15 Clever DIY Jewelry Holders You Can Make in a Day!

Before I go ahead and share the DIY Jewelry Holder Ideas with you, I have to tell you what inspired me to write this article.

My sister is obsessed with jewelry. But her obsession is a clean one, if that’s the right way to put it.

She loves it. Her wishlist is like a museum. Anything she sees is interesting gets wishlisted instantly. And whenever she can she shows off her ‘wishlisted’ options as if she is collecting coins or something. As a brother, I don’t say it out loud, but you know what I am thinking, “What will you do with so much jewelry?“

I can’t understand why but for some reason airing that question out loud scares me. No actually, it really does scare me. So, all I say is, that’s so cool and go on with my life.

But interestingly, when it comes to actually buying jewelry, she is very very picky. Something about combinations and not all participants are supposed to cross the finish line. Once again, I don’t push.

But where I did push was her organizing style. She has like two or three boxes she rummages through to find her favorite combinations and I asked why don’t you organize it better, and she just replied, “Eh, I couldn’t find time to find a better organizer”.

Once again, I wanted to say, “But the time is ample to create a museum of assorted shiny stones most of which won’t see the light of day”. But once again, I just allowed the statement to take a couple of rounds as thoughts and decided not to air it out.

Hey don’t judge me you don’t know how mean her stare is. 

It’s really mean.

Anyways owing to my love for woodworking, I decided why not build one for her? And the immediate next thought was, why keep the idea to myself. There are countless ladies out there who would want something to better organize their jewelry sets.

Lo and behold, an article idea was born. I mean digging through a dark box to untangle a knot of necklaces or hunt for a missing earring back must be a frustrating way to start the day.

It must be right? I am not a woman so I don’t know but it has to be. My jewelry, a set of glasses and a few watches to choose from and I am off.

Beyond the daily hassle, throwing your jewelry into a drawer or a pile is the fastest way to scratch, damage, or break your favorite pieces.

The solution is straightforward: get your jewelry out of the box and onto a dedicated wall or tabletop organizer. That is where I come in. 

A proper display keeps your necklaces separated, your earrings paired up, and your entire collection visible at a single glance.

You don’t need a fully equipped workshop to solve this storage problem. Before I build anything I like to collect ideas to inspire me as to what direction I should take. But the fact is, not everyone needs to follow the DIY route I chose to take.

Therefore, I have rounded up 15 highly functional, great-looking ways to organize your jewelry using scrap wood, upcycled materials, and smart hardware. 

Take your pick and find the build that fits your space below. And if you are short on time but need the organization immediately, keep an eye out for the “Shop the Look” buttons to grab a ready-made version that matches your aesthetic or your preference.

Upcycled & Frugal Storage

Let’s start with the low-hanging fruit. You don’t need to drop a hundred bucks on exotic hardwoods or complex hardware to get organized. Sometimes the best storage solutions come from simply looking at old items with a new perspective, or taking a quick trip to the local thrift store. These first few ideas are all about maximum utility with minimal cost.

1. The Chicken Wire Picture Frame 

My sister has more dangling earrings than I can count. A solid block of wood doesn’t do you much good for those. 

The easiest, most effective fix? Grab an old, ornate picture frame, ditch the glass and the cardboard backing, and staple some chicken wire or decorative metal mesh to the back.

It gives you massive storage capacity, it takes about ten minutes to put together, and it completely solves the daily headache of finding matching pairs. 

Just give the frame a quick coat of paint if you want it to match your room, fire a few staples into the back to hold the wire, and you’re done.

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 2. The Repurposed Window Shutter 

If there is one thing that takes more patience than sanding end-grain, it is untangling long, thin necklace chains. 

If you have the wall space, an old wooden window shutter is probably the best fix for this. 

Just because it’s DIY, doesn’t mean it must be technical or hard. Being an engineer, I like making things technical, making plans with 3D software and what not. But utility and technicality are two different things. If something is simple and useful, that’s a priority, that’s a win for me. My engineering instinct takes the back seat.

