Sunday, January 24, 2010

Check out my rack.....

Not that sort of rack! This sorta of rack......

I have been thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin' of a better way to display my earrings, as I was never happy with the bowl arrangement I had.
It was a lovely wooden bowl with 6 compartments and I would color code them so that each section held one color. I tend to always work in bold color blocks, so that arrangement work well,to an extent............

You could see the few on top only, and people had to dig around to check the others out. Inevitably by the end of a market day they were all upside down with only my backing cards showing. So instead of spending my shift turning them right way round I figured there had to be a better way.

I noticed some people used pin boards or dangle two from a store bought earring display, but....I work in big quantities and tend to have 50 plus to choose from at each stall, so I'd end up having 50 little stands dominating my table. Not the look I was going for....

So after many months thrifting at local oppies and trash n' treasure markets hoping to find the perfect display solution, I gave up...

I gave up on the notion that I was going to find exactly what I needed already made up.

So off I went to Bunnings with my little sketch and basic measurements in hand, feeling very much like a tomboy in amongst all the blokey builders and craftsmen.

I wanted to fit 10 pairs on a shelf and have 6 shelves, so that the finished height was no bigger than 45cm. This was so it would fit perfectly on one of the shelves at the shop. (Olive Grove)

With that in mind, I grabbed some pine that was 60mm wide 240mm long. My idea was to have dowels as the legs that held it all up, so we grabbed 12.5mm dowel in 2 long lengths to be cut up.

I got the man in the cut shop to saw the wood for me as I only have a coping saw at home and why spend hours cutting little itty bits of wood in crooked lines, whilst risking finger loss.... when they can do it in 2 minutes flat. Too easy.

Back at grandpas we measured up hole placement and shelf alignment, sawed the dowel to even lengths (cause the Bunnings peeps could only cut the square wood) and borrowed a 12.5 mm drill bit.

Thanks for helping me nut out the finer details gramps, made assemblage a dream!

Next it was home with all the bitses for assembling.

First we drilled big holes.....

Threaded each shelf on....

checked on the visuals for spacing....

Nailed each pole in place.....

painted it....and put it in the shop!


I'm so happy with the end result.
It looks like there is so much more to choose from, and it takes up minimal surface area on the shelf. YAY!

I'm not 100% on the color. I wanted something quite neutral, but the washed out green is a bit girly...

I might revisit the finish at some stage, but for now it does the job.

To think, for all those months of shopping wasted when I could have just bit the bullet a lot sooner and made one. Oh well...now I know what I'm doing I 'll make a shorter black one for my space in Handmade Heaven.

14 comments:

  1. That's an absolutely brilliant way to display your ear studs. I've been thinking along similar lines for a rack but haven't been able to find one in the oppies. Maybe it's time to bite the bullet like you... and make one!

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  2. Adorable & great idea!! I have a huge market stall so i am always thinking up clever display ideas. Nice project to do with 'pa too. I always get the nice saw men to cut my wood, they faux interest in what i am babbling on about - what they are going to be. Mind you, nice smile & a wink, it's amazing how little they'll charge you. Love Posie

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  3. You did a great job!! It is a really excellent way to display your earrings while optimising space. One in Handmade Heaven would be a good idea.

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  4. Great work! You're right, the pale green is a bit girly and un-Finki but I think black would emphasise your range of bold colours. I've asked for a power drill for my birthday. Dad won't get me a circular saw after cutting off his own fingertips a few years ago so I think there'll be a lot of wonky, slow sawing in my future.

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  5. I think this is awesome, good on you. You are a creative guru ! (ess )

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  6. wow! Im very impressed :)
    I took woodwork and design in highschool but only coz I wanted to buck the system not that I created anything I was the only girl in the class so had alot of male help :)

    Love your new stand and the earings look very pretty!

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  7. That looks absolutely fabulous!
    I desperately need you to give me some tips on how to display things effectively... I'm terrible at it!

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  8. I was expecting to read that you came across the perfect earring display at an oppie for a bargain... but what a great surprise I got. Congratulations of your stand. A bunnings success... did you get a sausage sizzle? I swear it's the only way I will get my bf there sometimes!!!

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  9. woowsy wowsy!! That looks super cool sissy, your so talented that you could stock an entire shop and fit it out, if only there where 50hrs in a day!!xo

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  10. Hehe, I have an image of you on overalls with paint smudged across your cheek wandering around bunnings, being all boy like!
    I think the green - although not a finki colour, is unobtrusive, and blends in with the background. It wont compete with the items on the rack, nor with anything on the table.
    Nice work!

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  11. Woohoo...Loving your rack Jay!!! Getting exciting..Feb is almost upon us...
    kisses

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  12. Love your rack Jay! You are very clever. And good on you for not compromising with something that wasn't quite right.

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