Necklaces and Earrings

I recently rearranged the studio and created a place to hang all of my in-progress necklaces. It really helps me to be able to see everything that I am working on so that things don't get lost and forgotten in drawers. Previously I just had nails embedded directly in the wall, but it can be problematic to have too many holes in the wall. It's also hard to change the placement of the nails if you want to adjust anything. So I came up with a solution that allows me to hang up all the necklaces I want, with fewer holes in the wall--you can see how I did it below.

Step 1. Measure

I made my jewelry rack 18" long. Of course, it can be longer or shorter according to your space and tastes.

Step 2. Cut

To cut my 2x4 (which is actually 2.5" x .75") I used a miter box and saw. These are relatively inexpensive and can be found at any hardware store. Make sure you cut with steady, even strokes and keep sawing until you are all the way through the wood so that you don't end up with a broken, jagged edge.

Step 3. Sand

After I cut the wood, I sanded down any rough edges or uneven places so that it would be smoother when I painted it.

Step 4. Drill

Next, I drilled holes into either side of the board. These are guide holes so that it can be easily screwed into the wall.

Step 5. Paint

I used Krylon water based spray paint, but you could really use any kind of paint, wood stain or sealer. I left the rack in my studio with a natural finish (you can see it in the photos under the shelves), but I wanted to paint this one blue.

Step 6. Mark and Nail

I marked out where each nail would be placed with a dot that was covered by the nail. I alternated the nails at a distance of .75" and 1" so that there would be nail 'pairs' that would be slightly closer together. I like to hang necklaces on more than one hook because sometimes the clasp can cause it to skew.

When you are hammering, make sure to hammer all of the nails in the same direction so that they don't look wonky when you are finished. Also, make sure that they are all embedded the same distance into the wood for an even line.

And there you have it, a shiny new rack for all your jewelry (or any kind of knicknacks that you want to hang). It can be screwed directly into a wall, but make sure you have the correct hardware for whatever material your house is made of. Our walls are plaster, so we place an anchor in the wall and then screw through the rack into the plastic anchor.

Enjoy!