Shabby Chic Jewelry Organizer

One of the things I love about art and handmade items is that those things always reflect a little bit of their creators.  So when I make something and give it away to someone I love, I’m also giving them a little piece of myself.

It just so happens that I’m most definitely not the only crafter in my family.  Several of my family members are very good at making things with their hands…my paternal grandfather was one of them.  His particular interest was woodworking.  He passed away when I was a freshman in college, shortly before my husband and I started dating. 

I regret that he never knew hubby, didn’t get to attend my wedding, and never met our sweet Little Crafter.  But he did leave behind a few treasures for me.  One is a handmade paper towel holder I use in my kitchen every day.  Another is something my mom recently gave me; a jewelry holder he made.  As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for organizing and storing my jewelry, and I also knew I wanted to make it turquoise to go along with my bedroom decor.  I was a little hesitant to paint it at first and change what he had done, but really, I think in a way it’s kind of like we each used our own skills and we made it together…about ten years apart.

JEWELRY ORGANIZER

Here’s a “before” picture; this is how it looked when my mom gave it to me.  I love how many pegs it has and how they’re at different heights.

I don’t really have much of a tutorial to share; all I did was lightly sand it, then give it two coats of turquoise paint.  I mixed the shade myself using aqua and white so that it would coordinate with my night table.  Once it dried, I used sandpaper to distress it lightly.  I’m getting better at it…this piece almost distressed itself.  I just ran the sandpaper on edges and corners and it just did what came naturally.
Then, it was time to add my jewelry.  Chunky beads on one side, stamped necklaces on another, long ones in the back, bracelets on the fourth side…it doesn’t hold everything I own, but it definitely has plenty of room for everything I wear often.
One of the really fun things about organizing everything was just noticing how much of my frequently worn jewelry came to me from sweet friends I’ve made in the blogging world!  If you look closely at the pictures, you’ll see:
a fabric bracelet from Hilani {Handmade by Hilani}
a Blessed necklace AND a stamped “Grow Strong” necklace from Carmella {Creative Carmella}
a stamped “love you to the moon and back” necklace made by Blythe {Desperate Craftwives}
ribbon and pearl necklaces from Valerie {boogaboo handmade}
I just love that!

I also love that everything is so easy to see and choose from now!  Yay for organization.

Now, every day, I have something that’s both useful and beautiful that reminds me of its creator…special, indeed.
Happy Crafting!

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26 Comments

  1. I love the way it turned out…and Pop-Pop would love that you were using it…
    I liked the idea of the two of you working on it “together”…He would have loved Dan and LC…

  2. I love this because it is beautiful and I love the color. But, I love that you have something that your Grandfather made and were able to change it so you will use it everyday and think of him! There is no better tribute you could give to someone you love. It is nice that it helps you to be able to see all your lovely jewelry without it seeming cluttered and unorganized. Enjoy!

  3. ooh this is exactly what I need. I’ve been trying to figure out some jewelry storage stuff and something tall to put on the table by my bed this is awesome. Now to figure out how to make one 🙂

  4. I love this!! I really like how the turquoise sets off the jewelry! I will be featuring it tomorrow at our party. Thanks for partying with us girl!:)

  5. that’s so sweet! i felt the same way right before i painted my great-grandma’s art deco dresser from the 40s. i think that it turned out lovely! thank so much for linking up to tip-toe thru tuesday!

  6. Excellent jewellery making designs. Trendy makeover which suits everyone. It is true that handmade really works well for more creative things. Keep going… Looking for more collections!

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