You'll want to make sure you have all the supplies at hand because from my experience this simple project will turn into an all day ordeal if you don't. The picture frame you choose needs to be thick enough so that a cup hook will be able to screw through it without causing the wood to crack or warp. I used a black picture frame that was put away in the closet that had the vinyl lettering* already done for me, but i'm sure there are tons of you tube videos that could show you the steps to achieving this look if this is something you might want to do. Side note: The beauty of this project is that you can customize it to your liking so if you didn't want to use the vinyl lettering or the glass that is always an option and would still look just as cute.

Next I painted the frame with the two acrylic paints of my choosing (mixed the light blue/white with more light blue than white) and did my best to give it a distressed look which wasn't too hard considering the frame was black. I applied two coats of the paint so that I would have enough paint on the frame in order to use the sandpaper to give it that more rustic appeal. Once you have the frame looking how you want it, apply the polycrylic protective finish which will help to seal your finish. Although, it was a water based sealer it was still taking off some of my acrylic paint which wasn't terrible because it helped to give it more of that distressed look, but it may have been partly due to the brush I was using as it was more of a thicker bristle so be careful while applying it depending on the look you are going for. Let it dry for 30 minutes to an hour before moving on to the next step.

# 3

Next I did the earring holder by cutting off a long enough piece of the jewelry wire in order to have some excess to wrap around the thumb tacks. I used a measuring tape to make sure the tacks lined up but this part is really simple once you know where you want the tack just push it in far enough to stay but leaving enough space to wrap your wire around it a few times before hammering it all the way into place. You will need to make sure your wire is straightened and pulled taut before securing the other end which is done the exact same way as the first, once done cut away the excess wire. Next I got some gold nail polish* and painted the tacks, although this step isn't necessary it definitely adds to the look. Side Note: If you chose to do this without the vinyl lettering you can add a few more earring holders as you see fit. The only reason I did one was because it was all that would fit below my word.

This step was a bit more difficult and required help from my fiance to get the cup hooks secure. I used the measuring tape to mark where each hook would go, but when it came to actually screwing them in it wasn't happening which is when Eric came to my rescue. You'll want to make sure that you're screwing the hooks directly into the center of the bottom of the frame because if not that's when you run into problems with warping and cracking. I had painted the hooks beforehand with the white paint (Hint: Soak your brass hooks in vinegar so the paint will stick to them better), but it would be best if you secured them on the jewelry holder before attempting to paint because it was extremely hard to paint them without my fingers taking the paint off. I would even recommend painting it with nail polish or if you choose not to paint it at all that is fine too.

I chose to make a hanger for my jewelry holder, but it is totally up to you whether you do this step or not. All I did was take a long piece of jewelry wire and twist it in half to where one side had a loop and then cut a piece of ribbon and stared wrapping it around the wire. I secured the ribbon by making sure it was inside the metal loop where I placed the thumbtack to keep it in place while on the other side I put the thumbtack where I wanted it and wrapped the wire around it a few times cutting away the excess. Side note: I am not hanging my jewelry holder by the hanger, but rather by the picture frame holder on the back because the hanger was solely for the purpose of decor.

Find the perfect place to hang your new jewelry holder and start putting it to good use.