Frustrated with how to organize your jewelry? Why not make your own jewelry organizer! In this episode, learn how to make a frame to transform an ordinary picture frame into a DIY jewelry organizer, using easy to find materials and simple tools. You will be able to store your jewelry on the wall, out of sight, while at the same time displaying a beautiful photo. Having decorative items like this DIY jewelry holder that also function as storage is perfect for small space decorating.
How to make a DIY jewelry organizer
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I had the same idea and have wanted to do this for years! You simplified the project for me. My question is, would I be able to do this with a much larger picture? I have several necklaces and wouuld require more space.
Thanks a Bunch!
Michelle
I’m really happy my jewelry organizer design helped you out! To answer your question, you can use any sized picture frame really. The main thing is for the thickness of the frame itself to be wide enough to leave room for the hinges and for the magnetic clasp. And you’ll want to use larger hinges too if the frame is very big and heavy. Hope this helps and I would love to see pics of your version – you can share them here on the site or on my facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/EngineerYourSpace). Thanks for watching!
omg!!!!love this idea. my jewelry is a mess. Definitely have to try this. So feminine…
So glad you like it! Would love to see pictures of your version!
Great idea! Can you use any type of frame or do you need to always use a wooden frame for your hinge screws to stay in better? Thanks.
Thanks! Wood is ideal but I have done this with frames made from other materials and it’s worked. Good luck with the project!
I want to make this for my girlfriend but she has a lot of bracelets and earrings that are open (cant hang on pegs). Any ideas on maybe adding shelves or drawers or boxes inside for those?
Maybe you can make a slotted shelf out of either foam board or corrugated cardboard covered with fabric or self-adhesive shelf-liner? The open bracelets/earrings could be inserted into the slots. I’ve seen drawer pulls used as small “boxes” that could work – here’s a link: http://pinterest.com/pin/209206345161043772/. You can take a look at my jewelry organizer board on Pinterest for more ideas from around the web: http://pinterest.com/EngineerurSpace/diy-jewelry-organizers/. Hope this helps!
I love this idea so much. I wear more stud earrings. Is there a way to store them with this idea?
You can store stud earrings using the cork pad that’s on the back of the door and if you need more room, you can make a cork pad for back of the box also (instead of the one with the batting). That’s what great about this project, you can really customize it to fit whatever type of jewelry you have! Have fun making yours!
Your photo frame/jewelry box combination is a fabulous idea, and thanks for posting the construction video. Poplar is a good choice of wood to use due to it’s softness and uniform grain making it easy to work with, even though it’s considered a hardwood, and it’s closed grain makes it good for painting.
I made one 13×16″ for my wife as a Christmas gift, and she loves it; plus it was the perfect project for me, since I enjoy both photography and woodworking. She needed something with slots for holding stud type earrings more easily, however wood is too thick for this, so I went looking for a thin but rigid piece of plastic that I could cut slots into for fastening onto a strip of wood lattice. I found pieces of plastic snap-in gutter guards that worked perfectly for this (see photo), and it also provides some holes for hanging the “fish hook” type earrings. I cut four strips, trimmed, and then attached them with one screw into the back of a piece of wood lattice (same poplar as used in the video, except a 1/4-inch thick). The horizontal wood lattice is fastened with a small screw at each end to two vertical 1/2-inch square supports cut from the same poplar used for the box, which is screwed into the vertical sides of the box from the inside. This provides a little space behind as well as in front of the plastic rack. Probably could have skipped the wood lattice, but I wanted to also add a few small nails to the wood for hanging loop type earrings.
I also used a wood backing made of Luan, and changed the orientation of the hinges so the frame/door will open fully.
Thanks for the inspiration to build a very useful storage system. We already had that very same picture hanging in the same spot, so it did not require any additional space.
Here are my observations/suggestions about the jewelry box video (great video, by the way):
– Hinges: Not ideal installation as shown, IMO, as it limits opening to 90 degrees, and hinge is not hidden when closed. Installing like a door hinge on the front edge of the box will allow full opening to 180 degrees, hides the hinge when closed, and also allows a narrower picture frame to be used.
– Suggest adjusting the magnetic catch so it does not actually touch its metal plate, thereby reducing the force required to open the door and reducing stress on the mounting to the wall.
– It might be helpful to suggest that a thin plywood backing such as 1/4-inch Luan could be used for a sturdier backing material.
