Jewelry Display Board Tutorial

Hey Everyone! I hope you’re all having a great week so far. I thought I’d pop in with a quick little project I was able to sneak in between studying and summer fun! Sorry I didn’t get this one up last week as promised, there’s just too much going on 🙂

Many of my projects lately (and coming up!) have stemmed from the Great House Purge. As I’ve sorted and organized my way through our entire house, I have identified projects that have yet to be completed and projects that have moved to the front of the line based on immediate organizational/de-cluttering needs! So was the case with my latest wall addition: a jewelry display board!

Unil now, I stored my jewelry in a very dark, clumsy, so-not-my-style free-standing jewelry box. For a gal who doesn’t wear a ton of jewelry, this storage solution was a bit overkill. Also, because the box wasn’t quite my style, it was tucked into the back of our closet, meaning I never reached for my jewelry when the desire to wear some actually struck!

I, like you I’m sure, have seen similar jewelry displays around the web; and for a long time I really wanted to make one. But, I could never identify a solution that would look the way I wanted, but would also store everything I had. I didn’t want my necklaces hung on a board and my rings somewhere else. When I realized stud earrings and rings could be kept in up-side-down drawer pulls, I was all in! The clumsy jewelry box was sold, and this project was completed ASAP!

Utilizing a bunch of different hardware choices (pulls, knobs, and handles) not only looks neat, but also gave the different options I need for storing various jewelry. Hardware can add up fast, so I was excited to re-purpose some knobs I already had in my collection. The pulls and handles came from Lowes.

This project was really easy once I forced myself to pull the materials together and just start! There are probably a million different ways to put this together; but by using an old frame from my stash (more de-cluttering!), putting it together and getting it on the wall was straight forward and not complicated at all! Here’s what you need:

Drill with drill bit
Old 16×20 frame, with glass removed
Spray primer and white glossy spray paint
18×22″ piece of fabric
Assorted hardware, assess your jewelry collection first and decide what all you need before heading out to the store (hardware adds up fast!)
Electrical wire snipper and screw driver
1/4″ thick plywood, cut to 16×20″ (or whatever size you need to fit your frame!)
Ruler and pencil (not shown)
Spray adhesive (not shown)
Electric screwdriver (not shown)

Before getting started, clean, prime and spray your frame to match your decor. While it’s drying, get started on the rest!

The hardest part (if you can call it hard!) is dealing with the screw length. I really wanted my plywood to essentially replace the glass in my frame, making it super easy to put the whole thing together. That meant that the long screws that come with hardware were way too long for the 1/4″ plywood.

This project taught me a new skill! Did you know that electrical wire strippers trim down screws so that the threads remain perfectly in tact? Oh You Tube, you teach me so much! I was so excited to discover that we actually had this super handy tool out in the garage. All you do is screw your screw into the right hole on the front of the snips (down to the length you need), and squeeze (hard!) until they snip. It took some patience (and hand strength!) to get all my screws shortened down, but once they were…it was smooth sailing!

Because the wood board will be covered in fabric, use a pencil and a ruler to perfectly layout your design, including where exactly to drill your holes!

To correctly identify the placement for hardware with multiple holes, I always use painter’s tape to mark the holes on the actual handle, then transfer the tape/holes to the board. Works perfectly every time! Once all the hole locations are identified, pre-drill them with a drill/bit.

Before attaching your hardware, attach the fabric piece to the plywood using spray adhesive (not shown); use a brayer or flat edge to smooth out all wrinkles. Then, using an electric screwdriver, screw all the hardware to the wood board.

The final step is to load the board back into the frame; I held mine in with 1/2″ screws right into the frame. Once secured, flip it over, hang it on the wall, and get to sorting and displaying your jewelry!

When I popped this display up on the wall, I was pleasantly surprised to see how this storage solution doubles as great wall art. Not only is my jewelry sorted and organized, but since it’s at-the-ready, I’ll (hopefully!) wear it more often!

I love this swap for my clunky old jewelry box. Such a lovely addition to our master bedroom walls!

The frame hangs on the wall in the short, narrow hallway leading into our bedroom, right across from our closet. Now, getting dressed and accessorized is quick, easy, and efficient! And what a welcome into our master bedroom!

I’ve got some big things keeping me busy this week. I hope to share details of this latest, really big “project” here soon. Fingers crossed I can pop in one more time this week – I’ve made some fun progress in the garage and I think you guys will love it!