Free Tutorial: Frame It Earring Display

"Art consists of limitation...the most beautiful part of every picture is the frame."

~ G.K. Chesterton

This is a super simple display idea that anyone can accomplish. Even me! Without the use of power tools (although that might have sped things along...).

Materials:

Pictures frames
L brackets
Screws
Washers
Screw eyes
Beading wire or fishing line
Crimps
Crimp tool, pliers, scissors
Orange juice*

Steps:
a::I was drinking a glass of orange juice* and pondering what I might use to cleverly display earrings for my show. If you are like me you have old picture frame moldings lying around, sometimes in plain site. I picked up these black frames on clearance a few years ago. They are meant to go on the front of some digital photo frame to make it look less...well, digital. I just liked the detail and could see the potential. But you could find them at a garage sale, or while shopping in your basement. Paint them or distress them or leave them as they are!

b:: I wanted them to be free standing, so I knew I would need a trip to the hardware store. I picked up some L-brackets and screw eyes.

c::Screw the brackets into the back of the frame about an inch from the bottom. No power tools were necessary, as the wood/resin is plenty soft. Just mark your holes and push the tip of the screw in to start the hole otherwise you will be cursing the first 6 times your screwdriver slips and you bang your fingers.

d::When you bust through the front of your frame marring the wood, swear a few times, slam your tools. Walk away and have that sip of orange juice(*vodka optional). When you come back search through the junk drawer to find some washers (plastic, metal...whatever. Even wadded up chewing gum would work.) You just want to make sure that the other screws don't pop through. Push the wood that is marred back into place and color with your nearest black Sharpie (and at my house there is always one nearby.)

e::See? It sits at a slight angle. I did this so that when it is on the table it will be easier to see. If you want to put them flush to the bottom that would work too, but I was worried they would be easier to tip over that way. (I know because that is what I did on the first one and smashed a pair of earrings before I pulled the screws out and started over. Drank a little orange juice* then, too.)

f::Next, I screwed in a series of screw eyes into the inside of the frame. Cup hooks would also work, but these eyes are closed (!) so there is no way the wire will fall off. I started with two at the top and two at the bottom. After about the 6th one, I realized that if I used the pointiest screw I could find to make a sort of pilot hole, screwing it in just a tad and then pulling it out, that it worked much smoother because that little screw eye is the tiniest thing and these man-hands of mine couldn't navigate them. That and smacking my forehead when I realized I could use the heftiest pliers I had lying around to hold the little buggers (note to self: bring your needle nose pliers next time). Sip some more juice.*

g::I wanted to use some fishing wire, but since we are not fisher-people in my family I didn't have anything like that. But I did have some brass colored beading wire that I was never going to use, so I crimped it on one end and stretched it VERY tightly across the frame and crimped it on the other side. (If it was a bit wonky, or the line was saggy or I didn't screw them in just right, it must be the o.j.* talking. ;-)

h::Did you all notice that I added another wire behind the middle of the earring cards? Yea. I thought you would spot that. I did that because otherwise the cards would be tilted backward in the display and I wanted them flat to be seen better. This is where having invisible fishing line would have worked like a charm. The bonus is that if I choose to use this without my earring cards, then I can use the smaller section to hang shorter earrings and the longer section to hang longer earrings. Does that make any sense? (Or am I slurring my words now?)

i::Et voila! I love it! (Celebrate with more orange juice*!)

Oh. I know. Now you are going to ask me how I get my earring cards to hang on there just so. I was afraid you would ask me that. You can read my tutorial on how to make your own earring cards from postcards like mine (okay, not just like mine. Make them like yours but use the tute to get the skinny on how I made them!)


Here is a source for the adhesive backed earring card adapters that I have not tried, but is very reasonable (I might have to go and order some myself!): Jewelry Displays and Boxes

What is the best jewelry packaging idea that you have done, seen or imagined?