Pinterest is addicting!!: The Second

Before I found Pinterest, I found ETSY. I have a hard time getting through the site b/c there is so much, but I did find some really cool jewelry holders on there. So thought I would try to make those. I am including these on this blog b/c I have pinned it on my craft board on Pinterest...that counts right?

Here is my inspiration.

I showed the pictures to my dad and asked if he had any ideas on how I could make them. He suggested locust tree branches. They have HUGE thorns that would be good to hang the earrings from. Luckily they are plentiful in the upstate so we were able to get quite a few from my cousin's farm.

After getting them back to my dad's house, we put them in his shop to dry out for a few weeks. Meanwhile, I went to Goodwill and found a frame that I thought would work. I wish I had gotten a picture of it before I started (it had this really ugly picture of a horse on it circa 1985) but oh well. I took the back off the frame and took out the glass. Then I spray painted it white. Once it dried, I took some sandpaper and "roughed" it up a little bit.

I wanted it to look weathered. I did get a picture of this. What do you think? Does it look old?

Now it is time to put the locust branches on there. I tried to pick the interesting ones that had some shape to them. Oh, WARNING! If you do this project and you use locust branches, be really careful. The thorns are REALLY sharp. Before working with them, I made sure and cut the tips off. Well, my dad helped me cut the tips off. He is crafty in his own right! (But don't tell him I said that-doesn't sound that manly.)
After positioning the branches on the frame the way I wanted them, we cut off the extra thorns (there were way more than I needed and some made the branches lay wrong) and hot glued the branches into place. Then we hammered a picture hanger on the back. Here is my final product, hanging up in my dad's house.

I think it turned out neat!
Here it is when I got it back to my house. Oh, I did have to re-glue the branches on after getting back home. Riding in the car didn't work too well for them. But I have had it on the wall with quite a bit of jewelry on it and they have held up well.