DIY Distressed Corkboard Jewelry Organizer

I told you guys I've been crafting like crazy lately, and this is one of my favorite recent projects. I needed something to keep my necklaces and earrings organized and I just couldn't seem to find anything in stores that suited my needs. So, being the resourceful young woman that I am, I decided to make my own! And, because I love all of you so much, I thought I'd share how I did it.  So, here it goes!

First off, you'll need a corkboard. You can use pretty much any size/shape, but for me, bigger was way better. I found this one at my local Goodwill for $1.99, but if you don't have the patience for thrifting, you can get something similar at pretty much any hardware or craft store. 

You'll also need thumb tacks, paint, paintbrushes, twine (if you want to hang earrings on it), hammer, nails, paper towels, tape measure, and a pencil.

The first step is to paint the frame. I wanted lots of texture, so I did a pretty thin coat and lots of brush strokes.  Let the paint dry for a couple of minutes before continuing.

Now, take a damp paper towel and rub it around the frame. Alternate grazing the paint lightly and pushing down hard to get an antiqued look. For a more distressed finish, you could sandpaper the surface once the paint is dry.

Let the corkboard sit out to dry completely. I left mine overnight, but it was probably ready earlier than that.

Once it's dry, measure the length of your board and decide where you want to hang your necklaces, marking the spots with a pencil.

Now, hammer in the nails according to your pencil markings. Make sure you're hammering the nails to the same height. You could use hooks on the frame instead of nails, but you would probably need a drill to place those.

Take a length of twine and tie the end to secure it. Attach it to the top left corner of the corkboard with one of your tacks.

Arrange the twine across the top of the board in small loops, periodically securing with thumb tacks.

Now, hang your creation on the wall and arrange your jewelry on it!

I had a lot of fun making this and I love the way the finished product looks! I hope you guys enjoy this project as much as I do, feel free to let me know what you think!