Week 4 - Jewelry Boards!!!

As I mentioned last week, we were on a very tight budget for Christmas last year so Pinterest became my "go to" for Christmas gift ideas. One project I fell in love with was Jewelry Boards! They don't take very long to make, they use very few supplies AND they are honestly the best solution to organizing your jewelry. Every girl should have one of these...and if they don't have one, you should make them one!!!

Below are some different examples of Jewelry Boards so you can get some ideas...

These are two Jewelry Boards that I made and use daily!
I love them and they hold all my  earrings and necklaces perfectly!

This "R" on this one was done using the freezer paper stencil technique! Click here for tutorial.

This one is done using a strip of wire mesh and actual wire. 

This one was done on a wood board rather than using a frame. 

This one was created using an old radiator grate! Love it! Click here for tutorial.

Jewelry Boards

This project is fun because a lot of the supplies are things you can pick up at garage sales, second hand stores, or you may even have some of these supplies collecting dust in your very own garage. Just like our other projects, these boards are very easy to customize and allow you the freedom to get as creative as you want! They also make AMAZING birthday and Christmas gifts so keep that in mind for the holidays as well!

Gathering Supplies

Hopefully you'll be able to use some of your previous supplies as well as your savvy saving skills for gathering your supplies this week. I encourage you to try and get the majority of your supplies from your own home, Goodwill, Value Village, or any other second hand store in your area (and if all else fails, stop by the parents house and ask to rummage through their house....guarantee they'll have an old frame or two laying around that you can snag). There are a few supplies you will probably need to purchase elsewhere, but now that you are getting to know each other better, you can always shop together and split the cost of the supplies!

Supply List

1.       Old Picture Frame: If you have any old frames lying around or pictures with a frame that is just collecting dust…then use that one. Otherwise you can check out your local second hand store and see what they have…it’s always hit or miss. Don’t worry if the frame is an ugly color or even if it has scuffs or scrapes…we’ll be painting them and little dings are perfect because they add character! The only thing you will want to make sure of is that the frame is made of wood and it is no less than two inches wide.

• QUICK TIP: A trick to finding cheap new frames is by going to a store that does custom framing (JoAnn’s,  Michaels, Aaron Brothers,…) and asking if they have any damaged frames for sale or frames that were returned because they were cut to the wrong size.

2.       Fabric or Wire Mesh: The fabric you use is what you will be hanging your Jewelry from, so you want to be sturdy enough that it can hold all of your jewelry. Also, make sure you have enough material to cover the entire frame as well as the opening in the middle. You want the material to be at least in inch larger than the frame on all sides.

• Suggestions for Fabric and Mesh selections: You can use Burlap (such as an old coffee sack), Denim (tear up some of your old jeans), Thick Lace (maybe from an old table cloth or curtain from good will) or any type of Wire Mesh

• FREE BURLAP TIP: Local Coffee Roasters often have their beans delivered in Burlap Sacks which they end up throwing away after they dump the beans out to be roasted. This burlap is GREAT for all the projects we’ve been doing and since its garbage to them; they’re usually willing to give it away for FREE!!! So if you know of any local coffee shops that roast their own coffee go in and ask them for their left over burlap sacks!

• CHEAP WIRE MESH TIP: A great and cheap Wire Mesh option is Yardgard Hardware Cloth. You can get it at Home Depot (2 ft. x 5 ft. x 1/4 in. 23-Gauge Galvanized Hardware Cloth) for $9.77 a role. It’s 5 ft, so you could probably split it with someone else and then it would only be $4.50 each!)

3.       Paint: We will be painting the frames (unless you like the way it looks already, then you can skip this step). For those who want to take the creativity up a notch, we will also be using the Freezer Paper method I showed last week to create our own stencils which you will paint right onto your fabric.  You can use any paint for both the frame and the fabric…acrylic paint, regular house paint, spray paint, as long as it is not oil based you’re good to go!

• CHEAP PAINT TIP: A great place to pick up cheap and durable paint is at the hardware or even at Fred Meyer or Walmart. They usually have paint samples in the house paint section that come in 4oz – 8oz containers and are premixed. They generally have  a good selection of colors and since they are intended for painting walls, they’re pretty durable and water resistant!

4.       Sponge - A clean kitchen sponge or a dollar store sponge will work. This is how we will apply the paint to the stencil

5.       Ribbon, Chord or Chain – This is how you will hang your board. I’ll have a staple gun so we can attach it at the end of class!

6.       Knobs or Hooks (Optional) – For those who want more hanging options for necklaces, adding hooks or knobs to the bottom of the frame is a great option! You can often find bags of old kitchen nobs and at Goodwill or Value Village along their back walls. You can also buy a bag of hooks any store that has a hardware section. JoAnn’s has some really cute decorative door knobs as well so if you have your coupons you can go there and probably pick a few up for not too much. Be creative too! Look around your house and see if there are things that you can use as hooks or knobs…or ask your friends or neighbors if they have any. 

7.       Freezer Paper or Stencil (Optional) – If you have a stencil that you want to use to paint on your fabric, bring it.  If you want to venture out and try to create your own Freezer Paper Stencil here is a few tutorials on different ways to create your stencil. The easiest way that I have found is to either print your image directly onto the mat side of your Freezer Paper OR print our your design on regular paper and trace it onto the Freezer Paper.

• Freehand Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial: http://www.julieannart.com/2011/08/freezer-paper-stencil-tutorial.html

• Print Design and Trace Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial: http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2012/04/freezer-paper-tutorial-better-late-than.html

Supplies needed for Freezer Paper Stencil Project

8.      Tools and Additional Supplies Needed for all the projects!

• Scissors
• Paper Towels 
• Paint Brush (You’ll only need this if you are painting your frame)
• Empty Garbage bag (we’re using these to put under your frame to keep things clean)
• Washcloth or Rag (for wiping up paint drips, Staple Gun (If you have one great, if not, I’ll have one there so no worries)
• Exacto Knife & Cutting Board (if you are doing the Freezer Paper Stencil)

 I can't wait to do this project with you ladies! Start shopping and keep and eye out for sales or call each other and shop or rummage together and get the best bang for your buck!

See you Monday! Love you tons!

Jo