{Finding Your Inner Handygal}

Do It Yourself...

Jewelry Projects

No matter how busy life gets, I always like to have a few DIY projects handy. Over the past few months, I've indulged in a few experiments and have a couple of pictures to prove it! Today, I'd like to share some of my jewelry creations from this summer. The picture above showcases a few washer bracelets that I made; these are simple yet great because they easily dress up your wrist (the more arm candy, the better) and are great conversation starters (are those washers on your wrist?). For this project, you will need:

·         Ribbon or tulle

·         Washers

·         Scissors

At first the threading was a tad tricky, but once you thread a few washers you are good to go! I think these will make an excellent project over the holidays with some of my favorite ladies (think silver and gold, paired with champagne and a Christmas movie by the fire...you get the idea). Though slightly different in design, this tutorial is one of the best I've read yet!

After mentioning here about how I wanted to re-organize my jewelry, I made a trip to a nearby historic town and picked up several items to house my treasures. Since many of the vintage items I found were similar in theme and style (nature and pastels), I purchased an adorable earring stand that was designed to look like branches with leaves and little birds, a ceramic birds nest for my watches, a brightly colored flower-shaped bowl for my rings and a laddered bracelet stand that accented the rest of the collection. After all was said and done, I still couldn't find the right piece for my necklaces. So to Home Depot I went in search of a particular kind of wood (notice the leaf pattern) in order to make my own...

I've always loved the variety of knobs I find in vintage stores, so I decided to incorporate them into the re-design of my jewelry collection. For this project, you will need:

·         Knobs

·         Piece of wood

·         Spray paint

·         Measuring tape

·         Power drill

·         Bolt cutter (if your knobs vary in length)

·         Screwdriver

·         Patience

After purchasing the knobs I liked most, I made sure to measure the space on my wall where I wanted to hang my necklaces before picking up a piece of wood. I had them cut it in the store to save me some extra work, and then I spray painted the wood a soft creme color. When it was completely dry, I measured out where I wanted the knobs to be placed and then carefully drilled the holes.

Note: some knobs vary in size and length, which can make it harder not only when it comes to the size of the holes to drill (which could effect the layout) but also if you have to cut them down so that they are all the same size.

Since my knobs varied in length, my grandfather helped me cut a few of the screws so that they would line up properly in the back of the wood. Then I screwed the knobs on, brushed off any excess shavings and hung it my wall!

Images courtesy of © 2012 Chateau de Victoria