– Use of a plywood backing would allow a more durable mounting method than the one shown, such as drilling two holes through the backing near the upper sides and using screws to mount into wall anchors; plus, it would hold dowels stronger.
– A demonstration showing how different types of earrings are actually mounted would have been helpful in the video.
– It is not readily apparent how stud earrings could be successfully mounted onto the pad, or whether it could even be done in a way that would allow them to be easily put on and taken off. And what if the removeable clip on the back of the stud does not allow the tip of the stud to slide all the way through it so it cannot be pushed into the cork?
– What is the purpose of using cork – for push pins, or does the stud go into the cork? Wouldn’t the picture behind the cork get poked full of holes and/or get pushed forward into the mat opening?
Thank you so much for sharing your beautifully crafted creation! The improvements and suggestions you’ve outlined are very helpful and clearly worked very well – I love seeing how my ideas can inspire others, and can be made even better than I could have imagined!! Thanks again for sharing!
You’re welcome. Yes, you definitely inspired me with your deign idea. It was the perfect solution, because I had been looking at various commercially available racks with the idea of building one, but I just wasn’t happy with any of them. When. saw yours, I knew right away that I had found the perfect concept. My sister-in-law had purchased a rack with slots cut in the top of wood strips, but she had to get someone to modify it for her, because the wood was too thick for most of the posts on her stud earrings.
Thanks again for sharing your great idea. Your box construction method worked perfectly too – nothing better than glue & screws for a solid construction with wood.
Correction:
Although I said the plywood backing was 1/4″, I actually used a piece of Lauan plywood that I’ve had in my shed for years, and it actually measures 3/16″. Also, I would recommend an alternative plywood made from a temperate hardwood (beech, birch, maple, oak) or other sturdy backing material (see website recommendation) instead of Lauan. Although Lauan works very well and is very common as a furniture backing, I can no longer recommend it after learning of the devestating effects its marketing has had on the tropical rain forests due to over-logging of tropical hardwoods like Lauan (see http://www.rainforestrelief.org/What_to_Avoid_and_Alternatives/Rainforest_Wood/What_to_Avoid_What_to_Choose/By_Product/Plywood.html )
I was able to countersink 8 small wood screws into the plywood backing so they did not stick out above the wood, to avoid scratching the wall.
Thank you so much for the clarification, the information regarding Lauan and your recommendation for alternatives.
Brian, I love your design and upgrades! The video was helpful for me to see a boxed unit in use on the wall, but I had concerns with a few of the materials used also. It just seemed like a person would have to be extremely careful when adding or removing items when the wooden dowels were just glued to the foam board backing, and pushing the stud earrings into cork could damage some of the more delicate ones, and leave a pulpy mess after a while. Your idea to cut slots in the gutter guard for stud earring storage is a very good one that I was needing to see. Thank you for that, and for posting the picture of your finished product.
And thanks to Isabelle for putting together the video, complete with showing it in use. I need stronger materials for mine, but your video was very well put together.
I couldn’t agree more Jeannette, I love what Brian did. That’s why I love sharing my ideas – it’s fun to see what changes and upgrades others come up wit :)! Hope you’ll share pics of your creation!
Great idea for the jewelry box organizer! I really like that it organizes clutter and hides it.
I’m a creative person who is functionally disorganized. Seeing your projects has me pumped to make things look nice while organizing. I’m going to make this for my wife.
I look forward to watching more of your videos.
Thank you so much!! I’m sure your wife will love it. I wish you all the best in your organizing journey!!
I love this idea and all the nice comments and replies.
Keep doing what you’re doing!
Thank you Ryano! It’s what keep me doing what I’m doing!
I absolutely Love this idea, do you think there is a way to add a lock?
Thank you Gloria! Of course, you could use a lock like this one: http://www.rockler.com/nickel-decorative-jewelry-box-lock-hasps-pair?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla_with_promotion&utm_campaign=PL&sid=V9146&gclid=CIPM0u7qgcoCFYqIfgodoX8MQw
Hope this helps!
Isabelle
I have been thinking of this idea for a long time now and even had found a box I could use that someone was throwing away, but the depth of the box was a little deeper then I wanted and I had no idea how to build the box frame that I could use. Your video was amazingly informative. I cant wait now to make one and customize it!!!
That’s so great to hear! So happy my video was helpful!