DIY Up-Cycled Large Bust Necklace Display Stand

I made this bust display stand because all the ones out there to buy were either super expensive, or flimsy and they kept falling over when I would make adjustment to he jewelry. Annoying! So, I figured I could make a better one myself! Which is what most people do when they are fed-up with things. I keep stuff around the house that I feel I might be able to reuse in some way like cereal boxes and old tee-shirts. Always trying to recycle and reuse! I even have a hard time parting with expired can food, I just hate the waste! These things all happened to come in handy when I was concocting this necklace stand in my head. This is a list of what I settled on using:

• My man's old grey Tee Shirt.
• A Double Cereal Box. The kind you find at Sam's Club, or Cosco. They are re-enforced inside.
• 2 expired 64oz Can Goods.
• A mostly used Glad Candle Holder, but you could use anything this shape.
• An extra piece of thin Cardboard. I used the front half of a waffle box.
• Some heavy duty Tape like Electrical, or Duct Tape.
• A spool Thread and a Needle.
• Some Quilting Batting Filler.
• Scissors.
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks.
• Permanent Black Marker.

Pictures of Supplies:

The first thing I did was tape up the bottom of the cereal box. Turn the box upside down. Then I placed the candle holder upside down on the back half of the box, centering it. I traced around the candle holder with my marker. Then removed the candle and drew a thick black line across the center of the box, right in from of the circle.

2) Place the candle holder on
box.

1) Tape the bottom box.

4) Draw a line down center of
 box top.

3) Trace candle holder.

Next I am going to cut off the top front corner of the box to look like this:

This is how I did it: First I took the extra cardboard piece and laid it on top of the cereal box. This is so I could measure how long to make the cut down the front of the box. I lined the extra card board piece up with the top side of the box (the top is where I drew the circle) then I pulled it up toward the top, to give it about an inch overhang. I drew a line on the lower part of the box using the extra cardboard piece placement, as a guide. Second I connected the two lines I drew so far: The line that runs across the top center by the circle, and the line that runs across the bottom front that I just drew. I connected the two using a diagonal line, and used the extra piece of cardboard like a ruler to make sure its was straight. Then I cut around the box along the lines that I marked off. I was careful doing this because I wanted to use both sides of the box.

1) Lay extra card board on front of box
with 1" overhang, and draw line.

2) Connect top line and front line with
a diagonal one.

4) Carefully cut along marked off lines.

Before I did the actual cutting of the front top corner, I did these next two steps, but you can do it either way. Here I make the front covering of the necklace stand (the extra cardboard piece).

I placed the cereal box on top of the extra cardboard piece. I centered it, and traced along the box on either side. I folded the edges up on the extra piece of card board along each line. 

1) Center box on top of cardboard.
Trace along box edges.

2) Fold cardboard along lines.

3) Finished front cover piece.

Now I hot glue the candle holder on top of the cereal box, where I drew the circle.

I put a thick ring of hot glue around the drawn circle. I did this quick because it dries fast! Then I put the candle holder on the ring of hot glue ASAP before it dried. I went around it again with more glue to make sure it was on there good.

2) Place candle holder on
ring of hot glue quickly!

1) Put a thick ring of hot glue around
drawn circle.

By this step you have to cut off the top front corner, because its time to put in the weights! I taped together the two 64oz unopened cans. Then I placed them inside the cereal box.

2) Place cans in box.

1) Tape together cans.

Now I taped on the front cover piece to the rest of the necklace stand. 

I start with a couple pieces of tape, to make sure its even. Then I taped it up by wrapping the tape around the whole cereal box, and the cover piece until I felt it was secure.

1) Tape on front cover piece.

3) Keep taping until it's secure.

2) Wrap around box.

Time for the shoulders of the bust! remember the front top corner piece I cut off the cereal box? Time to use it! I drew a line down the middle of the corner piece and cut along it to make two halves. Then I turned the two pieces to look like a pair of shoulders. 

2) Cut along the line to make two halves.

1) Draw a line down center.

3) Turn halves to look like shoulders.

Next I tape on the shoulder pieces. I adjust them until I am happy with the way they look. I then start taping away! I tape around the top, middle, and bottom of the box. I want to make sure they don't move when I stretch on the fabric cover later.

