Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Week 9: DIY Jewelry Holder

This week my project was to create something using items from a hardware store. I created a jewelry holder using wooden pallet pieces, copper pipe fittings, teal wood stain, and some E-6000 glue.

I went to the hardware store and was full of inspiration after the first couple of aisles. But when I got to the aisle of copper pipe fittings, I just couldn't stop thinking about them! So rich in colour, so pretty, so shiny and not too expensive either. Most of the pieces I bought were less than $1. But what to make with them?

















Once I found my way home from the store, I dug out a couple of pieces of pallet wood that we had stored in the garage.



I found 2 of the darkest, most rustic looking pieces I could find, and used the saw to chop them down to a reasonable size. I cut the boards between the rusty nails and wasn't too picky about making them the exact same length. Then I sanded the pieces down a bit - I didn't want them to be smooth at all, but just enough to get rid of the splintery-pokey-outy bits.




















Next, I used a couple scrap pieces of MDF and screwed them on to the back of my pallet pieces to hold it all together.




















Once it was in one piece, I went outside to stain it.  I was delighted to complete this step outside on a beautiful sunny day and it was only -4 degrees! Plus, the wood stain can cautioned me to work in a well ventilated area to avoid lead poisoning. Yikes!

I was so pleased to find this lovely small can of teal wood stain in the 'oops' section for just $1. I did a really light coat and made sure not to cover the wood completely.

After generously allowing a few hours of drying time, I arranged my copper pieces the way I wanted them. I used E-6000 to connect the copper to the wood and there is no chance of them falling off anytime soon. I piled a couple of pennies to add depth to one piece, but the glue was not the best at keeping the copper-to-copper parts together - I had to re-glue them.




















Once the glue was holding tightly, I hung it on my wall and bam! A colourful spot to hang my jewelry.


What I enjoyed the most: I sure did have a fun time at the hardware store. An older gentleman employee approached me to ask if I needed help and I wasn't sure how he would react to: "I'm doing an art project and I'm not sure what direction to take yet." But he was great and offered lots of tips and ideas. Plus, now I've got a few ideas tucked away for next time!

Next time I would... Not use cheap screws! That one simple step took way too long!

3 comments:

Brandi said...

When inspiration and creativity hit you at the same time, a masterpiece is in the making! And this is definitely how your project turned out, as it is both beautiful and functional. Also, it was a nice touch using the copper pipe fittings, they really look great and even add a vintage appeal. Two thumbs up!

Brandi Bradley @ Rotax Metals

Unknown said...

nice post .thanks for sharing step by step information.good idea.i appreciate your talent and creativity.

Naveed Mughal said...

Superbly written article, if only all bloggers offered the same content as you, the internet would be a far better place..
wholesale valves

Post a Comment