Look! Vintage Flashcards as Wall Decor

On a trip to Michigan a couple of weeks ago, we picked up this set of 54 vintage flashcards from antique shop Ipso Facto. This weekend, we had the chance to hang them in our living room...

We decided to wrap the grid around a corner to create interest and balance a tall corner piece on the other side of the room.

The flashcards came with metal slots that double as frames. The slots have a lip that's just the right shape to grab onto a nail. Each card has a mathematical equation, but they're oddly lacking answers on the reverse side.

My husband's not so sure about the asymmetrical arrangement, but I like it. We both love the worn patina on the metal frames.

For more information about Ipso Facto in Three Oaks, Michigan, see this store review from the AT archives.

Comments (28)

Fantastic!

posted by deepa on September 29th 2008 at 12:13pm
view deepa's profile

This brings back bad memorys of failing Math Class in the fourth grade ha but I like it.

posted by Brax on September 29th 2008 at 12:13pm
view Brax's profile

very cool! please tell me - who makes those cabinets, they're what i'm looking for. thank you!

posted by *heather leaf* on September 29th 2008 at 12:14pm
view *heather leaf*'s profile

Wow. I imagine the task of getting them all so straight was a little time consuming but it looks fantastic. I love how you wrapped it around the corner.
Great room!

posted by racheloncegentry on September 29th 2008 at 12:24pm
view racheloncegentry's profile

Oh for heaven's sake, how marvelous. :-)

posted by meeralee on September 29th 2008 at 12:39pm
view meeralee's profile

love it. i do like the off-center placement. it wouldnt have been my first instinct, but i like it - it is playful!
also how cool that they came with frames too!

posted by Bobbycat5 on September 29th 2008 at 12:41pm
view Bobbycat5's profile

Yep, off center placement makes it extra awesome.

posted by kimg924 on September 29th 2008 at 12:45pm
view kimg924's profile

I love this! I used vintage flashcards as table numbers at my wedding last week, and this gives me an idea of how to repurpose them in the home.

posted by faith on September 29th 2008 at 12:51pm
view faith's profile

I love this idea, and much like the other AT reader comments...I would have NEVER thought of wrapping them around the corner. This is exactly why I enjoy the inspiration that AT readers bring us. Thanks for sharing, it looks fab!

posted by dcexplorer on September 29th 2008 at 1:02pm
view dcexplorer's profile

Fantastic ... everything about this is inspirational, including the row of storage boxes on top of the cabinets (which actually, now that I think of it, provides a transitional rhythm between the "fast" repetition of the flashcards and the "slow" of the cabinets.

posted by Jane on September 29th 2008 at 1:07pm
view Jane's profile

I think this looks wonderful.

I love everything that is decorated with numbers in old typefaces. And the corner effect works really nice, the idea was risky, but the result was worth it.
Bravo!

posted by Daniel Poitiers on September 29th 2008 at 1:25pm
view Daniel Poitiers's profile

I think this looks really great!

The angle idea was risky but worth it, bravo!

I always love the look of old fashioned typefaces, especially with numbers.

posted by Daniel Poitiers on September 29th 2008 at 1:30pm
view Daniel Poitiers's profile

beautiful! what i want to know is how you measured the distance and nailed each card with such precision!

posted by selena on September 29th 2008 at 1:38pm
view selena's profile

LOVE it....particularly how you wrapped around...it looks great with your decor

posted by hanako66 on September 29th 2008 at 1:56pm
view hanako66's profile

(argh ! there goes my double comment again...
sorry everyone for repeating myself !)

posted by Daniel Poitiers on September 29th 2008 at 2:15pm
view Daniel Poitiers's profile

I like.

posted by BlahDeBlah on September 29th 2008 at 2:23pm
view BlahDeBlah's profile

I don't think those are flash cards. Especially with the metal frame and no answers. They look like some sort of specialty signing. No matter... they look awesome, especially wrapping the corner.

posted by kimdog on September 29th 2008 at 3:20pm
view kimdog's profile

I really love this & wish we had them in our home!! Wrapping them around the corner looks fantastic!

posted by Jennyb on September 29th 2008 at 3:22pm
view Jennyb's profile

love this.

posted by hessilou on September 29th 2008 at 3:51pm
view hessilou's profile

Brilliant!!!

posted by London on September 29th 2008 at 3:57pm
view London's profile

super duper oober neat

posted by madamelai on September 29th 2008 at 5:15pm
view madamelai's profile

Great find! Those look amazing.
How fast can you answer them all... ;)

posted by peekay on September 30th 2008 at 3:18am
view peekay's profile

It looks really good, I love it but my boyfriend would never allow me to do something like this, he would say that he doesn't need any more reminders of my job (I'm a teacher...and sometimes act like one at home, its bad I know!)

and by the way, I really like the little horse!

posted by Emmm on September 30th 2008 at 5:06am
view Emmm's profile

These are great! And I'm with everyone else loving the corner wrap.

I am disappointed to see how far Three Oaks is from me... It's barely in Michigan! I would love to take a look around and see what other treasures they have.

posted by mspants on September 30th 2008 at 5:53am
view mspants's profile

Different and clever!

posted by Aldyth on September 30th 2008 at 6:01am
view Aldyth's profile

there are no answers because they can be used for addition, subtraction, or multiplication.

posted by kiddo katsu on September 30th 2008 at 6:26am
view kiddo katsu's profile

beautiful...love that you wrapped it around the corner

posted by brookeb21 on September 30th 2008 at 6:50am
view brookeb21's profile

That looks amazing.

posted by Cassis on September 30th 2008 at 1:16pm
view Cassis's profile