Inspired way to display earrings

06 Dec 2014
DIY, Repurposed
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I’ve been rushing around to quickly make items to add to the shop both online and brick and mortar, and I had wanted another way to use up a lot of the paint chips I had laying around from my design business after working with clients.  I had already used some paint chips in wall art,(see my other post about the kite wall art), but I wanted to try something different that I hadn’t tried before, and that was jewelry.  Now, I’ve used paper in jewelry before here and there, recycling cereal boxes and butter tubs, but not paint chips.  So, with a handful of paint chips, rubber stamps, old postage stamps and beads, I started making some earrings.

I started with earrings, for I have never been able to wear all those beautiful dangle earrings and big bulky earrings, for the holes in my ears were placed too low and they are just too heavy to wear comfortably.  After I made my first paint chip pair of dangle earrings and tried them on…I was elated for it didn’t feel like I had anything in my ears!  This has opened up a whole new world for me!

So, here I was producing all these earrings, and I thought, how was I going to display them at the shop that would be creative, and fun, and warrant the quirky “ingredients” of these earrings?  For some reason, a lampshade popped into my head…yes, I could strip off the fabric, wire sections across the frame where I could clip the earrings to…brilliant…I love inspirations!

I just so happened to have an old floorlamp in my shed that I was one day going to rewire that was not very tall..more like eye level…perfect again…I just wired the shade onto the floorlamp after removing the socket that the glass shade was glued to, and voila, a perfectly inspired way to display the earrings that doesn’t take up too much space.  It would also work in a bedroom as well, I would wire a mesh fabric around the lampshade frame then hang the earrings on it.  Makes a great looking shade, HA!  To receive posts via email click HERE Subscribe in a reader or sign up in subscription box in sidebar.

Inspired earring display

Inspired earring display

Changing up a dated dresser set

13 May 2014
Custom Design, DIY, Master Bedroom
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Seven years after I got married, and while my husband was out of State on a golfing trip, I thought it was time to give his bedroom set from before we were married, an updated look. I didn’t want to paint it, for I couldn’t make up my mind on the color, and I didn’t want to shock my husband too much upon his return.

Makeover Bedroom dresser Before

Light Oak colonial look before sanding.

So, I opted to stain the drawer fronts and change the hardware. I think the hardest part was getting the drawers out…they were tough little buggers!

Bedroom dresser drawer fronts sanded

During stages of sanding and staining dresser fronts

After sanding off the poly on the drawer fronts and wiping off the sawdust, I used some stain that I had on hand, and with a rag, rubbed on the darker color.

It was love at first sight! I loved the 2 tones and with the new hardware, it transformed the whole look. I let the first coat dry for several hours and applied the 2nd coat, then brushed on a matte poly.

Finished Stained Dresser

Dresser after drawer fronts stained with new hardware

Since the previous pulls were a size that was difficult to find, I chose to use 2 small round knobs in place of a pull, and really liked the look.

After tackling the dresser, I did the high boy chest, and the 2 night stands. I still have to figure out what to do with the bed headboard and footboard, but that will be another day. I’m just glad my husband liked the results of the dressers when he returned. 🙂  To receive posts via email click HERE Subscribe in a reader or sign up in subscription box in sidebar.