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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

DIY: A Fresh Take on Jewelry Displays

I have to admit, my jewelry is displayed in a very unartistic fashion; shoved into my drawer. Wouldn't an idea like this be a fun way to show off your collection of earrings and necklaces?
Apartment Therapy shows you how to create this expensive look that costs practically nothing, after the jump (plus it won't leave bark or other tree residue on your jewelry!) 





What You Need:
1 long straight branch
Several smaller spindly branches 
Hand-held pruners
Utility knife
Sand paper
Stain
Copper wire/sinew (pictured) 
Clamps
Wood glue

Instructions
1. Start by pilfering a few long, straight branches which will form the base of the display, then locate a few spindly ones. The more twists and turns your sprigs sport, the more options for hanging jewels later. Here, Gadora repurposed a neighbor's discarded sage bush branches. Once a few select pieces were pulled into the shop, it took a few minutes to visually "set" them in place. Keep in mind: twigs that face up give more secure spots to hang your jewels and twigs that flow away from the wall allow easy-access to your new creation.

2. Remove the bark with a standard utility knife. The pruners make clipping unwanted sprigs a snap. The end of each branch was sanded to make a smooth end cap.

3. Once all branches were bark-free/knifed sufficiently, Gadora sanded each one to remove any knife marks, finishing with a smooth surface. 

4. It's best to stain the pieces individually rather than wait until the jewelry display is put together. Two coats of stain were applied, and allowed to dry sufficiently between coats.

5. To ensure the horizontal offshoots fit snug against the vertical base twig, Gadora cut a small notch into the larger stick... leaving just enough room to snug the pieces together.

6. Working from the bottom up, Gadora wound copper wire around each glued "joint" to add security and visual interest. (Key to making it pretty: work your wire magic on two separate twigs, practicing the best way to wrap the wire around your branches).

7. Hang some jewerly and you're done!

See the full tutorial HERE

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