How to Organize a Jewelry Box + How to Turn a Brooch into a Pendant

I'm still unpacking things I bought in Hungary, like this . . . doll-szied cookware (?) I bought at the Christmas Market.  One is just a flat dish, but the other three all have little handles.  Awwwww.

These teeny tiny, colourful pottery pots and two handled whatsits were too cute to pass up.  You know my love for miniature objects.  Plus, I already knew where I would use them: my jewellery box.  My jewellery armoire already has handy little drawers and cubbies, but tiny dishes like these help to keep smaller pieces organized and untangled.  My goal is to organize every inch of the townhouse this year so every. single. thing has a place. 

I already have quite a few little dishes in there, like this one that I use for keeping track of the clip earrings that go with some of the vintage rhinestone brooches in my collection.

Ahhhhh.  Feels better when things are tidy.  And yes, I am way too enthused and bossy about organizing jewellery.  I reorganized my Mom's jewellery drawer by force and then I made my friend her own jewellery storage display. 

Quick tip: if you're ever looking to turn a brooch into a pendant and don't want to try my more permanent suggestion, these little findings loop onto the pin of your favorite brooch and can then be strung onto a chain or cord.  Instant pendant!

P.S. See my other "new uses" posts: clip earrings worn a fresh new way, serving dishes to organize jewellery, and a toast stand as a desk organizer.

How to Build a Jewellery Display (from Scratch)

I've seen some neat re-purposed jewellery displays, but if you can't find something to makeover, here's how to make one from scratch!  Warning: I went a little overboard on the sparkly goodness, loading this DIY jewellery holder with 100% (except for one Sherman brooch) handmade-by-me jewellery for the "reveal".  Apologies to you fellow magpies. 

How to make a (super simple) jewellery display from scratch:

First, we grabbed some 1x6 pre-sanded pine and 1/4 inch plywood, leftover from other projects, but you can find these supplies at any home renovation store.  We basically created a design based on the supplies we had (about a 7 foot length of pine), so feel free to make up whatever measurements you prefer (oh yes, nothing but super specific instructions on Dans le Townhouse).  One thing: the 1x6's were a really good size for making something that can stand on its own.  We used a circular saw to cut the pine and because we don't have a table saw (no space!), Hubs used a handheld circular saw (like this one) for the plywood too.  Once cut, we dry fit the pieces. 

When we were sure everything fit well, we applied some Lepage PL Premium Construction Adhesive (leftover from the mirror project) and then used a nail gun and compressor (like this one) to put it all together, including the plywood back.

Then we had the issue of a rough edge:

Not to worry!  A little belt sanding (we use this one) followed by some hand sanding made all the joints and edges super smooth.  We also used some wood filler to fill in any gaps/dents, especially from the nails.

After I brushed on two coats of primer (the bare wood really soaked it up), it already looked pretty cute:

At this point are you asking why the heck I made a jewellery display when I have a super duper mini armoire for jewellery?  A friend of mine was having some jewellery storage issues and I couldn't just stand by and watch her struggle!  She had one of those teeny tiny dresser top jewellery armoires with drawers that were not practical for her, so she hung necklaces on the outside of it, in addition to draping them on a lampshade.  She likes to be able to see her jewellery, all at once, so I decided to make her this jewellery display.  I chose to enlist Hubby to make one from scratch, because I wanted one that could sit on a dresser or be wall mounted, and most of the ones I saw around the web were wall mount only.

Anyway, who we made it for is important because of the colours I chose.  My friend has an electric blue bedroom, bright (almost Kermit) green kitchen and a beige living room.  I chose to paint this beige because I didn't want it to compete for attention in her space but, because her living room is this colour, I knew she'd still like it. 

So, I opted for beige paint, (does the colour look familiar?), using a brush for the corners and a small foam roller for the rest.  Then I added some small hooks leftover from my artful Expedit Hack.  They are perfect for anything from earrings to bracelets and more!  I tried to space them so there's enough room above each hook for a hand to comfortably fit so my friend doesn't end up draping things over a lampshade again.  There are quite a few, but we have room to add lots more if she needs the storage.

For extra storage of hard to hang things (like brooches), we attached a small ceramic dish with the same adhesive we used for the construction.

Here it is, all decked out with some baubles I've made myself (just to show it to you in action).  I like it sitting on a surface, but we plan on adding some sawtooth picture hanging hardware so my friend has some flexibility.

And, for scale, hopefully this photo helps:

How do you store your jewellery?  Out in the open, tucked away?  If you say "draped on a lampshade," I'm making you one of these too!

Read more »