Chair-y Chair-y Quite Contrary....Chapter Two: Great Legs & Jewelry Trees

So, if you recall in Chapter One of Chair-y Chair-y Quite Contrary, the old pink chair had a pair of turned front legs with perfectly pink chippy paint.  Great legs are a perfect start to a pretty little jewelry tree!

You will, however, need to collect a few other parts.  I've pulled together a few options, which may change as I start "playing".

You will need something for a base; round or square will do.  I like to use recycled lighting fixture or lamp parts.  Trophy bases and candlestick bases also work well.

Parts recovered from lamp shade frames are perfect for the jewelry holder part.  Knob backplates or smaller round decorative parts from deconstructed lamps work great for transitional pieces between the leg, and the finial.

I like to use decorative knobs and pulls for the finial.  

First, we have to deal with prepping the legs.  I had already sanded and waxed the chair with Fiddes Supreme Wax in Rugger Brown when I originally did the "first" pink chair rehab.  Now that the chair is deconstructed, I just need to cut the leg to remove the ends that are unattractive where rails use to attach to the leg.

My tool of choice for this job is a compound miter saw. Note:  I'm self-taught and definitely not an expert; so if you have a better tip please let me know.  It's difficult to make a straight cut on a turned leg.  In order to give myself a firm level surface, I shim the ends of the leg up to the "proudest" point in the leg with bits of scrap wood.  This gives me the most level surface before making my cut.  

Sometimes, when I make a cut on the "chop saw", there's a little bit that's left behind.  No worries, just sand that off.  Chances are it's not perfectly level using my "shim" method anyway and this gives me a chance to even everything out.

Jewelry trees, for me, are as much about visual composition as they are about construction.  After I've assembled "potential" parts, I start by attaching a base to the leg.  First, I have to decide which end of the leg is up.  This usually depends on the base I'm working with.  In this case, one of the bases worked best with the leg one direction, while the other fit best in the opposite direction.  

This is also something to consider when you decide where to cut your leg.  That's why it's important to assemble some potential parts ahead of time.

I line up my base to my leg and use the hole already in the base and mark that for my drill hole.  That may not necessarily be the true center of the leg so use the base as a guide.











Mark the center with a marker or an awl.  I like to use an awl because you can make the mark and a nice divot for the start of the hole that you will need to pre-drill.

Once you've marked your center, you can either pre-drill or attach the base using a self-tapping screw.  This is a screw that has a tip that looks like a drill bit.  It basically kills two birds with one stone.  The drill bit end drills the hole as the screw goes in.  What a great invention!


Attach the base using a washer and screw; either self-tapping or pre-drill first.



As you can see, I'm working on two jewelry trees at once.  I've changed direction of the leg and I'm using the two different available lamp shade frame styles.








This first one is from the type of lamp shade where the shade goes on the fixture and then the light bulb screws on after.  I just pull the little arms out of their sockets and flip them around making the whole thing flat.

This second one actually needs a little repair first.  This is simply the top of the lamp shade frame. As you can see, the original solder joint is broken.  I love it when you find something that has an obvious "make do with what you have" repair.  So, I've decided rather than to re-solder the joint, I'll use some old rusty recycled wire for my repair.



As you can see, I've pretreated this frame with rust activator and then a coat of sealer.

Next, I need some transition pieces between the leg and my finial.  These are necessary for a couple of reasons.  For the one with the large hole, I need something decorative to act as a large washer.  For this one with the smaller hole, I don't want to see the wood end of the leg.  That would look a little sloppy and unfinished.

This is always a case of trying a few things until you find something you like.  All my parts and pieces have been treated with rust activator to age them and then sealed with a clear spray sealer.  As you can see, every metal reacts a different way giving the piece it's own unique character.

Once I've decided on all my transition pieces and finial, I pre-drill a hole centered on the top of my leg to the appropriate depth depending on my finial.    I have to pre-drill because I'm using decorative drawer pulls as my finial and they are more like trying to screw a bolt into a hole.  You want the size  of the hole to be large enough that you can screw the finial in but small enough for it to grip.  Also, don't drill the hole too deep or you won't be able to tighten it down.

Once you have it together, you can add hooks or not.  If you choose to add hooks, you can hang a necklace on one side and the matching earrings on the other.  These hooks were made from recycled construction staples that I bent using pliers.  They are not necessary, just another idea.

And there you have it, one-of-a-kind jewelry trees.


The one on the right already sold before I could get this posted.  The one on the left is available.  It stands 13" tall and is 8" from arm to arm.

Price:  $24.00 THIS ITEM HAS SOLD

Listed on Etsy.  To purchase, click on the Etsy Button at the top of the blog.

If you are local and don't want to pay shipping, let me know prior to making the purchase and I can make the necessary adjustment.

Thanks for stopping by....until next time!

Oops, I almost forgot....here's what I did with the back of the pink chair....it's used for displaying jewelry out at Pomar Junction.  Just another idea for you to borrow.

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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