Bedroom Accents -- Part 3 How to Make An Earring Frame

Hi and welcome to Part 3 of the Bedroom Accents Series! If you've missed Part 1 you can read it here, and Part 2 is available here. I have taken you with me on my train of creative thought in this series, and you're about to see the grand finale!

• I needed a new organization system for my jewelry.
• I was inspired to create with the colors {orange}, {gray}, and {brown}.

These two factors combined led me to create an Earring Frame!

For this project you will need:

• An Empty Frame
• Paint                   
• Sandpaper          
• Ribbon               
• Fabric                
• A Staple Gun     
• An Iron              
• A Tape Measure

 Let me show you how it was created!

 I'm SO sorry that I forgot to take a picture of this frame before I painted it. It started out as a yellow-gold color. I bought it at the local Salvation Army. 

I used glossy brown spray paint to give the frame a quick coat.

I wasn't too worried about getting a thick coat or giving it a second coat, because I knew I would be sanding the frame later. If a little of the gold was showing through, that's okay because it went with the theme of the project. 

I let the frame dry over-night and started sanding the next day. I took 400 count sandpaper and worked the edges. I also used the edge of a razor to scrape some of the paint off and then sanded over the top. Basically just adding some wear and tear to the frame was the goal. I wanted some of the old gold paint to
show through. 

The next step is to staple a wire mesh screen into the frame. I bought mine at a home improvement store in a long roll.  You'll want to cut a section just large enough to cover your frame.

 You want to staple your screen down into your frame. If you staple it to the very back of the frame you won't have room for the earring backs to hang because it will be against the wall. Be sure to pull the screen taut as you staple so you won't have any sagging.






Once you have the screen tightly stapled to the frame, you want to cut off the excess edges. Be careful when you're working with this screen, because the little metal edges are sharp! It is probably a good idea to wear gloves. If you are worried about little metal pieces getting onto your floor you should do this outside or have a drop cloth down.

 After you have your screen stapled into your frame, you want to measure across the side you want to be the top. You need to mark the places you want to staple your ribbon. My ribbon is stapled at 4 inches in on both sides.

The location of your ribbon will depend on the size of your frame. Just try to find an equal distance in from both sides.

Next, you'll want to staple your ribbon onto the frame in those marked locations. I recommend not cutting your ribbon until after you have stapled it down. This way, you can hold the frame up and see what length looks and functions the best!

 I used two ribbons, so I stapled the brown one first and then the orange one. Make sure to get the ribbon nicely secured since all the weight of the frame and earrings will be suspended here.

You could stop at this point and have a great earring frame. I wanted to put fabric on the back of mine. I wanted gray fabric, but the store did not have any. Instead I bought a gray twin flat sheet for $4 and used only a fraction of it for this project. (money saving tip!)

 Cut your fabric to fit the back of your frame and iron any wrinkles out. You'll want to pull the fabric tight as you staple.

Make sure to reinforce your corners well so you don't have to deal with loose fabric later on. 

You want to tie your ribbon in either a knot or a bow, and you're ready to hang it on the wall!

 

You can now hang your earrings on the screen! You can experiment and hang them in all kinds of ways. Some of my earrings I hung side by side and others I staggered a little (like the gold ones pictured above). 

Check out the final product! I hope you'll try this project. It was so much fun and I {LOVE} the way it looks on the wall in our room. You can really experiment with different frame sizes, painting and texture techniques, fabric and ribbon. - -Happy Crafting! - -

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