Fripperies and Such

I have a goal these days, of replacing my $2 tarnished jewelry collection with timeless, quality pieces that don't turn your skin green.

So this project that my roommate found for me on Pinterest was the perfect motivation to make something that would encourage me to showcase some nicer fripperies.  Essentially, this Pinterester's idea is to take picture frames, coat hangers, or even tree branches, and turn them into unique and elegant jewelry holders.

What could be better for the modern girl yearning for more 18th century-style in her life than this darling antiquated frame-turned-frippery display?  Yes, please!

So, to do this project, you need:

• an open frame (aka without glass), in any shape you like
• paint, if you want to paint your frame
• several lengths of lace
• a glue gun, or quality glue that can withstand some pressure (since jewelry will be hanging off it)

I had the lady at the fabric counter of Hobby Lobby help me with lace.  I picked out the frame I wanted and then we found some sturdy bolts of lace that looked like they could withstand another Revolution, and measured them against the frame.  I think one was made of embroidery floss, and the other had reinforced ribbon running through it.

I'd already bought my paint at Home Depot, and I had a glue gun at home, so I was ready to craft!

I picked a sweet, swirly frame that I found at Hobby Lobby, which reminded me of something you'd see hanging out in Marie Antoinette's bedroom, pre-decapitation times.

I painted the frame in Sea Glass Green, which is kind of minty-colored but still soft and bright.  Note: apparently it's pretty easy for whatever you're painting to stick whatever surface you're painting on.  So unless you enjoy having a pretty close relationship with your flat-head screwdriver and your sanding block, I recommend finding something, like pushpins or something, to elevate the frame off of the scrap paper.

After prizing the frame from the sheets of my college alumni magazine, I used my trusty pink glue gun to glue down the strips of lace I had measured earlier. The surface of the glue dries pretty quickly but you'll want to still let it sit for several hours so it's totally solidified.

And that's it! Super-easy 18th century frippery glam. Just hook or string your baubles into or around the lace and you have an instant jewelry-holder and a pretty wall-piece.

By the way, the ornate style of the frame is often called 'Rococo' and was most popular through the end of the 18th century, though it dates back much earlier.  And now it's popular again as an element of Shabby-Chic style.  Like Sybil Crawley's mod harem pants in Downton Abbey, 18th glam will always have a place in the world.