “vintage state scarf” or “vintage state hankercheif.”

I also bet that lots of you have retro silk scarves that might be collecting dust. This is the perfect time to get them out of storage and up on the wall. Old scarves are like art and look beautiful framed! You can always use a service like Framebridge to order a custom frame, but if you’re on a budget, here is the most affordable way to make your own! 

how to display a silk scarf

Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:

If the video doesn’t work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. I’d be over the moon happy if you subscribed to my YouTube channel! Videos are actually released on YouTube first (usually the night before they’re published on the blog). Thank you!

SUPPLIES

Note, these measurements are for framing a 30″ scarf. Please adjust quantities on the trim if framing the hanky.

• 12′ of Trim $12
• Picture Hanging Kit or you can get a pack of sawtooth hangers if you don’t need the rest of the supplies in the kit. $3.28
• L Brackets (pack of 4) for the corners $3.53
• Small screws to attach the L Brackets (the perfect size for not going through the frame) $4.20
• Strap Ties (pack of 4) these hold the magnets to the frame $2.68
• Construction Adhesive $2.57
• Magnets $2.25
• Miter Saw

Budget- supplies cost around $35-$40

step 1

Start by cutting the trim with the miter saw. Since you’re making a frame, precision matters. Try to be as exact as possible with the measurements and cutting. Our trim is 29″ long on each side- that makes it so the frame barely overlaps the scarf.

The trick to this project is that I didn’t want to add glass (I wanted a more casual look and no glass made it budget friendly and easier too).

To get the scarf to stay in place, the frame overlaps the scarf and magnets are used to hold it in place on the back! Thank you Blue Gray Gal for the inspiration!

step 2

Next, put the frame together. Do this by screwing on the L brackets in the 4 corners.

After the frame is assembled, attach 4 flat pieces of metal with screws or construction adhesive for the magnets to sit on. Let that dry for a few hours before putting the scarf on.

step 3

And now, attach the sawtooth hangers to the top of the frame. I used two to limit stress on the frame and for stability, but one would probably work too.

step 4

Finally, finish by painting the frame if wanted. My molding was a little beat up so I gave it a few coats of white paint. You could also go with a fun color or spray paint the frame too! Once that fully dried, I put the scarf in the back, put the magnets on, and hung it on the wall.

after

Here is it all framed on the wall! It looks much better than when it was just pinned on the wall :). If I was to do this project again, I’d double up the number of metal straps and magnets I used on the back for a better hold. Other than that, I love it!

how much does it cost to frame a scarf?

The supplies to display the silk scarf cost $35. I had the metal straps ($2.50), construction adhesive ($2) and the miter saw on hand already. The scarf cost $25 shipped. The total cost of this project is $60 for me, but will depend what you have and spend on a scarf.

So if you’ve ever wondered, how to show a scarf on the wall, this is what worked best for me! A simple frame does the trick and makes for fun art. If you aren’t into the state scarves, there are some gorgeous vintage Chanel or Hermes silk scarves that would look amazing on the wall!

Do you have a scarf that you’d like to display? Is this a project you’d try? I’d love to hear! Let me know in the comments!

Update– I loved this project so much I used the same materials to make it again for a vintage floral scarf in my main bedroom. It adds some great pattern and was so easy to do!

I’m going to hang a vintage parrot in front of the scarf soon which I think will finish it off nicely.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

If you love it, pin it!