Vintage Tennis Racket Photo Display

CHIPPY ANTIQUE WINDOW SCREENS PAIRED WITH OLD WOOD TENNIS RACKETS CREATE A FUN AND UNIQUE PHOTO DISPLAY!

I headed from Maryland to Pennsylvania for an auction pick-up and vintage/thrift shopping a few weeks ago.

While there, I stopped at a few of my usual spots, including a cash and carry wholesaler. I walked to one of my favorite dealers and found a stack of vintage window screens. They were beautifully chippy, the most perfect shade of green, and only $5 a piece!

I've hung wreaths from antique window screens before, but this time, I had the idea to create a unique photo display using vintage tennis rackets.

vintage wood tennis rachet photo display

SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE VINTAGE TENNIS RACKET PHOTO DISPLAY

- Vintage Tennis Rackets (thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales)

- Vintage Window Screens (architectural salvage yards, Facebook Marketplace)

- Fishing Line

- D-Ring Picture Hangers

- Scissors

- Drill

- Poster Putty

Resource: How to Thrift: The Best Thrifting Tips and Tricks

I bought most of the old chippy window screens since they were cheap and I couldn't resist. Then I was on a mission to find the rest of my supplies.

For a week, I shopped multiple thrift stores for old tennis rackets. Luckily, they're a common thrift store item and didn't take long to collect enough for my display.

I also found some other great treasures along the way!

HOW TO MAKE A VINTAGE TENNIS RACKET PHOTO DISPLAY

STEP ONE: ATTACH RACKETS TO THE SCREEN

I wanted the tennis rackets to look like they were floating on the screen. Fishing line is flexible, lightweight, and clear, making it the perfect product to achieve my goal.

I strung the fishing line through the holes in the screen, wrapped it around the racket twice then tied it off in the back. I did this at the base and top of each racket to ensure the rackets were tight and secure.

vintage window screen and tennis rackets

STEP TWO: ADD D-RING PICTURE HANGERS

I flipped the screen over and used a screwdriver to attach two D-ring picture hangers to the top of the wood screen.

STEP THREE: ATTACH PHOTOS WITH POSTER PUTTY

Poster putty is a flexible and reusable adhesive, ideal for hanging lightweight items without causing damage. It was perfect for attaching vintage photos to the tennis rackets!

FUN FACT: The vintage photos I hung are all old photos of my grandparents, dad, and uncle. I adore old black-and-white family photos and couldn't think of anything better to hang on the rackets.

Another great use for the tennis racket display is as a unique office memo board or to showcase vintage ephemera. It would also make a great addition to a kids' bedroom or game room!

WHAT IS VINTAGE EPHEMERA?

Vintage ephemera is collectible paper memorabilia that typically has a short-term usefulness. Postcards, stickers, greeting cards, political buttons, and broadsides are often examples of vintage ephemera.