I love showing you guys our home, obviously, it’s kind of my job but what you rarely see is the DIY projects I do that make little things simpler. Take for instance, the jewelry organizer in our closet. It actually came to life by accident. Years ago a Pier One was closing and they were selling off their fixtures. I was able to snag a few wooden plate trays with no clue what I’d use them for (it’s the conscientious hoarder in me). I quickly realized they’d be perfect for holding my jewelry instead of hammering hundreds of nails in the wall. I simply attached the “stand” to the wall and hung my jewelry on its pegs.
Years later, when we moved from our house to an apartment, space was limited so I started using metal t-frame jewelry fixtures (from my job at the time) to hold my jewelry, but I would always have to work around things I didn’t want, to grab the piece I wanted to wear that day. I went back to the the beloved plate rack design (although I made it from scratch this time around) when we moved into our current apartment and just added cup hooks to hang it from the closet shelf rack. It’s perfect for what I’ve got going on but what if you don’t have a big closet, or want something that’s a little nicer looking (the one I use is so perfect for me but it’s not “cute” at all). No worries, this fun and crazy quick jewelry organizer DIY could be just what you need! As usual, make it your own and have fun!
tools:
- scissors
- wood glue
- pencil
- one piece paper
- hacksaw
- measuring tape
- sand paper
- wood stain (optional)
- drill
supplies:
- (2) 12″ round dowels (cut into 1″ pieces – I used 18)
- (3) 12″ square dowels (cut into varying sizes 4″ and under)
- (1) piece of wood at 8″ x 12″ (you can use whatever size you like – this is just the size of the wood I had readily available)
- (2) 1/2″ round knobs (can be squares, I just happened to have knobs)
If you’re not planning on having this be apart of your room’s decor and have rack shelves in your closet, the cup hooks are a great option for hanging this organizer. But if you will have it out and want a stable yet subtle way of attaching it to the wall, I like this method. Simply drill a hole at the top on the left and right. It’s okay if the drill goes all the way through the wood. In my case, my stick layout hides the hole from the front. From here, all you’ll have to do is hang in on your screws or nails once they’re in your wall.
Now you’re ready to set your layout. This reminds me of piano keys and I love it. Do whatever you like, have fun and be creative. Originally, I wanted to do a scattered “sprinkles” look. Change is okay! Once you’re happy with the layout, it’s glue time! I spaced them as I wanted so there’s no need to measure for perfection here.
Make sure you know what kind of jewelry you’re planning on hanging. Are you doing all rings? If so you can place your rows of pegs closer. If you’ve got a combination like I do, it’s a good idea to grab a few pieces to make sure your rows won’t be too close together. Use your piece of paper as a guide to keep your spaces on track. Your paper should be folded to be the same width as your wood base. Afterwards, you’ll use your measuring tape to make the marking for your pegs.
NOTE: When I originally decided to make this, I was using small dowels and pushing them into the holes I drilled (currently hidden under the thick pegs). After not liking the look, I went with the thicker dowels.
Now it’s time for the fun part. Using your hacksaw you’ll want to cut (I used 18) 1″ pegs. Be sure to cut them as straight as possible. If they “lean” too much, it’ll be noticeable in the final design. Set them in the marked areas to test the layout. Once you’re happy with it, glue them down.
TIP: While doing this, I used my paper’s edge and pencil to make a very faint horizontal guide line. This helped keep each peg from being too high or low in comparison to others in the same row.
Remember to ignore my small holes. I’d initially gone a different route with this design before deciding to just glue the pegs on top. It’s a good idea to get a book, or something heavy (I used another spare piece of wood and my handy five pound weight) to make sure the pegs adhere tightly. This also speeds up the bonding time. Once everything is secure, flip the entire design over and attach your knobs. In a perfect world, our pegs would be cut at an angle which would allow them to point upward, preventing pieces from slipping off but because my wrist and handsaw aren’t the best of friends, all of my pegs, more or less, stick straight out. Having the knobs acting as risers on the back, slightly tilts the entire organizer upward at the bottom which helps keep jewelry in place. It’s not much, but it helps a lot!
Once your knobs bond, you’re finished! Feel free to leave the wood raw, paint or stain it, although you may want to seal it to prevent any chemical reactions with your jewelry before using it.
You now have a really cool jewelry organizer that’s not boring, is compact and easy to use! If you try this DIY, let me know! I’d love to see how you make it work for your jewelry collection and your small (or not so small) spaces!
Spaces | DIY and Interior Design Blog by Skoope Home 