1) Put on right shoulder.

2) Put on left shoulder.

4) Tape until secure.

3) Tape around the shoulder pieces
 and the cereal box.

Here I cut the quilt batting to make a pad for the front of the stand. The padding will camouflage any bumps. It is also nice to have a necklace stand with padding because you can stick pins in it to hang earrings from when you have a necklace/earring set. First I lay down the stand on a roll of quilt batting. I cut a piece that is about 1.5 inches shorted than the stand. I place the pad on the front of the necklace stand. Time to glue it on! I use the hot glue gun to Glue the pad t the stand. I make sure to wrap the pad around the sides, and glue it down firm. 

1) Lay stand on quilt batting roll.
Cut a piece that is 1.5" shorter
than the stand.

2) Place batting pad on the front
of the necklace stand.

4) Add glue to sides of the stand.

3) Hot glue the pad to the stand.

5) Wrap pad around sides.

6) What stand looks like with pad.

Fabric Necklace Stand Cover:
OK! Almost done! Time for the fabric cover. I just use an old T-shirt. You can use any stretch fabric, though. I cut the top part of the T-shirt off, which turned it into a loop of fabric. I wanted it to be a long straight piece, so I cut the loop down the back center. I ended up with one flat piece of fabric. Time to whip out the needle and thread! I started the cover out by draping the fabric strip over the necklace stand to see how well it covered. I then stitched a running stitch along the back of the necklace stand, from shoulder to shoulder. I pulled the thread, and gathered up the fabric at the base of the back neck. I sewed the gathered material together in a bunch. Then I pulled the sides of the fabric tight around the necklace stand, and whipped stitched the two sides together in the back. I took the fabric cover off the stand, turned it inside out so the bunch and the back seam didn't show, and put it back onto the stand. I cut off what I felt was extra fabric on the sides. Here comes the hard part... finessing the cover until its tight around the front, with no wrinkles! I basically just began pulling in on the sides, and sewing them together in the back. I kept doing this until I liked the way it looked in the front. I also pulled the fabric cover down to the bottom of the stand, and sewed that together.

2) Thread Time!

1) Cut top off T-shirt.

3) Drape fabric over necklace stand,
and center.

4) Sew running stitch from shoulder
to shoulder along the back.

6) Fabric is gathered.

5) Pull thread to gather running stitch.

7) Stitch gathered fabric securely into
a bunch.

8) Pull sides together and whip stitch
down back.

9)Take off fabric cover and turn inside
out to hide bunch, and back seam.
Put cover back on stand.

10) Start pulling in sides of fabric
and sewing together at the back. 

12) Pull the fabric cover to the bottom
and stitch together.

11) Finesse the fabric until the
front of the stand is tight
and wrinkle free!

Finished Product!! Here is what It looks like when I was done!!!! 

I really was pleased with how this necklace stand turned out! I like how heavy it is. It doesn't fall over when I am photographing my jewelry and need to make adjustments to the way the necklaces are laying. I also love the fact I can put pins in it to hang earrings off of when I do necklace/earring sets. The best part though, since I made it myself, I got to make it as big as I wanted! Its hard to find necklaces stand that are tall enough to display long necklaces. It took about a hour and a half to make, but that includes taking the pictures along the way. I hope this inspires you try making a stand out of stuff around your house! I would love to hear about it if you do :)

~Adrienne Adelle

LiTelle Designs Bold and Beautiful Beaded Peyote Statement Jewelry

Lorie Littell Luers

LiTelle Designs

www.etsy.com/shop/LiTelle

Purple Beaded Embroidery Collar Statement Necklace

#makeAstatement’s First statement piece designer feature! We start this blog off with a worthy designer named Lorie Littell Luers the owner and designer of LiTelle Designs. Her pieces are bold and intricate! Her attention to detail is admirable, and results in intriguing and striking jewelry. What are her feelings on jewelry that makes a statement? “I like bold pieces, because why bother putting something on if doesn't make an impact” Lorie exudes! Her jewelry echoes this sentiment in piece after piece, from gorgeous over-sized cabochon bracelets to daring peyote bib necklaces.

