DIY Necklace Organizer

I have a large jewelry armoire, but it’s so full, I’m having a hard time seeing all my jewelry. I saw a great do it yourself project on Pinterest, and decided to ask my husband to make me one. If I can see my necklaces, there’s a better chance I’ll wear them more often. This is a fairly easy project, and I’m sure you could pull this off if you wanted to.

Here’s what he used:

1. An old wood frame I picked up from Goodwill. ($5.00 including a terrible print I removed from the frame)

2. Spray paint to paint the frame with

3. Clear plastic drawer pulls from IKEA ($1.99 for 6)

4. Peg board from Home Depot

5. Left over primer and wall paint from painting our master bedroom.

6. Staple Gun

Remove the print/painting from the frame and spray paint the frame. While waiting for it to dry, cut your peg board to to fit the back of your frame. You can leave the peg board white if you want, but I wanted mine to be the same color as our walls.  I wanted the necklaces to stand out, not the peg board. Prime and paint the pegboard with a smooth roller and let it dry.

After the frame and peg board have dried, you’re ready to staple the pegboard to the frame. This is why you need a wooden frame. When you’re done, you’re ready to attach your drawer pulls. My husband discovered that the pulls from IKEA had screws that were too long for this project, so he trimmed them using a Dremmel tool.

The frame we got at Goodwill had a wire hanger on it and we left it intact during the entire project for easy wall mounting. Here’s the finished project.

Homemade framed necklace organizer

Close up of peg board and draw pulls with necklaces on them

Real or Fake?

When there’s a debate about real or fake, I usually side with what’s real. I’ll take butter over margarine for flavor’s sake. I don’t care what color the sweetener package is, pass me the sugar. I want real cheese instead of the non-melting vegan “cheese”.

All my shoes and most of my handbags are leather instead of faux. I prefer natural fibers over synthetics. (does 2 or 3 percent Lycra count in a pair of jeans or t-shirt?) When it comes down to it, I’d rather see a dusty potted plant than a dusty silk flower arrangement. Not that I like the dust, but you get the picture. I just like the real stuff.

When it comes to jewelry, I also like the real stuff. As much as possible, my costume jewelry is handmade using semiprecious gemstones, and gold or sterling silver wire and findings. I either make it myself, or support a local jewelry artists. When I go to my local bead shop, I only buy real stones. The reason I’m telling you this is because I’ve always thought real was better. My motto has always been “Never wear fake when you can have the real thing”.

I was so surprised when I saw Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge in the news with the words “Fake Earrings” all over the headlines. What? Really? Why?

Kate Middleton wearing an Alexander McQueen dress and “fake earrings” during the Diamond Jubilee celebration

Duchess or no, we’ve all been thinking of Kate as a princess. She’s royalty now. She came from a well moneyed family to begin with, so I think that she could afford a pair of earrings that cost more than $75. She’s also married to someone who could pull a few strings and get her access to the crown jewels for a special event. At least I hope so.

After my initial shock wore off, I thought it was cool that Kate wore earrings the rest of us could own. Of course, after she was outed in the media for her “fake” earrings, they’re now out of stock.

Maybe because she already has lots of pretty jewelry, or access to amazing gems, wearing a pair of pretty cubic zirconia and faux pearl earrings is just as easy as putting on her stunning smile. She doesn’t even give it a thought.

I used to feel wearing quality CZ jewlery was like lying. People always think you paid more for it that you did, and they form an impression of you based on what they think they know of you, not the truth. Maybe I should let that go. Maybe I should be more like Kate. If it’s pretty and sparkly, and goes with my outfit, who cares if it’s real. Wear it!

P.S. It’s quite possible she’s also making a political statement with these earrings too. Royals can be thrifty. Still, I like it.