My new jewellery storage!

I have been busy the last few weeks. Alot of sitting working on the laptop which is good but at the same time, I need to have regular breaks and be doing stuff! Anyway I have been painting and doing a few random bits around the flat, and I finally got around to doing a job I have had in mind for a while; I transformed a picture frame into a jewellery storage/display piece. I have seen it done a few times, and you can even buy some nice enough ones from eBay and whatnot, but anyone who knows me knows that I like to get my hands dirty and crafty head on!

I love the fact that I live near a few different charity shops as I am always finding super cool, super cheap (and often vintage) bargains! A while back I found a HUGE wooden picture frame which I bought for next to nothing, so last night I removed the back and the glass (which I recycled!). I sanded and whitewashed the wooden frame, then using a staple gun attached on the reverse some very fine black mesh material that i got from the market. I then backed it with a sheeny pink type paper and hey presto! It looks great I am happy with it - I can finally see my shiny things! Oh, I also used some pink cotton ties to hang it with.

Full shot of the frame

Mesh and whitewash detail

Jewellery in all it's glory!

It's actually not even finished, I want to do a bit more work distressing the frame (which you'll see I love to do when I upload more DIY project pics) and also the backing paper is temporary - I'd like to find some really nice fabric and use that instead.

My sister has just moved out of home and in with her boyfriend, and she has a birthday coming up. I am thinking of making a smaller one for earrings, it would be a fab gift for her!

Finally - another cheap and cool piece of DIY: Ages and ages ago I picked up some tiny square 3D frames (again at the charity shop) 75p for 3! I just very quickly sanded and washed the frames as I did for the project above, although this time I kept the frame back and stapled some left over vintage rose fabric to it (left over from a chair I re-upholstered (using an apron - but that's another story!)) They look really cute (but upon showing them to Hans, I don't think they were to his taste! A bit too girly :) I added them to another second-hand find (a small shelf) that I had distressed. They are sitting pretty now on my bedroom wall along with a dried rose - I kept the rose from the flowers Hans gave me on our first date, so it's nice and sentimental for me too!

The little shelf and rose

A closer look at the fabric frames (I love the fabric!)

An even closer close-up! You can see the lovely 'shabby chic'
effect you get from distressing the painted wood.

So, anyway - very happy with those little bits of DIY, and it's been good to get away from the screen occasionally. I intend on refurbishing my desk soon as it has a huge ink stain on top - so when I get around to it I'm going to do a proper 'how to' with before and after and everything, so watch this space!