Beaded Jewelry Bead Embroidery Wide Statement Cuff

Her background was computer programming and accounting.  She needed a creative outlet, and found it making jewelry. She tells a story about how she used to take jewelry to a local jeweler to have him alter the pieces to look the way she wanted. Lorie discovered that because she had small wrist and a slim neck, she often struggled with fit. “Purchased bracelets were way too large and would slide off my hand” she reflects.  About twelve years ago she walked into a bead store for the first time and saw a beautiful peyote bracelet.  The shop owner said she could teach her how to make it.  “I was hooked!” Lorie divulged. Since then she has explored various mediums including wire wrapping, and working with metal. Her passion keeps bring her around to the peyote style of jewelry. “I keep going back to beaded designs” Lorie Says. “I like to wear them because they're lightweight, comfortable and have endless colors and designs. I enjoy making them because of the unlimited possibilities of the designs and I can work on a piece while traveling.” This is important to her since her husband and he travel often. They have been to Europe, South America, Central America, Mexico and all over the fifty states.

Beaded Jewelry Statement Bead Embroidery Swarovski Eagle Necklace

Lorie begins her jewelry process by making jewelry for herself. “While I'm wearing them, if friends start asking me to make them something comparable and strangers compliment them, then I will make similar pieces for my web site.” she explains. Lorie branched out into selling her jewelry when local gift shop approached her about her peyote bracelets. Her business grew from there. At one time she had peyote bracelets in several stores around her state. In 2007 when she started her Etsy shop, it did so well she now exclusively sells on that site! Lorie remembers another unusual way she has sold her work. “I've sold a few pieces off my neck, literally.  I was in Vegas recently wearing my Swarovski Eagle (picture to the right) necklace and a lady approached me about it.  I sold it to her right there.  I use a phone app to accept credit cards. A few weeks later she bought the cuff to match on my Etsy site.”

Beaded, Bead Embroidered Cream Cuff - White Plume Agate

Lorie’s personal style is where she gets a lot of inspiration. “I wear a lot of black and I probably incorporate black cabs and beads in a lot of my designs. I like necklaces with fringe.  I think it's sexy and feels wonderful on your chest.” she expresses. “I like bold pieces because why bother putting something on if doesn't make an impact!”  Most of her pieces have a focal point or center piece. “I usually start with that focal piece and expand from there.” she explains. “Most of the embroidered cuffs are not laid out ahead of time.  I start filling in around the cabochon with crystals, beads, pearls and other elements until I have a finished piece.” Even though each statement piece takes a painstaking amount of time, surprisingly enough, this is not what the majority of Lorie’s time is spent on. “I spend more time researching jewelry,  learning a new technique, ordering supplies, designing a piece,  taking photographs of them, uploading them onto Etsy and keeping my studio organized, then  actually making the jewelry.” she confesses. “The bead embroidered pieces do take a lot of time though.  My wide bead embroidered cuffs take up to 15 hours for one cuff.”  Lorie has made a few beaded necklaces that have taken twice that amount of time! “I have to enjoy it, right! Bead embroidery is relaxing to do and the finished project is tremendously rewarding.” she concludes.

Beaded Embroidery Large Pyrite Stone Cabochon Statement Bracelet Cuff

LiTelle Designs has many fabulous designs, and statement pieces! Each with their own flare, and personality, all of which make quite a statement! Even though Lorie has had much success in making jewelry that makes a statement, there is one thing she wishes she could change, the name of her shop. “LiTelle Designs is from my maiden name which is Littell.  A marketing friend advised me to change the spelling so it wouldn't be pronounced little. I kind of wished I'd kept the original spelling but after selling over 1,000 pieces of jewelry, I think it's too late now.” Lorie admits. Well, by whatever name, a rose still smells as sweet! These one of a kind, standout statement pieces are beautiful to say the least! Each one makes a great style statement and addition to any wardrobe!

Lorie sells her work on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/LiTelle

~Adrienne Adelle

You can also see her work featured on the #makeAstatement Face Book page this week at https://www.facebook.com/groups/716679285020768/

Or on the #makeAstatement Pinterest Board at http://www.pinterest.com/adrienneadelle1/makeastatement-follow-the-fashion-movement-please-/

Photos of the designer:

Lorie modeling some of her Statement Pieces!