Jewelry Duty: Inspired by Jury Duty?

So, this last week or so I've been slow on posting....As you know, I've been cleaning my workshop.  While I was cleaning, I found a piece from the back of a broken chair that I had started painting awhile back.  I didn't know what I was going to do with it but I had an idea when I had jury duty this week.  Jury duty sort of sounds like jewelry duty....and since I like making jewelry displays; why not!

I always hang on to scraps that have an interesting shape, even if I have no idea what I'm going to do with them.

Then, when I'm painting on a project and have a little leftover paint in the pan, I'll pull out some of those scrap parts and throw some paint on them.  Sometimes, they get several layers of paint before I get an inspiration.  In this case, this old chair back had a layer of green.  Then, a little leftover wash from my  Chair-y Chair-y Quite Contrary post.

After a little sanding, it actually became the inspiration for a lesson on How To Fix A Bad Sanding Job.
Since I haven't written that post yet, here it is:

 Here's what happened:  I use a palm sander.  When you're sanding off paint, it gets clogged up on the sandpaper (at least this is my theory on why this happens).  Anyway, you start getting this unattractive skipping pattern; not good.

The fix is to take a little sandpaper and hand-sand those areas smooth.

You could always go back with more paint if you don't want that much exposed wood.  But, since I didn't know what this project would turn into, I decided to leave it as it was and this is what I was left with.


Then, I just finish it with a little Fiddes Supreme Wax in Rugger Brown.

So, now we're to my week of jury duty.  On day two, I was called to a trial and "excused for cause" so I got to go home early and work in my "sort of cleaned-up" workshop.  After all, I deserve to have a little fun before I have to get back to the cleaning....right?

I always thought this chair back reminded me of one of those framed silhouettes and it really needed to be mounted on something and framed.



I found an old frame that was the right size and a piece of old recycled backer board that was "almost the right size"....yeah!  an excuse to use the table saw:)

 I could paint the backer board but I liked the idea of a pattern so I found this leftover wallpaper from my mother-in-law that I had been holding onto.  The bit of green was just the right color for my chair back.



When I ran out of Cam Tack on my last project, I decided to try this 3M product called Super 77 I found on one of my many trips to OSH.
It worked similar to the Cam Tack and was perfect to adhere the vinyl wallpaper to the backer board.

The frame I found had been shuffled around the workshop for awhile so it was pretty banged up.














A little sanding with a medium grit sanding sponge gave the frame a nice even distressing.

 The rustic brown frame is going to balance the exposed wood on the chair back nicely so I decide to just use the same wax on the frame for a quick finish.

It's a quick brush on....

...and wipe off.

This is so easy;  all I have to do is give it a quick buff with a clean cloth and it's ready to go all shiny and new.

Now, it's time for assembly.

This is where clamps come in handy...what did I ever do without them?












Once I get the silhouette centered and clamped, I screw it on from the back side making sure to use a short enough screw that it won't pop through the front.

Now I need to mount the backer board into the frame.  This is when I wish I were a professional picture framer and knew all their tricks.

After taking the broken glass out of so many old windows, I decided glazing points would be a sturdy way to mount backer board for things like chalkboards and bulletin boards so I decide to use them here as well.

 I'm not even sure if this is how you're supposed to install glazing points because I've never worked in a glass shop either, but it seems to work okay.  I take a large screwdriver and just push the glazing point into the frame.  Then I use a tack hammer and just tap it the rest of the way in.

After that, I hammer the ends down flat.

I approach this like I do an upholstery project; start with one glazing point in the center of each of the four sides.  Then, I add one about an inch or so from each corner.  That's enough for the short ends but then I add more to the long sides between the center and the corner.  This should hold everything together just fine.


If I were a professional framer, I'd have some nice brown paper to glue to the back to make it look pretty, but I'm not, and I don't, so I'll just use a little masking tape to cover all the things that might scratch a wall.

 Next, I want to add the hanging hardware to the back.  While this is normally a last step, for this project I need to do everything that goes on the back first because I'm going to use cup hooks on the front that stick out so I don't want to have to work on the back after I have all those attached.

When I'm making something that's going to hang on the wall and needs to be sturdy, I like to use two D rings.  You buy them according to the weight of whatever you're hanging.  The small one would probably be fine for this project but I only had one small ring so I'm using two large ones instead.

I usually mount the D rings 4-6 inches from the top of the frame.  For a frame this thin, I decide to use only the bottom screw hole so that the D ring can be turned into the frame so that when it's hung on the wall it won't show from the side of the frame.

