Necklace Display Tutorial...

 Yesterday I worked on making some displays for my jewelry and I thought I would share a little tutorial on how you can make you own fancy necklace display.

 1. Draw a design for your display on a sheet of 8"x10" paper. Fold the paper in half to cut out your design (just like you would a paper heart) so that both sides match.
 *If you want to design your own, consider putting in notches or dips on the "shoulders" so that the necklaces don't slide off. Or you can print the pattern below to fit a single sheet of paper.

2. Trace design onto thin 1/4" cabinet grade plywood or any material you have on hand. (it could even be thick cardboard) and cut out using a scroll saw or jig saw. (be sure to follow all safety precautions for your machinery)

 3. Paint your pieces, starting with the edges, then the front and let dry.

 4. After the paint has dried, lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper, I used 200 grit.

 5. Paint a second coat and let dry.

(I'm using Behr porch and floor paint, just because I already had it on hand and I want everything to match my studio, but you can use any paint you like)

6. Glue on purchased wood appliques. Use wood glue if you like, (I used Beacon 3-in-1 craft glue and it worked just fine and dries super fast) Then paint over them. Let dry.

 7. Okay, deep breath, some of you are going to cry out NOOOOO, but it's a necessary evil. LOL. I've had this old spool for a long time, got it at a yard sale years ago and it's just been sitting and sitting, so I decided to use it in a project. Hold your breath....

 7a. Cut the top off of the spool, either with a hand saw or power saw. It's important to cut the top off horizontally first so that you can get your angle cut next.

 I held the display board up next to the spool to decide how far I wanted it angled and marked the spool with a pencil on the side.

7b. Then I cut the angle with a hand saw.

8. Checking to make sure the angle is correct before proceeding. A dry run.

9. Prop the bottom of the spool so that the angle lies flush with the display board and glue with

E-6000 or wood glue. Make sure you measure side to side to make sure it's in the middle. Look at it from different angles to be sure it is straight and so you won't have a tilted board when it's done. If you feel you need to you can tape it with masking tape to prevent it from sliding around.

(once the glue is dry you can paint the back if you wish, just wait till after you glue your pieces together so they get a tight bond.)

10. I don't have a picture of the next steps but I will explain...

10a. dry brush white acrylic paint over the appliques and the edges of the board and let dry.

10b. Mix dark brown acrylic paint with water and brush on then quickly wipe away with a damp rag to create an antiqued effect. Let dry.

Now hang your necklaces and get ready to sell in style or just display your favorites at home.

This and 3 more only took me a few hours total time not including drying time.

I hope you like it.

Have fun!