How To: Age & Display Treasured Handwritten Family Recipes

In this blog, I’ll show you how I crafted a special handwritten family recipe into a kitchen conversation piece! I chose to place mine in my china hutch, but these were also gifted to other family members who have displayed theirs in unique places.

Materials Needed:

Handwritten Recipe
Wood – Either 1) a 1×10 cut to 11.25” OR 2) a 1×12 cut to 9.25”
Miter Saw, Circular Saw, or other (to cut above wood)
1/4 Sheet Sander
100 Grit Sandpaper
Wood Stain
Stain Rag
Stain Rag Disposal Supplies
Safety Gear (Nitrile Exam Gloves, Safety Glasses, Respirator Mask w/Cartridges)
Mod Podge
Scratch Proof Squeegee
Paint Brush
Lighter
Brewed Coffee (One Day Old)
Coffee Mug
Small Bowl

Background story:

I’ve been working on a family cookbook for several years that includes both mine and my husband’s side of the family. It’s something that grew over time, as you can imagine, and I never dreamed that I’d be printing a 250+ page document of memories and special family recipes almost four years later. I have absolutely loved the transformation of this project from a simple effort to preserve special recipes into a true family heirloom!

As I pieced together our family cookbook, I realized that I had several copies of handwritten recipes that were true treasures and would make great sentimental décor. I started to brainstorm how I could make such a treasure into a gift for display (the handwritten copies are in the cookbook as well). I used my experience with mod podge, a little woodworking, and some trial and error and came up with this special piece… the Coffee-Stained Handwritten Recipe Boards. I gave them away at Christmas and made one for myself to display in my china hutch. It’s so easy to make that you won’t believe it. And the best part? It’s one of those crafts that you can easily make several at one time. So, grab grandma’s recipe and let’s make some neat gifts for the family!

PS: If you want to skip the wood-working part altogether, find an 8×10 floating frame (it must be a “floating frame” so that you see all of the edges) and you can display, or gift, your recipe that way.

Instructions:

Step One – Convert your recipe into an 8×10 photo.

*I do not recommend mounting your original copy because a) it’s the only “original” that you have and should be stored safely and b) I would be afraid that the steps involved would damage it.

That said, this is a crucial step because you don’t want your recipe to look blurry. I found that scanning my recipe, rather than taking a photo of it, was the only way to get clear resolution. If you don’t have a scanner, there are several print shops, and even places like Wal-Mart, where you could scan it in and have it printed. Because the recipe that I used (one of my mother-in-law’s in her handwriting) was not written on a landscape document, after scanning the documents and saving them as a .jpg, I had to drop them into paint and lay them out side by side and then reduce the image size to an 8×10. (See Pics Below) That process worked perfect for me, but this step will require a little brainstorming, depending on the original source that you are working with.

Step Two – Print your 8×10

You have a few options here because filters these days allow you to age the photo in the printing process. I found that depending on what filter you applied, you could have anywhere from the original colors to a pink tint, peach tint, yellow tint, or even blue tint. To be perfectly honest, I printed mine in two different tones so that I could decide later which one I liked best.

Special Note: I’m going to assume from this step on that your original recipe is tucked away safely. So, if I refer to the “recipe” in the instructions, please assume that I am referring to your printed 8×10 copy and NOT the original.

Step Three – Apply Coffee Stains to Your Recipe

I’m going to jump right into the aging process for the photo here. If I planned to mount the recipe on wood, I would generally get the woodworking process started early since you have to wait for the wood stain to dry. However, I am writing the instructions with the aging process up front due to the fact that some readers will want to just frame their recipe after aging it.

This is a fun step! To get the best color, allow your brewed coffee to sit overnight before you prep for applying your coffee stains. Pour the coffee into a small, shallow bowl. Pick out a coffee mug that has a solid bottom ring and is the size that you would like for your coffee stain rings. Dip your mug into the coffee/bowl and set it down on the recipe. Lift and repeat, placing as many (or as few) coffee rings as you would like. I also like to give my coffee mug a little shake here and there to add coffee drops to the page. Once it has reached a look that you like, let it sit and dry undisturbed. It may take a while for the coffee to completely dry, but once it does, you will have nice little coffee stains for your “aged” recipe look.

Step Four – Burn the Edges of Your Recipe

ADULT ONLY STEP. Please take all special precautions as to not cause a fire in your home or burn yourself. I do this step over a sink that I have pre-filled with water. Please watch your ashes and make sure that they are landing in a place that is safe for you and your home.

I use one of those multi-purpose lighters with the long metal wand so that my hands are away from the flame. I also like these because they are typically child resistant. I usually give a slow, steady sweep to the sides of the recipe to give them a dark tint, while lingering a bit longer on the corners and few other spots until I get a good burned looked in those areas. Make sure to move your hands around as you work so that you are never in danger of burning your hands. Wait until all of the areas have thoroughly cooled and then rub your lighter wand along the burned areas to remove the loose ashes. This is especially important if you plan to mount the photo to wood because the mod podge will pick up and move around any loose ashes! So, rub well and remove any loose pieces before moving on to the next step.

Step Five – Woodworking Step OR Frame Your Recipe

If you plan to frame your recipe, you can stop here! You’re done! Find a floating 8×10 frame and enjoy your aged recipe. If you plan to mount your recipe to wood, keep reading.

Whether you have gone with a 1×10 cut to 11.25” or a 1×12 cut to 9.25, you’ll need to take a moment and sand down your wood with a 1/4 sheet sander (and 100 grit paper) until you have a nice, smooth surface to work with and clean edges to prevent injury. When sanding, I always recommend wearing a good respirator mask with cartridges and eye protection. After sanding, dust off your wood and apply a coat of stain. Stain color is based on your preference, but I always encourage you to choose a color that will compliment the color of your recipe, depending on original recipe and any filters that you may have applied. When staining, I always recommend wearing a good respirator mask with cartridges, eye protection, and nitrile gloves. Allow stained wood to sit overnight and thoroughly dry.

***Please pay special attention to proper stain handling and disposal of stain rags and materials. The fire hazard is real.

Step Six – Mod Podge Recipe

Step six is divided into four easy, but fast, steps. You’ll want to make sure that you are working on a surface that won’t be damaged by Mod Podge drips (wax paper or a scrap piece of wood, for example). First, Mod Podge the entire top of the board. Working quickly, lay your recipe onto the board (on top of the wet Mod Podge) and find where you want it to line up. I’m a slap and go type girl, so I don’t bother with measurements. I just give a good lookover and make sure that it’s where I want it. Take your scratch-proof squeegee and gently rub the recipe photo from end to end to remove any air bubbles. This step is crucial because my first attempt at making these boards ended badly when I skipped this step and huge, irreversible air bubbles formed over the next couple of days. Once you have rubbed the air bubbles out, and made sure that your recipe didn’t move in the process, add a layer of Mod Podge over the entire top of the board, this time over the photo. Make long, smooth strokes from end to end until your entire recipe and top of the board are covered with the Mod Podge. Run your brush down the sides and ends to smooth out the edges and remove any Mod Podge buildup or runs. I usually elevate the board for drying. My go-to is a couple of 2×4 pieces cut down to about 10”, but really you could use anything to elevate the board, as long as it doesn’t fall over or get glued to whatever is underneath it. Allow the Mod Podge to dry entirely before moving.