While living in my small studio apartment in NYC, I didn't have a lot of storage space and I had to get creative to store and keep my jewelry organized. I wanted a solution that would give me easy access to my jewelry, keep it our of sight but not take up any counter space or drawer space. So I came up with the idea to make my own custom hanging jewelry box using a picture frame - that way I could hang it as part of my gallery wall to double as wall art, with no one being the wiser as to where I was storing my jewelry!

I made a detailed video showing all the steps to make it (see step 8) but I'll outline the main steps in the building process here.

Step 1: Materials, Tools and Supplies Needed

Step 2: Select Your Picture Frame

You'll want a medium sized frame with a wide border approx. 2" to accommodate hinges and the magnetic latch that will be attached to the back of the frame.

Step 3: Cut the Wood Pieces to Fit Around the Frame

When figuring out the size of the jewelry box, use the picture frame as a reference and make sure to leave enough room for the hinges and the latch. You can have your pieces of wood cut at the hardware store or use a mitre box and saw. I used 2" x 1/2" poplar wood.

Step 4: Screw the Box Together

Using a corner clamp to hold the pieces together makes it easier to drill pilot holes (I used a countersink drill bit to recess the screw heads) and to screw them together. Before putting in the screws, I added some wood glue for a stronger joint.

Step 5: Paint the Box

I covered up the screw heads with wood filler (I used a stainable/paintable wood filler), sanded the entire frame and painted it black.

Step 6: Install the Hinges and the Magnetic Latch on the Frame

I found it easier to attach the hinges and the latch onto the jewelry box frame before putting on the back of the box.

Step 7: Cut the Back of the Box

I used foam board to make the back - it's easier to work with than wood (I used a utility knife to cut out the shape that I needed) and it doesn't add any weight to the jewelry box.

Step 8: Attach Pegs and Earring Pad to Back

To hold necklaces and rings, I used 1/4" inch dowels and glued buttons on the ends to prevent the jewelry from slipping off (I attached the buttons with liquid nails). To attach them to the foam board, I used a utility knife to cut an x where I wanted my pegs to be on the board and removed enough material to make a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the dowel. I used liquid nails on the bottom of the pegs and inserted them into the holes.

For the earring pad, I used batting and fabric (a loose weave fabric works best) that I stapled to a piece of foam board. I used double sided tape to secure it to the foam board.

All that's left is to attach the back to the jewelry box, add some hanging hardware and attach the metal plate for the magnetic latch onto the back of the frame. You can also modify the back of the picture frame with a cork pad to hang earrings. You can see how I did that in the detailed video of the entire building process.