Dollar Tree DIY Jewelry Organizer (Mini)

See video here:  Dollar Tree Mini Jewelry Holder DIY!!! - YouTube

I LOVE keeping my desk organized. If there is any place in the house that can make me feel more empowered to meet the tasks of the day, it's my desk!

This mess drives me crazy! lol

Although I enjoy organizing desk items with small Dollar Tree bins, I still didn't feel as organized when it came to putting jewelry in there. I am NOT a jewelry guru, and only wear a few pieces the vast majority of the time (rotating every few weeks).

Sometimes at the end of the day, I just want to take all jewelry off...kind of a way to wind down and release from the day. Could I run upstairs to do that? Sure. DO I do that? Nope!






My motto with organizing has always been to "have fun and work within your means." Basically, this means to DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU, and ENJOY it!

So, while strolling through the aisles of the Dollar Tree, I came across their sink strainer mats. The translucent, clean lines really spoke to me, and I wondered if I could use this in an organizing project. And yes, it's a sink strainer!

It also kind of reminded me of a peg board without the pegs...that's when it dawned on me - I could use this to organize my jewelry at my desk! It is just the right durability to withstand holding items, yet wasn't so thick it couldn't fit in a frame.

I initially thought thin S hooks could work, but they would fall at odd angles which detracted from the beautiful clean lines (yes, I called a sink strainer beautiful, haha!). Then I thought I'd use 3M Command Hooks, but I didn't like the size and look of the smallest ones that could hold necklaces. That's when I found some nifty steel hooks at the Dollar Tree!

After trimming the sink strainer to be fit, center, and with as many grid lines as possible, I adhered the hooks, and voila!!! Instant mini jewelry organizer for my desk!

Voila! All done!

TIPS:

- Use the gridlines on the sink strainer to align your hooks so they're even.

- Use super glue or hot glue to adhere the hooks. The adhesive pads they come with weren't strong enough for me.

- Paint the edge of the frame a metallic gold or silver to give it a little more bling bling! You can also buy craft items at the Dollar Tree to decorate it further, like jewels, rhinestones, feathers, etc.

- If the frame you use has a leg to lean on, just carefully rip the leg off, otherwise it may hang unevenly. Better yet, do what I did and use 3M Command VELCRO to line it up, that way if you're a little off, you can easily take the frame down and realign it (usually without having to take any velcro off)!

- Add a backing to place behind the sink strainer and give a splash of color! If the backing may rip easily when you insert your dangly earrings, add a layer of clear contact paper to protect it (or cut the backing out of poster board, shiny department store bags, gift bags, etc.).

- Careful when disposing of the glass - keep in a safe place for future crafts!