Of Being Crafty

So, I was watching a random movie on TV a few days ago, and they were doing a special during commercials called Movie and a Makeover. For this particular makeover, they showed how one could make beautiful jewelry displays from old picture frames. I've been wanting to make them ever since. So, today, i went and bought the supplies and have begun making them!!! I am making them to match my dorm room motif: black/grey with accents of scarlet and gold. I LOVE how the paint jobs came out! The small, two-split frame is going to be to hang earrings: on one will be studs, and the other will be dangles. The four-split frame will be bracelets and rings. And the biggest frame will be necklaces.

I a

m really excited to get them finished up! They are SUPER easy to do, and really can be inexpensive. Granted, I didn't have any frames just lying around, and I needed the spray paint to do the job, so in the end, my project will total about $50. BUT the frames I got from Target could also be recycled from around the house or bou

ght from a dollar store.

My frames were around $12, $12, and $9. each, the spray paint was $4, and the cup hooks were $3. There were a few extras I got that will be going back to the store - for instance, the show host suggested using decorative drawer knobs for larger bracelets, for example - a bit of advice I began to take

but realize is unnecessary, especially since the knobs were an additional

$16. I'm also using some recycled toole for the background of the earrings holder instead of the mesh screening I got from Lowe's for $5, consi

dering there is 30 feet of mesh and I need about 2 sq. feet.

What's great and fun is that it is SUPER easy, really anyone could do it, and it would make a great gift for girls or women of any age. And they're very utilitarian. Display your jewelry in a unique and fun way! Here's how it happens:

1) Decide how you want to divide up your jewelry, I have a sample above. Buy the frames to match how you want to divide up the treasures and to match your style. You can get them pre-designed or buy a blank canvas: it's all up to you!

2) If youwant to paint or design the frames yourself, go nuts! I spray

painted mine: one black, one gold, one red. Then I went back and sponged on a different color: gold on red, red on black, black on gold. But you can draw, stencil, sticker, paint, WHATEVER. It's YOUR flipping frame!

!

3) When your design finishes setting/drying/whatever, for earrings you can hot glue some sort of criss-

crossed mesh or fabric to the back. Like I said, I'm using toole, but you could also use a broken window screen or actual wire. For the others, I just putting the frame backs back on.

SIDE NOTE: if you want stud earrings to go on this too, don't put the back on! What I'm planning is to drill a hole in the back of the frame on the bottom and use a wooden peg to stand it up. Tha

t way, I can put on my studs, too! [Now for our regularly scheduled programming.]

4) For the bracelets and necklaces, I'm going to drill the hooks through the backs of the frames. I may enlist my dad to help out with making sure I don't destroy the backs, but it should come out nice. If you want, you can design the back of the frame, too. You can staple patterned fabric on it or paint or whatever.

5) And then you're pretty much done! Add the finishing touches and step back to admire your handiwork.

UPDATE: Here are my completed photos. I'm really excited about how they turned out!!

So in this picture you can see all three holders. The gold one will be for bracelets, the large red one will be necklaces, and the small red one will be earrings. See, in the picture below? I hot glued tulle to the back of the frame so that it could hold my earrings, and it's amazingly easy and cheap to replace if it gets torn. Plus, because I didn't put the back on the the frame, I can use it for studs, as well.