I need something to hang the jewelry on, so  I use brass cup hooks.  You used to be able to find real brass cup hooks that would age to a nice patina.  The new ones are really shiny and a cheap metal that may or may not really be brass.  You can leave them that way if you like, but I like a more rustic look so I use a little rust activator and get the aging process going.  This could take a couple of days so don't wait until the last minute.

After they've rusted, be sure to spray several coats of sealer on the hooks since you are going to be hanging your jewelry on them.  Although I've never had any problem, if you feel you may have any metal sensitivities, please use your own discretion.

 I'm going to do two rows of hooks offset by half an inch.  I used a ruler lined up along the bottom edge of the top of the chair silhouette and made a mark with an awl an inch apart.


 Then, I lined the ruler along my awl marks and made a new mark a half inch to each side of my bottom mark.

 It's important to pre drill all your holes before trying to screw in the cup hooks.  Choose the right size drill bit and make a mark with blue tape to the depth you want to drill your hole.  If you drill it too deep, it won't be strong enough and if you don't drill it deep enough, you make risk breaking off the cup hook as you're trying to screw it down tight.

The two rows at the top can hold lots of necklaces and I added a row at the bottom that would work well for earrings, rings or bracelets.

And there you have it...ready for jewelry duty!

P.S.  For those people who have said they wish they could spend a day in my head....this one's for you....

So, as I was playing with the title Jewelry Duty/Jury Duty, I had a lightbulb moment...the chair back silhouette looked like the scales of justice without the scales.  I had just the thing!  I've been hanging onto this cut glass dish that I had broken...almost in half.  What perfect scale dishes!  A couple of eye hooks and some old rusty chain and I think it looks like the scales of justice?!?

Okay, so I had to stop myself....although the dishes would be great for rings and bracelets, I wasn't sure I would be able to attach the bowls to the backer board that was already covered in wallpaper and have it be solid enough to hold any weight.  I didn't want to risk messing up my finished project. :(

I've been invited to speak at a ladies luncheon in Salinas tomorrow and I'll be taking this project with me for show and tell.  If it makes it back with me, I will post it for sale on Sunday.

Overall dimension:  17 1/2" x 21 1/2"

$42

I just checked out Funky Junk Interior's Friday Night Link Party.  This weekend it's all about table runners.  I linked this Jewelry Duty post under the Home Decor category but hope to think up some clever table runner to add to the Themed Party before time runs out!  You should check it out for some great ideas.  She has the best blog!....something to aspire to....

Vintage Stair Spindle Projects Part Deux: Jewelry Trees

Remember these? ... Well, to recap, I chose four with the longest square tops for a little table.  Refer to my last post for instructions.

I had a few more spindles and decided to make one of my top-sellers...jewelry trees.

I went on Etsy and didn't see any jewelry trees like this so I'm thinking they will  be one of my first items to list for sale....I also did not see any jewelry like mine; which is good because that is also something I was hoping would be perfect for my shop.  I'm working on my new Etsy store, AJunkersJournal.  You can find me at www.etsy.com/people/sherrispear for a teaser.   I hope to be open soon.


Back to the project at hand:

1.  Cut the spindle to length leaving a square end if you can because it provides a sturdier base.

2.  I loved the original paint on the spindle so I finished it by lightly sanding and adding a coat of Fiddes Supreme Wax.

3.  For the base, I used a recycled piece of marble that already had a recessed hole in the center.  Sometimes you can find these from an old lamp or trophy.  You can also use something round.  I collect lamps just to deconstruct for projects like this.  I simply pre-drilled a small hole in the bottom of the spindle and used a large screw and washer to attach it to the base from underneath.

4.  The large ring on top is from a deconstructed lamp shade.  I don't like my metal parts to look new so I use rust patina from Modern Masters.   I always seal them with a coat of polyurethane to prevent further deterioration.

5.  In this case, I attached the lamp ring to the spindle using a vintage white porcelain knob that already had a hole in it.  The screw that comes with the knob may or may not be the right length.  This is where the scavenging begins...or continues as the case may be.  Hunting through my shop is half the fun...one of the biggest rewards from this challenge is being able to find everything I need without a trip to the hardware store...but, I like any excuse to run to Habitat For Humanity; you never know what you might find there.

