In Small Spectacles: Jewelry Storage Idea

Those who know me well know I have a lot of jewelry. I have almost every piece of jewelry I have ever bought, inherited, been gifted, and made. Translation: my collection is HUGE. I used to sort it, seal the pieces in air tight bags, and then put them in an old dresser I refinished. My problem was that I wasn't able to see everything that I had, so only the pieces I wore more regularly made the cut when deciding what to wear.

A few years ago an idea came to me to display/store the pieces the same way people store/ their tools: on pegboard mounted on a wall. Pegboard is typically mounted on studs so that the hooks have the empty space in between the studs and behind the holes to go into. You can't just hag a piece of pegboard on a wall and have it work.

Or can you....?

You can if you frame it on the back so that it floats at least an inch away from the wall. I moved my closet space and had to make another jewelry pegboard, so I thought I'd share the process.

You'll need:

Peg board
1" x 2" pieces of wood
Peg Board Hooks
Drywall screws with anchors (2")
Drywall screws 2"
Wood screws .75" - 1"
Drill, drill bits, and hammer

Measure the space where you want to hang your peg board display. It can be an entire wall or just a portion. Pick out your pegboard and get about 2, 1" x 2" long pieces of wood. I had the hardware store cut everything for me in the dimensions I need.

Because the pieces of wood are going to frame the back of the peg board, use the same vertical dimensions, but subtract 4" from each horizontal measurement. The back will look like this:.

Put the boards on the floor in the formation it will be behind the peg board. Place the pegboard on top with the front facing up. Match up the wood frame with the edges of the peg board. Screw the peg board into the wood pieces using the .75" wood screws.

Along each corner and a couple times on each side, pre drill holes all the way through on each edge. Have someone hold the framed pegboard on the wall exactly where you want it, and mark through these pre drilled holes on the wall. Remove the pegboard and drill and insert the 2" drywall anchors in those marked spots.

Have someone hold the peg board and match up the holes with the holes in the wall. Drill the 2" dry wall screws into the anchors on the wall. It should stay up, so your friend doesn't have to continue holding the board up. Along the edges, drill in the 2" drywall screws into the wall. Now your pegboard is mounted sturdily onto the wall and ready to be used! You can paint it the same color as the wall to make it look more built in.

If you are unsure about what kind of hooks to buy, Home Depot has pegboard kits that are more cost effective and you'll have everything you need for your project. The cups can be used to store earrings and there are pegboard baskets that really work well for cuffs.