Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Redecorating 2013 - Jewelry Organization

My next project in this series was for my Master Bedroom.  When I started to bring everything back in to the room after painting, I was really appreciating how clean and uncluttered everything was.  The problem was, the bedroom was clean and uncluttered, the dining room was a different story...all my junk was still in there.  So I started clearing some things out and decided I didn't want my jewelry on top of my dresser anymore.  Here's what it looked like before...


Not the worst system ever, and also the cleanest my dresser has EVER looked...I always end up piling other things there too.  Also, my necklaces often got tangled and taking the earrings off that rack was annoying because it was hard to reach around and put the backs off them.  So I scoured the internet for some ideas.  I found this idea on Where Beauty Meets Functions.


So, I set off to Hobby Lobby and Lowe's to see how I could recreate this idea.  Here's what I bought...


3 open pictures frames (2-9x12, 1 12x24), A roll of cork, Foam core, fabric, galvanized steel wire, eyelet screws, picture hangers (for the back of the frame, because they weren't included).  You'll also need tools like a staple gun, wire cutters, pliers and a utility knife.

First, I cut the foam core to the size of the frame, and cut sheets of cork to match. 


Then I stapled the cork onto the foam core (I just needed an office stapler for this) and trimmed everything to size (cork is stretchy, so you'll probably have to trim it).  I tried gluing it, but it wasn't working...so I switched to stapling.


You could skip the fabric step and just put it in the frame this way, if you like this look.  If you do, be careful of where you staple, they might show (mine did).


I had planned to cover the cork in fabric to go with my bedroom color scheme.  So I cut the fabric so I could wrap it around the cork/foam core.


Do yourself a favor and clip the corners so you have less bulk to wrap.


Again, I used an office stapler to secure it in place.


One of the 3 holders was going to be used for earrings, so I attached the wire and eyelet screws so the earrings could hang on them.  Skip this step for the other frames.


Some tips, attach the eyelets on both sides then thread the wire through and pull it as tightly as possible and secure it.  Then, to get it tighter, try turn the eyelets tighter to increase the tension.

Next place the fabric wrapped foam core in the back and secure with a staple gun.  Be careful that you don't staple all the way through the frame!


Next, attach the sawtooth hangers to the back of the frame (if necessary).


And...tada!  Repeat process for the other frames, minus the wire.


And here's what I ended up with!  To attach necklaces, I just used straight pins.  I used plain ones, but at some point I might upgrade to the ones with the pearl balls on the end.  For a more fun, colorful look you could use the ones with the colored balls.


And here is how it looked once I put all of my jewelry on it.  The necklace boards are a little more crowded than I anticipated (turns out I have a LOT of jewelry), but I still like it.  And, I love that things don't get tangled, its easy to remove and rehang everything and I can see everything at once.



The only downside to this system for earrings is that it won't hold anything with a post back.  So those are all in my jewelry box.


Total cost of project.

Open Back Frames          $49
Foam Core                      FREE (already had it)
Cork                               $11 (with lots left over for another project)
Fabric                             $4
Wire & Hardware           $5   
Total                               $69

The frames really upped the cost of this project.  If you wanted a more vintage or eclectic feel, you could probably hunt up some thrift store frames and save a little money.  That look wouldn't have worked in this space, so I spent a little more.  But I really love it, so its worth the extra cost to me!

Be sure and comment to let me know what you think or if you make something like this for yourself...I'd love to see it!

Grace and love,
Jenn

1 comment:

  1. What a good idea! I think the clean look is really nice and it would make finding the right jewelry much easier. I wonder if you could use some burlap type ribbon attached at the top for the posts? Hmmmm...just a thought.

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