Hanging Jewelry Box Tutorial

So it's been a few weeks, but I'm back! I needed a jewelry box solution, and kept seeing some hanging boxes on Etsy that I loved, with no love for their $80 price tag. So off I went to make on of my own- and I kinda love how it turned out!

Hanging Jewelry Box- DIY (finished product)

Cost: Roughly $20, cheaper if you have some of the materials already.
Time: 2 hours (6 hours total with hands-off time)
DIY level: Beginner

Materials needed:
2 bamboo cutlery trays- (2 X $7 at Walmart)
It's truly this simple
Scrap Wood backing panel (whatever you can get cheap at Home Depot)- $1
scrap-booking/decor paper (optional)- had at home
spray paint- $3
nails (the smallest you can find)- had at home
Bamboo skewers (like you grill with)- 2- (had at home, could buy package for a $1)
hammer
Picture frame backings (2)- $2
Mod Podge or Hot Glue (whatever you have)
Gorilla/Crazy Glue (whatever you have)

Step 1:
Choose your favorite spray paint color and get going! I think a gloss is nice, but it's up to you. This took me three coats. It said instant dry, but I gave it 3 hours in the sun. Did the trick!


Step 2:
Hot Glue the sides of the bamboo trays together. This is not actually going to hold them together forever, but it will be easier to deal with later on (trust me on this). For visual effect, I did not line them up- but its up to you to lay out the boxes as you wish. This could look pretty neat "Stacked" as well for a long vertical panel.

Step 3:
Nail the backing board to the back of the now-glued trays.  HINT: Home depot has scrap wood- just ask where to get it. Then ask them to cut the size you need. First cut is free, then 50 cents for the 2nd. Pay the 50 cents.... trust me. Use small nails and try to hammer them in along the sides. If you're an Ikea DIYer like myself- do what you always do there. For the others, try to nail about 1cm from the edge of the board, all around. Use about 10 nails.

Step 4:
Cut out lining paper for some visual effect! Use whatever wrapping/scrap-keeping, etc paper you have lying around the house. Measure the length of your inner-trays, and subtract 1 cm on width and length, so that you aren't battling the DIY gods on getting the paper to fit. You should have 10 strips- 8 longer pieces, and 2 that are slightly wider. Mine were roughly 8.5" X 2.25", but each tray could be slightly different.

 Step 5: Lightly mod podge each strip- one strip at a time, and GENTLY lay in your tray. Use your fingers to pat down the corners.

Then, if you want a "glossy effect" on your paper to match your glossy spray paint, mod-podge the top of the paper with two very thin layers, and let dry (10 minutes).



Step 6:
Here's where I kinda feel like a DIY genius (I may be new to this, but this was an AHAH! moment). Take 2 bamboo skewers, and cut off the pointy ends. Take time not to cut too much, just keep cutting little by-little until the skewer JUST fits into the larger cutlery section- this is where your earrings will go! Making sure you have the jewelry box the direction it will hang, use Gorilla Glue (hot glue or crazy glue should also work), and just gum up the outside of your skewers so there is no way they will fall. Let dry 10 minutes.

Step 7:
Nail in nails to use as "hooks." BE CAREFUL, the wood may split, as this is, after all, cheap bamboo. Mix it up a bit- you can see in the pic above, sometimes I put 2 nails in a tray, in others only 1. After all, this is YOUR project, so YOU do what YOU want.

Step 8:
Either put in hooks and wire, or buy 2 picture-frame backers to hang your jewelry box. Attach according to instructions provided on whatever you choose. And then hang!

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