Introduction: Jewelry Board With Magnetic Accessory Tin

By Thing-A-Day Blog
About: Summation is a mathematician/cartographer in Seattle enjoying outfitting her friends in fuzzy and festive attire. She has hundreds of project ideas and will never have fewer than 15 going at once. Check out h…

Jewelry is so fancy/beautiful/cute that it should really be displayed all the time (instead of in a pile as I was doing). This project will guide you through making your very own jewelry board to organize and display your awesome accessories.

I created this as one of my Earth Day projects, so it's made from discarded foam core from work plus some scraps I already had. In the end, this project cost me under $10. Hooray for up-cycling!

This project is super easy and only requires scissors and glue. No-sew, no-fuss, a great first project for the new DIY-er!

Step 1: Gather Supplies

At work, we print signs on foam core that are used in the lobby for a month or less. After that, they get thrown away, so I decided to utilize 2 pieces of discarded foam core as the backing for my jewelry organizer. Other resources for finding mildly used foam core include art re-use places like SCRAP, and East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse.

I have a fabric remnant collection, so I searched for a piece that would be large enough to cover the foam core, and would stand up to being pierced by pins and other sharp things. Once you have your foam core, measure the length and width and take that with you to the fabric store. Search the remnants for upholstery or heavy drape fabric.

Besides wonderful dangly earrings, I also have a lot of post-back earrings and clip-ons, which I wanted to be able to organize on this board as well. I came up with the idea of using one of those metal note strips from IKEA. This cost me $5 and came with three magnets. Put the magnets on your fridge, you wont need them for this project. I found a small container with a clear lid and a magnetic back from Bed, Bath and Beyond for $1.50. I've also seen them at Cost Plus and other stores that sell housewares.

Here is an itemized tool and supply list for easy reference.

Supplies
- 2 pieces of foam core (identical in size)
- fabric to cover foam core (large enough to cover front of foam core plus 2 inches extra all around)
- metal note strip from IKEA or similar
- 1 or more containers with clear top and magnetic back to hang on metal strip
- Quilting pins or boutonniere pins to hang jewelry on

Tools
- Scissors
- Hot Glue Gun and Hot glue

Step 2: Hot Glue!

In this step, you'll need to work fast if you're using hot glue. If you're not sure about your agility with hot glue, you may want to opt for a slower-drying glue such as Aleen's Tacky Glue.

Squeeze hot glue all the way around one piece of foam core, then sandwich the other piece on top, making sure to get them lined up properly. If you're using another kind of glue you'll have more time to make sure the pieces are matched up straight, but you'll also have to wait longer to cover the board with fabric, since the glue will have to dry first. Check the bottle for drying times.

Apply glue to the back of the metal strip and then place it on the board where you want to be able to put your earring containers. I placed mine on the right edge of the board.

Step 3: Cover With Fabric

In order to get a nice finished product, you'll want to take your time with this step.

Lay out the fabric, print side down. Center the foam core on the fabric, making sure that the best side is face down. This will give the most even surface for inserting pins and other jewelry hangers. Wrap the fabric around the sides to the back of the board, and hold in place with hot glue.

In the corners, you'll want to cut away some of the fabric so it doesn't bunch up. Make sure to pull the fabric tight and even across the board so that the pattern or grain on the fabric is not distorted.

Step 4: Mount on Wall

I used mirror mounts to hang my board on the wall. You'll also need screws and anchors that are appropriate for the kind of wall you're hanging this on. The guys at the hardware store usually can help you get the right stuff. Don't forget to use a level to ensure your jewelry board is hung straight!

Step 5: Hang Up Jewelry and Admire Your Work of Art

Push quilting pins or boutonniere pins into the board at a slight upward angle so the jewelry wont fall off.

To hang my dangly earrings, I strung a mardi gras bead necklace between 2 pins across the bottom of the board. The space between the beads makes the earrings stay neatly in pairs.

I matched my post earrings and other small items, put them into the clear-topped container and stuck it to the metal strip hidden under the fabric.

Now I can see all my necklaces and earrings when I'm choosing my accessories for the day.

Please let me know if you've made one of these, and any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!