DIY Necklace Holder from old frame

Hello all! Since summer is winding up fast I've been working to finish a DIY project that will help me stay organized once the school year starts!

Accessories are always a big part of my outfit, especially statement necklaces. Sometimes during the school year though, I'm not sure exactly which necklace will go best with my outfit. Rather than waking my husband multiple times as I run back to my closet to switch necklaces, I take the good options to the bathroom with me so that when I get ready in the morning I can try on the different options. However, this started getting very messy my necklaces ended up in piles where they could get broken.

When I found an empty frame at the thrift store without the glass, I decided I would make a place to hang the necklaces in the bathroom so they wouldn't get bent or broken.

For this project you will need: 

Old Frame

Rubbing Alcohol

Cotton Balls

1/4 inch Plywood

Wood Filler

Shim/Popsicle/Wooden Sticks

Small piece of sand paper

Clean Cloth

Burlap to size

Staple Gun

Cut tacks (for example) for the number of pegs you prefer

Spray Paint -

- Spray Primer

- Gold for Tacks

- Preferred final color

Pen/Marker

Hammer

Directions: 

Step 1 - 

Dig through your garage or take a trip to your local thrift store to find a frame that is the right size for your necklaces. I like frames with details, like in the image above. I think these look best when spray painted. 

Clean the frame using Rubbing Alcohol and some cotton balls. 

Step 2 - 

Cut a piece of board to fit the opening, with a little extra gap. This gap will allow extra space for the thickness of the burlap that will wrap around the board and need to fit inside the frame. The plywood needs to be thick enough to hold whatever you're using to make the necklace hooks. I chose to use cut tacks so I went with 1/4 inch plywood.

I went to Home Depot and had them cut me a piece of 1/4 inch plywood to fit. They didn't leave enough of a gap so I pulled out my jig saw and made a little extra opening. Be careful if you decide to do this yourself, as it is difficult to keep a straight line with a Jig Saw and thin board. 

Step 3 - 

Remove the board from the back of the frame and fill any gaps on the frame with wood filler so that it is smooth when spray painted. For this frame I used a spare piece of shim to apply the putty to the spots where the frame had gotten dinged and to the corners. You could use a Popsicle stick if you don't have a shim. 

Follow the directions on the filler for how long to dry before sanding smooth. After sanding, wipe dust off with a clean cloth. Microfiber works best. 

Step 4 - 

While the putty is drying, take your burlap and iron out any kinks in the fabric. I set my iron to the steam setting. If there are any tough folds in the fabric that just won't come out, I use a spray bottle to mist the fabric before I iron over it. 

Then, once the fabric has been ironed, I cut it to size. I used the frame itself as a guide for how much burlap was needed. This gives enough fabric to fold over the side of the board to staple.  

Step 5 - 

Once the frame has dried and been wiped clean of dust, take it outside to prime and paint. I used Rust-Oleum's Gray Primer spray paint. Then, when ready, spray with color of choice. This time I used Rust-Oleum's White Gloss Protective Enamel Spray Paint. The Enamel Paint took a long time to dry but gave the frame  a wonderfully hard and shiny finish. 

In another area, I spray painted my cut tacks with gold spray paint.  

Step 6 - 

While the frame is drying, finish the backboard. Position the burlap so there is overlap on each side and staple the first side with a staple gun (Image 1). I had to use a hammer to then flatten the staples (Image 2). Repeat for each side until your wood looks like the third image below. Flatten the corners and staple down (Image 4). 

Step 7 - 

Mark the board with dots where you would like to nail in the tacks. When the tacks are dry, nail them into the board at the appropriate spots. Some may chip off the top but it won't be too noticeable. 

Step 8 - 

Re-position the burlap-covered board with its nailed tacks in the spray-painted frame. Admire and add your jewelry! 

I hope you enjoy this DIY project and that it gives you ideas to make your own DIY frame! 

Here is a summary of the steps to pin for later! 

Thanks for stopping by!