How to Display Preserved Letters and Handwritten Recipes

It’s not every day that you can frame your loved ones’ handwritten letters and decorate with something that turns you into a blubbering sob fest.

I mean I’m certainly one to boohoo over those P&G Olympic mom commercials or the Subaru commercials that show the kids growing up too fast and driving off into the sunset to college.

But home decor? Not so much… until recently.

Thanks to my mom pulling out these tear-jerker handwritten recipes that she collected over the years…

How to preserve handwritten recipes and letters for framing

Related: 28 Creative DIY Wall Decor Ideas for Your Blank Walls

Do you see that Betty Crocker cookbook? That’s seen some love, y’all. You know a recipe is good when it’s smeared and wrinkled and splattered all over.

When my mom handed me this giant stack of recipes written by my grandmothers (and herself), I knew they were destined for a frame. But I knew I also wanted to protect them because these precious gems need to last forever.

How to Preserve Handwritten Letters and Recipes for Display

Warning: This is not a method meant for preserving historical letters and documents. Here is an in-depth process of how the Smithsonian recommends you preserve historical documents.

This process I’m using laminates the paper while protecting the ink from UV damage so that sentimental letters and handwritten recipes can be hung for display in a frame on the wall. I did this so that if the recipes are ever handled by my family members in the future, the paper won’t be easily ripped or damaged.

For a more expensive, less permanent option, you can use UV blocking acrylic in a frame (Home Depot will cut it to the size you need in-store).

Supplies

How to preserve handwritten recipes and letters for framing

Why Letters Need UV Protection

I could have just stuck these sheets in frames, hung them up, and called it a day, but since it’s entirely possible the ink would fade over time from the sunlight and light bulbs, I used this UV laminating film to preserve the ink’s integrity. (You can use it for preserving your kids’ art as they grow up too.)

UPDATE: Once you put laminating film on a letter or handwritten recipe, there’s no going back, so as an alternative, you can use UV blocking acrylic in a frame (Home Depot will cut it to the size you need in-store). 

The instructions say to use them in a laminator, but I found that a hot iron worked just fine.

How to preserve handwritten recipes and letters for framing

Step 1 – Slide Paper Into Pouch

Just separate the laminating sheets, and slide the recipe paper between them.

Step 2 – Iron

Press the pouch with a hot iron on the ironing board. Set it to low heat and gradually increase the heat as needed so the film sticks to the paper properly. Ensure that the film stays smooth without any wrinkles in it as you iron.

I would use a piece of cardboard underneath the sheets on the ironing board for a harder surface to help smooth out any bubbles.

Step 3 – Trim and Frame

Once the film is properly adhered and cooled, cut the film to the size you need and place it in the frame!

preserved and framed handwritten recipe art

Related: Free Oil Painting Kitchen Art Prints

See those smudges? That’s the good stuff. My mom, Elaine, wrote that one using my great-grandmother Gussy’s chicken and dressing recipe she handed down before I was even born.

I love that I stuck with floating frames for these. There’s just an extra element of charm to see the rough edges of old paper.

preserved and framed handwritten recipe art

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This one was written by my maternal grandmother, Janice, for a recipe that was handed down to her by her mom, MeeMaMa Winnie, who passed away just 8 weeks after Olivia was born at the age of 96. Thanksgiving was never complete without her pecan pie (and it’s Robert’s favorite).

preserved and framed handwritten recipe art

And my paternal grandmother, Kitty, wrote this one and even signed her name. She could cook like nobody’s business but passed away when I was 12. Even though I couldn’t find her famous Swedish pancake recipe, her Swedish meatballs will do. (Pretty sure the pancakes were made from memory every time anyway.)

I hung them up right beside our stove where I try my best to keep up with their legacies in the kitchen.

framed handwritten recipe art for the kitchen

Related: The Secret to Find Free Printable Wall Art Online

I finally decorated the shelves beside them too with a few pretty things, like this landscape art I printed for $3.00 and put in a thrifted frame.

American landscape art - $3 printable to place in any frame

Joanna Gaines’s “people” sent this Magnolia crate to me a couple of years ago (because I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Joanna herself), and it’s been perfect for sticking our mail in when we come home every day before sorting it.

decorated kitchen shelves vignette

Related: Where to Buy Vintage Art Online and How to Print Digital Art

And you might recognize that thrifted scale that I painted to look like a rusty antique.

It’s all just a little corner of happiness.

Now that I’ve framed the recipes, I’m thinking I need to dig up old love letters Robert and I have written to each other… even thought I might have to turn this house upside-down to find them.

Kitchen shelves with dark green cabinets and framed handwritten recipes for art

This little project is definitely proof to me that I need to spend more time handwriting things like notes to loved ones and recipes to hand down to Olivia. There are so many little things that end up being the big things one day.

Now that this spot is all decorated, the kitchen refresh is finished! I’ll be sharing the full reveal of this space next week (hopefully).

UPDATE: See our budget kitchen refresh here!

Until then though, you can see all of our kitchen updates here:

Are there any sweet handwritten momentos that you’ve used as art before? I’ve heard you can turn recipes into kitchen towels too. Hmm….

If you want to save this post for later, you can pin it here:

How to preserve handwritten recipes and frame letters

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some gift ideas for preserving handwriting?

I love these small shops that offer preserved handwriting gifts in the form of cutting boards, jewelry, plates, or dish towels.

How do you turn handwriting into font?

Here is a great tutorial that can help!
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53 Comments

  1. I’ve had a recipe , for Bran Scones, written by my Irish grandmother , who passed away almost twenty years ago and I’ve wanted to frame it for awhile….thank you so much for showing me how to do it properly!

  2. That is very sweet! I have been meaning to do something similar… I married at 19 and was given at a shower a Broccoli Rice Casserole recipe. At every Tilson family gathering, I have been requested to bring it. One year I didn’t and made homemade Mac and Cheese (after 30+ years of marriage, I was bored with making it) during dinner I was given a petition with signatures requesting no substitutes for the Broccoli and Rice! Lol. Makes me smile every time I see it and gave me a new perspective too.

  3. So I’m totally bawling now! It’s been 2 years since I lost my mom suddenly. I JUST ran across her recipe book and teared up seeing her handwriting. This is the perfect way to display her recipes and see her handwriting everyday. Thank you for sharing! ❤️

    1. I am SO sorry for your loss, Shirlee! I certainly teared up creating this too. Whether it’s 2 years or 20, your heart never forgets the people who meant the most.

  4. Oh my goodness, these turned out to be so sweet. All the heart-eyes for these! I have some recipes from grandparents and great grandparents that I’m going to frame now too, thank you for the inspiration! And I like the idea of love letters. That would be some good bedroom decor. My husband and I wrote to each other many times because we lived 4 hrs apart from each other while we were dating. Thanks again for sharing your pretty home and wonderful ideas to make it yours!

    1. So sweet! I hope you do it! I will too if I can ever remember where I put all of our little love notes. Ack!