#printer drawer

Large transitional freestanding desk design ideas for a room with a dark wood floor, a brown floor, and gray walls.

etsyfindoftheday 2 | 6.25.15

theme thursday: wooden furniture finds

Hipstrrr pick!!!

DIY: Repurposed Printer Drawer Jewelry Holder Tutorial

I'm a bit OCD when it comes to organization. Whether it's my kitchen, bedroom, or classroom, I'm constantly looking for ways to stay organized. And during a recent attempt to organize my jewelry box, I discovered I had tons of jewelry I never wear. Not because I don't like it, but because I forgot I owned it! With everything crammed in one box, it was out of sight, out of mind. I looked for weeks to find a creative way to organize my jewelry before coming up with this idea (inspired by a variety of vendors on Etsy. There are literally dozens of these for sale online if you want one but aren't feeling crafty). Here's how I made mine:

Supplies:

antique printer drawer

wood stain (and gloves...and spare clothes...and an open window! So many lessons learned during this project!!)

paintbrush

sandpaper

hardware: eye screws, hooks, and picture hanging brackets

pliers

Total cost: around $75

First, I searched for an antique printer drawer. These drawers were originally used to store letters for old printing presses. Each drawer is unique in design, which is great because you can find ones with small compartments for earrings, or large compartments if you're more of a necklace sort-of-girl. I personally love the look of the drawer, especially the original handle which I left attached (visible in the pictures at the top-middle of the display). I settled a 1940's Hamilton printer drawer from Ebay, after searching antique shops in my area with no luck. The drawer cost me around $50, including shipping!

Next, I went to Home Depot for stain, sandpaper, and the hardware (total cost- $20). I decided on a natural dark brown colored wood stain and a variety of silver eye screws and hooks. After returning home, I wiped down the drawer to remove any grit or dirt, then sanded the drawer by hand using fine grain sandpaper, and applied 2 coats of stain. I let this dry overnight before using pliers to screw the hardware in each compartment, and the picture hanging brackets to the back of the drawer. I also drilled small holes for the larger hooks that I used along the bottom edge and sides of the drawer. I have quite a few necklaces I wanted to hang, so I decided to put 2 hooks on each side of the drawer, and 5 hooks across the bottom edge. I also use the top of the display for sunglasses.