Jewelry Organizer Tutorial

I've been acquiring a good bit of costume jewelry lately... mostly because I can't afford "real" jewelry and well,   I just like a bird I can't resist 'shiny stuff'.  All that glitters isn't gold though... it's usually gold or silver plated or just good old fashioned plastic beads.  Whatever the material I just like it. 

I suppose I'm becoming a collector... or an addict possibly since dear husband said to me the other day "Why do you need all this stuff?  You never wear any of it."  Well... I wear it to church sometimes and I always wear earrings (unless I'm sick in bed dying) and there are always those expensive trips to Walmart ya know...  Yep, that's pretty much it... I NEED it to go to Walmart.  I refuse to become one of the "People of Walmart" wearing my pj's or waaaay too small underwear while forgetting my pants but remembering my fuzzy slippers, and a wife-beater shirt.  Yep I NEED all this stuff to avoid a paparazzi!!!  BTW have you seen the "People of Walmart"????  www.peopleofwalmart.com  (be forwarned, it's NOT pretty, but it's great for hours of entertainment!

To make a long story short I have a growing collection that is getting harder to store or at least find what I'm looking for.  Since I'm borderline OCD... okay, I admit it... Queen of OCD, I NEED to have all my stuff in order.  I NEED other peoples stuff to be in order too but that's for another post.  I had one of those cutesy little hanging organizers with all the clear little pockets for all my baubles but my collection 'outgrew' it and I just needed to do something else.  Necessity is the mother of invention and this evil genius has a plan....

I had most of what I needed already but did need to make a quick trip to gather a little more hardware but here's what I used:

I used a piece of pine board it's about a 1"x4"  This one was about 7 feet long so it needed to be cut smaller to fit in my closet when it was completed.  I used a 20" long section for this project.
Dear husband always wants to 'help', so I let him cut the board for me.  He cut a total of 3 for me because I have big plans :) (you can make yours longer or shorter)

Of course I want my project to be pretty so I decided to decoupage (Mod Podge) some scrapbook paper to the board before getting started on the functional stuff.

I also needed a few tools and lots of little bits of hardware - a hammer, awl, needle nose pliers, a ruler (or tape measure), some picture hanging supplies, eye screws and cup hooks

After collecting everything I needed I Mod Podged the paper to the board in little design

This is what it looked like when I was ready to move to the next step (not a good pic but you get the idea)

Next, I got that ruler out and with a pencil I lightly marked where I wanted the rows of eye screws to go.  I wasn't anal about it - just a rough guide to keep stuff in a straight line (sort of).  Then I measured and popped a little hole about every inch in the semi-straight line for my eye screws to go.  You can do just one row if you like but since I was doing two rows I staggered the second row so the screws wouldn't line up under the top row or I wouldn't be able to easily see or access my earrings once they were hung up and I have a LOT of jewelry.

I did the same thing along the bottom edge of the board except the hooks are going to be 1/2 an inch apart

Next I flipped the board over and put the hangers on the back - these are just the kind I had on hand but you get the idea

I used 3 of the hangers because the jewelry is going to make this pretty heavy when it's all hung up and I only have 1 stud in the wall.  I know the drywall can't handle it unless at least 1 catches the stud in the wall.  I'd hate top go to all this trouble to have to walk in the closet in preparation for a trip to Walmart and find holes in the wall and all the jewelry jumbled up on the floor!

Next, I flipped the board back over and started screwing the eye screws in to all those little holes I started with the awl.  Some of the holes I had to go back and tap the awl with a hammer to get the eye screw to get started easier.  I also needed to use the needle nose pliers when they got hard to screw in by hand.

you can see in this picture how the second row is staggered or off set from the first so things don't hang right on top of each other

just another view :)

Once I got all of the eye screws in I flipped the board on it's edge and did the same thing with all the little cup hooks (these are 1/2" cup hooks) (you can space yours differently if you like)

and then....
I finished putting in all the cup hooks and hung it on the wall inside the closet.

Not the best picture mind you... It's hard to get a good picture in a closet while you are being attaked by your clothes!  I did hang this at my eye level and I used hooks that would hold well in the drywall - I know... they show, but this is also for practicality not just a play-pretty and I may hide those hooks with some matching bows/ribbon in the future.