This DIY is as simple and as utilitarian as it gets. You don’t even have to build anything from scratch; just hunt down a shutter at a local salvage yard or a thrift store.

The design of a shutter actually does half the work for you. 

The angled wooden slats are naturally perfect for slipping hook earrings onto, and the solid vertical frame gives you plenty of meat to screw in small cup hooks for heavy necklaces and bracelets. 

Give it a scrub, maybe throw on a fresh coat of paint, and mount it firmly to the wall. 

It holds a massive amount of jewelry and gets everything out of the dreaded tangled box.

I actually tried to find a ready-made shutter organizer to link for you here, but since this is such a custom salvage look, finding an exact replica is nearly impossible. But what I did find are some classy vintage shutters you can order right now. 

Grab one of these, pair it with the bronze hooks and heavy-duty drywall anchors I’ve linked below, and you can build your own custom Vintage Window Jewelry Holder in under ten minutes.

You don’t even need to limit yourself to traditional louvered shutters, farmhouse-style barn door shutters work just as beautifully if that matches your decor better.

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3. The Cabinet Hardware Display 

If you have ever done a kitchen or bathroom remodel, you probably have a bag of old cabinet knobs sitting in a drawer somewhere. It turns out, drawer pulls and cabinet knobs are basically just heavy-duty, decorative hooks waiting for a job.

This is an incredibly easy and frugal way to get your necklaces and bracelets organized. I first saw this executed perfectly over at The Happy Housie, and the concept is genius. 

All you need is a solid piece of scrap wood, you can stain it to highlight the grain, or even cover a board with a scrap of bold wallpaper to give it a high-end look. 

Then, simply drill a few holes and mount a random assortment of cabinet hardware across the face.

Standard knobs are perfect for hanging long chains, while wider drawer pulls work exceptionally well as a bar to slide your hook earrings or bracelets onto. 

If you don’t have leftover hardware, don’t stop yourself from DIYing this project. You can easily pick up a handful of mismatched vintage or ceramic knobs to give the piece a custom, eclectic feel.

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4. The Silverware Tray Shadowbox 

If you have a wooden silverware tray in your kitchen that is currently doing nothing but collecting crumbs, it’s time to move it to the bedroom. 

These trays are essentially pre-built shadowboxes with built-in dividers that are perfect for separating different types of jewelry.

To make this work, you just flip the tray vertically and mount it to the wall. You can paint the tray to match your room’s decor or leave the natural wood finish to keep that workshop vibe. 

By adding a few clear command hooks to the top of each compartment, you create individual stalls for necklaces, which finally puts an end to the “tangled chain” nightmare. 

The smaller sections at the bottom are great for dropping in rings or stud earrings. You can even give the jewelry holder a unique flare by pasting scrap papers to these small horizontal sections.

It is a high-utility build that takes almost zero effort to put together.

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5. The Corkboard Pin-Up

If you want maximum flexibility, the basic corkboard or bulletin board is your best friend. Jewelry collections grow and change, which means rigid hook placement can sometimes become a pain down the road. 

A corkboard solves that problem completely because it is infinitely adjustable.

You can grab a cheap corkboard from any big box store, or a thrift store. I found some on amazon that I have listed below. 

While you can leave it raw if you like that unfinished workshop aesthetic, wrapping the board in a piece of fabric really elevates it from “dorm room” to “custom decor”.

Secure the fabric to the back with a staple gun or spray adhesive. Then, instead of drilling holes, just use heavy-duty furniture tacks or decorative pushpins to hang your necklaces and bracelets.

If you buy a new, chunky necklace that needs more breathing room, you just pull the tack out and move it. It takes minutes to make and adapts to whatever you need it to hold.

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Metal & Hardware Organizers

Moving away from upcycled finds and thrift store frames, let’s talk about the plumbing and hardware aisles. There is something really satisfying about taking cold, industrial materials and turning them into a clean, functional display. 

Plus, metal builds are practically indestructible. If your collection includes heavy, chunky bracelets or oversized watches, these hardware-based organizers offer serious structural support while looking incredibly modern.

