DIY Jewelry Holder
I have to admit, I am not very creative when it comes to creating things or decorating. I have been itching for something to organize my jewelry, but I did not really know how. I almost gave away one of my bulletin boards that I have had since I was a kid when I realized it had potential to be something better. My DIM (Do It Myself) project this weekend was to turn this hideous piece into something functional and beautiful.
For some reason in 7th grade I decided it would be a brilliant idea to use elmers glue to paste pieces of tissue paper on the cork of my bulletin board. When I decided I no longer liked the paper and tore it off, this is the ugliness that I was left with.
To begin transforming my nightmare of a bulletin board into a visually interesting and fun jewelry holder, I sanded down all of the wood until there was no longer a sheen to it.
When I was finished I cleaned it off well and added my first coat of paint. Because I planned on covering the cork, I painted over onto it. Also something important to note is that I painted the part of the wood frame in the very back. The reason I did this is because in my room at home and in my dorm room next year I plan on leaning it against the wall. If I hadn’t painted the wood on the back it would be visible and ugly when resting against the wall.
When I was buying the low VOC paint (a must for any project involving paint. It can be found at most local home improvement stores) I decided to just use a disposable foam brush to prevent ruining one of my dad’s nice paint brushes (I have done it before and I still feel horrible). However, the foam brush looked absolutely terrible. I ended up using a nice brush that can be washed and reused for years, which is much more sustainable as well.
My board also needed two coats before it was well covered and there were not any streaks or blotches.
I covered it with a piece of really nice wrapping paper (I really hate the sparkle on it, but it was the best I could find in that quality) to cover the cork and make it more like art.
I simply used white push pins that I already had lying around my room to hold everything up.
What I love the most about this project (besides that fact it took me 1 hour of work and 4 hours of drying to create) is that I took something that I though was hideous and beyond help and turned it into something better. It has given me a whole new perspective on “ugly” furniture. From now on I will consider what I could do (or have someone help me do) to something before I decide it’s ugly and not useable. I will also see what I have lying around that I can turn into something I need before buying it.
