How to make a Jewelry Wall Board

I must admit, I am not a very organized person.  I have things, stuff and junk everywhere.  My husband, on the other hand, likes our belongings to be cataloged and in their place.  I’ll find boxes sprouting up around the house at any given moment especially designed to collect such clutter.  When I see a new one appear, I know it’s a subtle hint to get my “organization” on.

So when my jewelry box failed to close a few weeks back because of all the necklaces and earrings things, stuff and junk, I figured less mess on the dresser equals a happier other half.  I checked into what I could buy and, I’ll admit, there were some creative solutions out there.  But they were pricey and many of them didn’t seem too difficult to replicate.  I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this.  Bring on another project.

Yes, I made my own and no, it wasn’t that hard.  All you need to put one together is: a large piece of pegboard, a miter box, a saw, some wood glue, caulk, a handful of 1×2 boards, nails, a hammer, sandpaper, a measuring tape and some paint.  What you use for holders on your pegboard is a matter of choice, so I’ll leave that up to you.

Start out by measuring and cutting your pegboard to the desired size.  Now I’m SURE there’s an easier way to cut this stuff, but I just went with the equipment I had on hand and made it work.  Think two chairs and a saw.

Next up I cut the 1×2’s and attached them to the back of the peg board with wood glue.

Clamp, or just toss a large quantity of your husband’s old textbooks on top and let dry. You can see which route I took.

Once the glue is dry, flip it over and use your miter box to cut out the border.  Glue the pieces to the top and then hammer in  a few nails about 4 or so inches apart from each other to guarantee it all stays where it’s supposed to.  I made sure to use long enough nails so that they went into the 1×2’s in the back as well.  In retrospect, It might have been better to nail into the 1×2’s instead of the border so that you didn’t see the nails.

If you need to, add a small line of caulk between any edges that aren’t flush.  You can sand it smooth later so don’t panic if it isn’t perfect when you first apply it.

Time for the fun part!  Choose how you want to paint your masterpiece and start ‘er up.  I painted mine gray and then added a sun stencil along the top and bottom to add a little “girly girl” to it.

After finishing that, I sanded down the edges, taped off the inside of the board and painted my border white.

That’s pretty much all there is to it!  I did take one extra step and spray paint my attachments.  They were originally silver and I figured white would look a thousand times better.  Wouldn’t you agree?

And here is the finished product up on my closet wall:

What do you think?  Worth the effort?  The necklace holders were originally designed to hang horizontal (think screwdriver storage) but I put them vertical.  In order for it to stay hooked I simple ran a rubber band in the back from one metal end to the other to hold it in place.

Little poles work perfect for hoop earrings…

…and knobs add a fun punch of color as well as a unique place to store your bracelets.

As far as the baskets go, I’m planning on sewing up a simple little rectangle cushion to fit inside the bottom and then I’ll be able to store all my studs in there.

Needless to say, the dresser is now uncluttered and I’ve successfully averted one more “sprouted box”.  For the moment.  I think I see more organization projects in my future. 🙂