Tutorial: How To Make A Picture Frame Jewelry Display

This week I made some new earring displays out of old picture frames.  This is not a new idea - you can find many similar DIY projects on Etsy, Pinterest and the like.  So of course, there are a number of variations and ways to do this, but I am sharing this tutorial on how I did it.




First, gather your supplies:

• Picture frame
• Plastic canvas netting (I found mine at Michael's)
• Card-stock paper
• Wire for making S-hooks
• Tools (scissors, round nose pliers, flat nose pliers, wire cutters)

The plastic canvas netting and card-stock are available in many colors - I used black to let the colors of my earrings "pop" against the dark color, but you can be creative and use any color you like!  

Take the back off your picture frame:

Cut your canvas netting and cardstock to fit the picture frame.  Use the cardboard or glass to use as a pattern to get the right size:

Then put the canvas netting first inside the picture frame, then the card-stock, then the glass back into the picture frame - I also used the two pieces of cardboard that came with the frame to fill in the empty space and help keep the netting rigid.  Frames will vary with what comes with them.

Close the back of the picture frame:

And here is what your display looks like:

Now you need to make the S-hooks for hanging your jewelry.  Here are the tools you will need:

Cut a piece of wire - I made my S-hooks using the black wire pictured above, but for this tutorial I have photographed using copper wire.  The length of wire depends on the size of the hook you want.  In general a 2 to 2 1/2 inch length works well:

Now grasp the wire with your round nose pliers:

Then bend the wire back toward you over the top part of the pliers:

Push the wire down to make the first part of the S-curve:

Now reverse the direction of the wire by turning it the other way. Grasp the straight end of the wire with the curved end downward still using your round nose pliers - place the pliers just above the end of the downward curved part of the wire:

Then push the wire upward over the end of your round nose pliers to form the second part of the S-curve:

I used my flat nose pliers to push and form the S-shape a bit better:

Cut off any excess wire to the size you want:

Voila!  Here is your finished S-hook.  You can use a file to remove any rough or pointed edges.

Next place your S-hooks onto the frame and Voila!  Here is what your display looks like:

Here is a picture of my finished frame displaying some of my earrings:

You can use any size frame you want.  This frame is a 5x7 but a larger one such as 8x10 or larger makes a great display for necklaces.  

I also found that the 16 gauge wire was a bit difficult to work with and the ends of the S-hooks would barely fit into the netting so I might consider using a lighter weight wire next time such as 18 gauge.

Do you have your own jewelry display you would like to share - or a tutorial on how to make one?  I'd love to see it and share it.  Contact me and I will be happy to share the link here on my Blog!