6. The Copper Pipe Stand

If you want a tabletop organizer that looks like it belongs in a high-end boutique but actually came from the plumbing aisle, copper piping is the way to go. 

Standard half-inch copper pipe is cheap, easy to work with, and naturally looks fantastic alongside gold and silver jewelry.

You just need a length of pipe, a few copper T-fittings, and a pair of 90-degree elbows. You can build a free-standing base out of the pipe itself, or drill a hole in a nice, thick block of scrap walnut or oak to anchor the main vertical stand. 

The horizontal arms are perfect for sliding on bracelets and watches, while the taller vertical sections keep long necklaces from pooling on the dresser.

The best part? You don’t even need to solder anything. 

For a jewelry stand, simply pressing the fittings tightly together or adding a dab of super glue is more than enough to hold it rigid. 

Over time, the copper develops a great natural patina, but you can always hit it with a clear coat spray if you want to keep that bright, polished look.

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7. The Painted Pegboard Matrix

We all know pegboard is the undisputed king of garage tool organization. But if you take that exact same logic and bring it into the bedroom, you get one of the most versatile jewelry organizers possible. 

A sheet of pegboard is basically a blank canvas.

The trick to making it look like high-end decor instead of a workshop cast-off is to color it and frame it. 

Cut a piece of pegboard to your desired size, give it a couple of coats of a bold paint color (navy blue or dark green makes gold and silver jewelry really pop), or any other color you feel will go with your decor.

You can’t just nail the finished pegboard flat against a wall, or your hooks won’t have room to loop through the holes. 

You need to build a simple “spacer frame” using four pieces of 1×2 pine boards. Nail the pine boards into a rectangle the size of your pegboard, then attach the pegboard to the front. This creates the necessary gap behind the board for your hooks to work.

To get an even high-end look as shown in the photo, you can simply add a decorative frame around the outside edges of your build to hide the spacer boards and the raw sides of the pegboard. 

Alternatively, you can skip the woodworking entirely by buying a readymade picture frame that fits your cut pegboard, dropping the painted board inside, and using simple wall spacers behind the frame to keep it off the wall.

Once it is mounted on the wall, the matrix of holes allows you to place hooks exactly where you need them. Have a necklace that is unusually long? Move the hook up. 

Need a dedicated row just for hoop earrings? Map it out. It is infinitely customizable, and you can buy bulk packs of pegboard hooks for next to nothing.

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8. The Brass Earring Pyramid

If you want a freestanding tabletop organizer that looks like a piece of modern art, this geometric structure is a showstopper.

This brilliant concept comes directly from the team at A Beautiful Mess, and it perfectly introduces basic metalworking to your DIY repertoire without the need for a blowtorch or soldering iron.

The magic behind this freestanding pyramid is a traditional Scandinavian technique called “himmeli.” Instead of gluing or welding the joints, you use a $10 mini tube cutter to slice 1/8-inch hollow brass tubes into specific lengths. 

Then, you simply thread 24-gauge brass craft wire through the hollow tubes, twisting the wire tightly at the corners to pull the geometric 3D shape together. 

It is surprisingly sturdy, lightweight, and the thin brass tubes are the absolute perfect thickness for hooking dangle earrings. 

Here is everything you will need to manifest this brass earring pyramid.

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Find the complete DIY tutorial here and show her some love. 

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9. The Metal Grate & Wood Frame

Remember the chicken wire picture frame we talked about earlier? Think of this as its sophisticated, modern older sibling.

If the rustic farmhouse aesthetic isn’t really your vibe, you can achieve a much cleaner, contemporary look by swapping out the flimsy chicken wire for decorative aluminum radiator grating or mosaic metal sheeting.

You can find these metal sheets in the hardware aisle of almost any big box store. They come stamped with various geometric patterns, look incredibly premium, and are surprisingly easy to cut to size using a standard pair of tin snips.

Grab a sleek, modern picture frame, or build a simple square frame out of 1×2 pine boards if you want to keep your woodworking skills sharp. 

