When I found two cool industrial looking metal embroidery hoops at my local thrift store the other day, I knew I could find a good use for them. (My husband thinks it's funny that I buy things without the slightest idea of what to do with them. Silly man.) My oldest daughter recently got her ears pierced and has been collecting earrings in a bowl, so I decided to make her an earring organizer. It turned out to be such an easy and inexpensive project, that I just had to share it.
You only need a few supplies to make this easy craft. I had the hoops, so all I needed was a quick trip to Hobby Lobby to find burlap and embellishments, which I found (of course) on clearance. And, as always, it helps to have a glue gun on hand.
First collect your supplies:
- Burlap
- Hoop
- Ribbon
- Embellishments
- Glue Gun
- Scissors
Next, cut a small piece of burlap. You could also use lace, or any other fabric with a loose weave, so the earring posts can easily slide through it. It needs to be about an inch larger than your hoop on each side.
Separate the pieces of your hoop. Mine is spring loaded, but you can also use the traditional wooden hoops with the screw clasps.
Line up the burlap on top of the inside hoop and press the outside hoop on top. If you have a wooden hoop, tighten the screw to grasp the burlap tightly.
Cut the excess burlap off the edges.
Spend a little time laying out the design you want with your embellishments. Then, just glue them down. Or you can sew them, since after all, that's what an embroidery hoop is designed for. However, I don't sew unless I've completely exhausted all my other options. Some of the embellishments came with little wires on the back, so I threaded these through the burlap and tightened them on the back.
Once the glue cooled, I put in a few earrings (knowing my daughter would want to rearrange them all herself) and stood it on a stand, to make it easier for her to reach the back.
She loves it, and now her little sister wants one too, even though she doesn't have pierced ears yet. Did you notice I got two of each ingredient? This ain't my first rodeo, people.
Have fun with this easy, quick, and cheap earring organizer project. I'd love to see your results if you try it for yourself!
Anita says
Adorable! And so practical. Now I wonder how I can translate that idea into something for my own jewelry...
Meredith says
Your jewelry might need a full size industrial strength barrel hoop. 🙂
Emmanuel says
Hello Madam Meredith,
I do hope I am not lost here as this is one post intended for our beautiful. As Madam Anita has already found this practical already, I do hope several others will be grateful for this as well.
Meredith says
Thank you!
Debra Yearwood says
What a cool idea. I bet you could paint the burlap too if you wanted a different look. So smart and so simple.
Meredith says
Thanks Debra! I like the idea of painting the burlap. Maybe on the next one...
Bonnie @ Mom's Lifesavers says
Visiting and pinning from Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party - Bonnie @ Mom's Lifesavers
Meredith says
Thank you for stopping by and pinning, Bonnie!
jacquiegum says
What a cool idea! And it looks so pretty!
Meredith says
Thank you Jacquie!
Carie Spence says
So adroable! I would never have come up with that! Impressive! Thank you for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest board.
Meredith says
Thank you Carie!
Susan Cooper/findingourwaynow.com says
I always love your ideas. I have a whole file of your stuff that I want to make. This is now another I'm adding to my file.... LOL.
Meredith says
Thank you Susan! Someday you'll have a little more downtime to do fun projects. At least, hopefully. 🙂
William Butler says
Hi Meredith,
I admire your creativity. My wife is not big on earrings, necklaces, etc. so I couldn't suggest she even try this idea, but I am sure many people will find value in this.
Have a great week!
Bill
Meredith says
Thanks Bill! Count yourself a lucky man that your wife doesn't have drawers full of this stuff to organize. Between me and my two daughters, I pretty sure accessories are taking over our lives.
BinduDesigns (@Bindudesigns) says
Very good tutorial about making earring organizer. I am getting inspired by your project.
Meredith says
Thanks! I bet you could make a really cool one out of all your art supplies.
Deidre M. Simpson says
I love this! It can be hard to find the right earring organizer. I've settled twice. This is the best idea I've seen lately, and it's practical. What an easy and outstanding creation it is! I'm also a big DIY fan. Thank you, Meredith.
Meredith says
Thank you so much Deidre! Glad to help you find a useful DIY project. It's always fun to meet a fellow DIY-er!
Tim says
I can relate to your husband Meredith. Your posts usually inspire me in some way but if not in the craft way I still find them very sweet. keep it up.
Meredith says
Thank you Tim!
Maxwell Ivey says
Hi Meredith; Such a simple answer to the problem. and what is different between buying craft supplies without knowing the project from owning tools not knowing what you will use them for? this would have been helpful back when i collected key chains. and i got a laugh out of you buying two of each. take care, max
Meredith says
Thanks Max. I like the tool analogy! I'll have to use that one to defend my actions next time I go to the thrift store. Glad to be able to give you a little laugh. Thanks for stopping by.
michelelobosco says
What a super fun little project. Ingenious, really. Little earring posts are so hard to keep organized because they are so small, but this is the perfect way to keep them organized!
Michele
Meredith says
Thanks Michele! Yes, it's always a challenge to keep those little things corralled. And organizing is always more fun when it's cute!