6.  If you've been following me at all you'll have figured out by now that I'm a detail-oriented person.  I don't want to see the cut end of my spindle or be able to really tell that the metal ring is from a lamp.  Also, I like things that spin (or roll, which explains my affinity for casters).  This means I need a transition piece.  Again, I keep a good stock of lamp parts which work well for this type of project.  However, in this case,  I'm using another well-stocked item from my shop...doorknob parts.  This door escutcheon is the perfect compliment to the porcelain knob.

Note:  Not everything looks good with everything...but it's sure to look good with something.  It's really a "try this" and "try that" until it pleases "your" eye.  Always remember...beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  When it's right you'll know it.  Sometimes I'll get halfway through a project and then it sits around until the right part comes into my life...which it always eventually does...(like my husband).  I had to put that in there because until just a few minutes ago he'd never actually read my blog.  As he was reading my profile, at every phrase he would add "like my husband".  It gave us the giggles but I think now it really fit.  :)  And yes, he approved this paragraph and said now he's famous.

7.  Okay, my final note just to help you understand the level of my madness...or as I like to put it..."nothing" wasted.  The "S" hooks and double hooks to the left were actually made from staples I removed while deconstructing an old picket fence.  After a good cleaning and coat of sealer for obvious safety reasons, I bent them into "S" hooks for the jewelry trees; perfect for necklaces.  The double hooks keep a necklace and earring set together.

Once I ran out of staples, I had to come up with another idea for hooks for my trees....but I'll save that for another post...until then, happy hunting.

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Vintage Stair Spindle Projects: Small Side Table

Okay, so if you're at all like me, you go to vintage shows or shops selling architectural pieces and you see bins of turned spindles and legs with old paint and you just have to have them even though you have no idea what you'll do with them....sound familiar?

I know you're out there....well, here's one obvious idea that's a pretty quick simple project.

1.  First, assemble your collection of spindles and find four that match.  I chose four spindles that had at least 4 or 5 inches of square at one end to attach the table skirting.

2.  Trim the chosen four to equal lengths.  Since my spindles were going to be legs, I trimmed the bottom square part of the spindle completely off so it would look like a leg.

3.  I  liked the blue color and decided to keep it; but the spindles needed to be cleaned up.  I sanded them a bit to expose a little of the original white primer and natural wood.  Then I used Fiddes Supreme Wax for a quick easy finish.


4.  I dug through my scrap pile for some table skirting.  Obviously, I chose the legs and skirting on the left.  When I'm photographing, I don't always know what I'll be using to finish my project...after all, I'm just winging it!

5.  When using scrap wood, the length of your boards pretty much determines the size of your table.  I cut two longer pieces and two shorter so that my table would be rectangle.  Considering the length of my scrap, if I had cut four equal pieces I would have ended up with more of a plant stand.

6.  When I'm using salvaged materials for a project and decide to leave some parts their original color (in this case, the legs), I don't try to match the paint.  Instead, I just embrace the differences.  It's makes it look intentional instead of trying to match and miss.  One trick to pulling it all together is to finish all the pieces using the same technique.  With this in mind, I slightly sanded my white skirting boards and waxed them with the same Fiddes Supreme Wax.

7.  Time to pull out one of my favorite tools, the Kreg Jig.  I simply adjust the collar on the drill bit depending on the thickness of the wood.  This will ensure the hole is at the correct depth.

8.  Then just clamp the piece of wood into the jig and drill two holes on each end to attach the skirting to the leg.  I also drill several holes along the top edge to attach the table top from underneath.





9.  If you don't have a Kreg Jig, you can always drill holes in the skirt ends and  legs.  Then dowel and glue the base together.   If you're a project person like me, a Kreg Jig is well worth the investment!

10.  When I attach the skirt to the leg, I use a stir stick or some scrap that's about 1/8"-1/4" thick and set that under my skirt wood as a guide so that the skirting is set back from the edge of the leg and will be consistent on each attachment.  It's much easier than measuring and then trying to keep it there while screwing the joint.  Add a little wood glue to the end before screwing for  a nice strong joint.

11.  Once the base is together,  I can determine the size top I need.  I cut a piece of scrap shelving that happened to be the right width and then used my router to give it a nice finished edge.  If you don't have a router you can simply sand the edge to the desired softness.

12.  I waxed the top with Fiddes Supreme Wax in Rugger Brown to tie my three different colored parts together.

13.  Then, to attach the top to the base, simply add a little wood glue to the top edge of the base and screw the top on from underneath where the holes were pre-drilled in the skirting.

...and there you have it.  A cute little side table made from stair spindles and scrap wood.

...next time....a less obvious project using the same vintage stair spindles...since I have four more:)