Keep in mind that I went from this box to the finished project:

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.........................

Just one problem.... I think I need another one!!!!


AND... I still have to figure out something for the post style earrings AND all those infinity scarves!

Hopefully I will have a tutorial for those projects in the near future.  My evil genius is still just in the brainstorming phase for those projects, but it WILL happen... eventually.


So... What do you think?  And how'd I do on my first ever tutorial???

Catching Up

It's been quite some time since I've posted anything.  A lot has happened since my last update.  In November our daughter Michelle lost her battle with graft vs. host after her organ transplant.  Although the holidays were quite busy for us this year there was an emptiness and some sadness not having her with us.  I have never seen a person suffer as she did and I know she is in a better place now.  My heart breaks for her husband and children.  Sometimes God has other plans we just don't understand.  This is one of those times.

                                         Michelle & Chris on a good day before her transplant

On another note, Zachary Conner Hannah was born Oct. 7, 2013.  He weighed in at 4 pounds and 4 ounces.  He was 8 weeks early but never had to have any help with his breathing and spent a couple weeks in the NICU before he was able to take all his feedings by bottle and come home.  He has since caught up and is doing great.  His momma gave us quite a scare with pre-eclempsya which after the emergency c-section went to full blown eclempsya , seizures and all.  Momma has since recovered and is doing well.

                                           Zach at birth & in the NICU with his punkin hat

                                                 Zachary at 3 1/2 months old - Thriving!!!

The holidays were jam packed this year - we celebrated 5 different times since we couldn't get everyone all together at once this year.

                                              We finally got to meet Roger, Laura's fiance'

                                                             Laura, Roger & Dalton

                                                           Chris, Mallory & Regan

                                                                  Dad & Mom

                                                            Jack, Amber & Baby Girl
                                                  we missed Colton - he was with his mom

                                                         Sarah, Robbie & Little Jack

                                                               Jessi, TJ & Zachary

                                                      Jonathan, Carla, Doyle & Chris

                                                         Mallory, Casey & Dalton

                                                        Dalton, Roger, Regan & Tara
           I missed a few pics from the Knowles family gathering :(  but we had a great time together :D

We are expecting another grandson at the end of April (that will make 8 grand-kids!) and right now his big brother Jack is visiting for a week.  Jack is 3.  I forgot how it was to have a 3 yr. old.  It is a lot like making a milkshake in the blender on high speed with the lid off!  He has a great disposition and quite the imagination and truly is a joy, so I guess the only problem is that this granny got old and slow.  He is wearing dear husband and I out, but I wouldn't trade this time with him for anything.  I think it would be great for granny to get a nap though!

This is what the house looks like when he comes for a visit:

 When he was here for Thanksgiving we made homemade donuts and we had a blast!

My mom's health is another concern as she hasn't been doing well and has many different health issues.  It is hard to imagine my parents any different than when I was in my teens and they were much younger than they really are.  Every now and then I realize they aren't young anymore and it's kind of hard to wrap my head around.  Sometimes reality really does suck.

We've been attending a few auctions when we can squeeze it in between crisis and family.  We are really enjoying it.  I've done several cakes since my last cake post and I've been crocheting infinity scarves and cotton dish cloths.  Staying as busy as I can for sanity's sake but it is really taking a toll on the arthritis in the hands (and a touch of carpal tunnel I think).  Anyway... we went to the auction on our Anniversary:

                                                                      13 years!

There have been lots of other things that have happened over the months since my last post of course... I've only touched the highlights.  I must say that even though 2013 had many good things, I'm not sorry to have it over with.  We are praying for a better year this year and hope there will not be any losses in 2014.  Losing 3 family members in less than 18 months takes a toll.  God is good all the time though and we will carry on.

And last but not least...  Here is the cake update:

                                                  Mallory's 11th Birthday Cake

                                    Birthday cake for my parents - their days are close together

                                                        For Zachary's baby shower

                                                           Thanksgiving 2013

                                                         Coconut cake for a friend

                                                        Sweet 16 cake for Regan

                                                 Shower cake for Sarah & Robbie's baby

 So, that's it for now... back to doing what I do & stuff!