Lenie says
Meredith - I love your projects. Simple and inexpensive is definitely for me. Keep them coming - I won't have to buy any Christmas gifts this year because thanks to you I'll have made them all.
Lenie
Meredith says
Thank you Lenie, that's the highest compliment you could give me! So glad to help with your Christmas list. 🙂
Welli says
Meredith you never run out of ideas. You have a very creative outlook and innovative too. Commercialize your mind power.
Meredith says
Thanks for the encouragement, Welli! Maybe I will someday...
Beth Niebuhr says
What a great idea. Simple and inexpensive too!
Meredith says
Thanks Beth, those are the best kind!
Donna Janke says
What a cute idea. It is difficult to find an appropriate storage for earrings. This is so pretty.
Meredith says
Thanks Donna. Yes, earrings and jewelry always present a challenge! My mom has an amazing collection of necklaces, which she hangs on her wall like art. Seems like such pretty things should be on display.
William Rusho says
This is not really something I will do any time lately, but it looks interesting.
Meredith says
Thanks for visiting and commenting anyway, William!
Lorraine Marie Reguly says
Easy and practical. If I wore a ton of earrings, I'd be making one of these. Unfortunately, I don't, so I won't. 🙁
Meredith says
Oh well, at least you don't have to worry about organizing them all. 🙂
Erica says
This is so creative! I'm pretty sure my piercings have closed up since I haven't worn earings in so long, but this would have proved so valuable back in the day. I loved what you said about your husband not getting the method to your madness. My husband is the same exact way.
Meredith says
Ha! Thank you for appreciating that (sometimes) there's a method to my madness. 🙂
Michele Harvey says
You are so creative. I love this idea. It's brilliant. I have ruined so many earrings by traveling with them, even when I believe I have packed them safely by individually wrapping them. You could probably pack the hoop and travel with the earrings still on it by taping some of them on their hooks in the back to hold them in place. Like you, I am not much of a sewer.
Meredith says
Yes, and I bet you could just put a piece of cotton batting inside the back of the hoop and they'd be nice and safe while traveling. Thanks for commenting Michele!
Heidi Lane says
I love this. This would make for a cute gift! It is a cute alternative to a jewelry box where everything gets jumbled together.
Meredith says
Thanks Heidi! I know, I feel like I'm always searching around the bottom of the drawer for that second earring.
jbutler1914 says
This looks very easy to make. I should make this as a gift for someone.
Meredith says
Great idea! You could really impress any of the ladies on your Christmas list. 🙂
Jeri Walker-Bickett (@JeriWB) says
Very cool. Now time for an admission, I don't have pierced ears!
Meredith says
I've often thought life would be easier if I'd never pierced my ears!
niekkamcdonald says
How cute! I was just saying that I needed something to put my jewelry on. This look simple enough for me to make it.
Meredith says
Great! I promise you could do it. Now, for keeping it organized...that may be another issue. 🙂
Mina Joshi says
This is so clever!! I want one of those.... I tend to use selection chocolate boxes. Once the chocolates are eaten, the dips are just right for earings. This way - you can display them.
Meredith says
That's a great idea! Plus, now I have a good excuse to go out and buy myself some chocolate...
TheRecipeHunter says
I have made something similar with a simple wooden frame and screen material - yes the kind you'd find on your windows! It's not as easy to work with as the cut edges of the screen are sharp but I did find that it held up well to heavier earrings. I also bought one of those simple, small plain shelves you can find at any craft stores, painted it and screwed cup hooks into it for a place to hang all my necklaces! It was mounted above the frame which hung on the wall with ribbon. I still use it to this day! But I like your idea of using a stand too. I bet your daughter will have fun adding earrings to it and rearranging them!
Meredith says
I love those ideas! Cup hooks would be perfect for necklaces! What a nice way to display everything together.
Duke Stewart says
Whoa, so cool. I think this can be adapted for headbands or any type of accessories. This earring organizer might be up my wife's alley.
Meredith says
Thanks! You're right, with a little adaptation, you could use it for all sorts of things.
Eve Koivula says
That is So Cute!
Meredith says
Thanks Eve!
displacedyinzer says
Very cute and crafty idea! I even like this as just a stand alone decoration! Thank you for stopping by #MerryMonday!
Meredith says
Thanks! You're right, I bet smaller ones would make cute Christmas tree decorations.
Laurie S Hurley says
Love this idea - of course. I have so many earrings. Again, if only I was crafty - but maybe I can get my best friend to make this for me. She does this kind of stuff. Lovely!
Meredith says
Ha! Laurie, I thought of you when writing this one. I thought, "This is something I bet even Laurie could do." 🙂
HousePunkery (@housepunkery) says
This is a good idea. I like that metal hoop. Thanks for sharing. Hello from Say G'Day Saturday.
Meredith says
Thanks! I liked the metal too. I'm kind of into that industrial look right now, especially when it's combined with something unexpected like girly accessories.
Sarah J says
Thanks for linking up at Two Uses Tuesday! If I can find metal hoops, I'm sold. The burlap is great but when you mentioned lace... that would be neat. Metal and lace. Thanks for sharing!
Meredith says
Thanks Sarah! I would love to see this project done in lace. That was originally my intent but the burlap was easier to find. 🙂