Just staple the metal grating to the back of the frame. The rigid metal matrix is absolutely perfect for hooking dangle earrings, and because it is solid aluminum, it won’t warp, bend, or sag over time the way wire mesh eventually does.

For a high-end finish, give the metal grate a quick coat of matte black, gold, or brass spray paint before you staple it to the frame.

Here is everything you will need to bring Metal Grate Jewelry Holder to life.

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Full DIY instructions/tutorials here.

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10. The Hidden Mirror Cabinet

As much as I love the idea of turning a jewelry collection into wall art, I also understand that sometimes you just want things tucked away.

Maybe you don’t want your bedroom looking like a boutique 24/7, or maybe your “museum” of shiny things is getting a little out of hand and needs to be contained behind closed doors.

Enter the hidden mirror cabinet.

Wendi over at H2OBungalow has done an excellent job of manifesting this hidden cabinet design.

Although she used beautiful artwork to front the design, you can easily swap it for a mirror of the same size. A mirror makes much more sense for a daily jewelry station, though her artwork version is stunning too.

This build is a slight step up in woodworking, but the utility is off the charts. The “secret” is building a very shallow box frame using 1×2 pine boards. This ensures the cabinet remains low-profile against the wall. You then mount this box to your wall studs and attach a framed mirror to the front using concealed cabinet hinges.

Pro-Tip for the Door: To save time, you can purchase a ready-made framed mirror. Just ensure the frame profile is at least 2 inches wide so there is enough room on the back to mount your hinges.

When it’s closed, it looks like a standard wall mirror. But swing it open, and you reveal a hidden storage matrix. You can line the back with a pegboard, cork, or plain wood loaded with brass cup hooks. Because the cabinet has about 1.5 inches of internal depth, your necklaces stay tangle-free and completely out of sight. 

Add a magnetic catch to keep the mirror securely snapped shut, and you have a stealthy, high-capacity organizer.

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Once you have your build kit ready, you can follow the detailed instructions if you need over at h2obungalow.

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Scrap Wood Solutions

Now we are getting back to basics. If you spend any time in a workshop or doing DIY projects, you inevitably end up with a pile of offcuts, scraps, and unique pieces of wood that are too nice to throw away but too small for furniture. This next batch of ideas is specifically for you.

Wood naturally brings a ton of warmth to a room, and it provides an incredibly sturdy base for mounting heavy jewelry. Whether you are foraging outside for raw materials or digging through your scrap bin, these wood-based builds are straightforward, highly customizable, and perfect for a quick weekend project.

11. The Raw Driftwood Hanger

For those who prefer a more organic or bohemian aesthetic, driftwood provides a unique, sculptural base that requires almost no actual construction. This is one of the fastest projects to pull off because the “design” is already handled by nature.

The process is straightforward: find a sturdy piece of found wood or driftwood with a shape that fits your wall space. After giving it a thorough cleaning and letting it dry completely, you simply install small screw-in hooks along the underside of the wood. 

The natural curves and offshoots of the branch are often perfect for spacing out necklaces and bracelets at different heights, which is exactly what you need to prevent tangling.

To mount it, you can drill directly through the wood into drywall anchors. But for a much cleaner, “finished” look, suspend the entire piece using a thick leather cord or heavy-duty twine attached to a single decorative wall hook above it.

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12. The Tiered Wooden Dowel Display

If you are looking for a project that feels like a true “build” but can still be knocked out with a few lengths of dowel and some scrap lumber, this tiered display is the winner. 

It is essentially a multi-level T-stand, offering varying heights of horizontal storage that are perfect for separating choker-style necklaces from longer pendant chains, or stacking rows of bracelets.

The beauty of this design is its stability and ease of customization. You start with a solid wood rectangular plaque or a thick scrap block for the base. 

You drill a hole in the center of the base and secure a thick (7/8-inch or 1-inch) vertical wooden dowel into it using wood glue and a screw from the bottom.

To create the tiers, you simply drill horizontal holes through that main vertical post at varying heights. Slide thinner (1/4-inch) dowels through those holes to act as your crossbars. 

Add a drop of wood glue to secure them in place. For a high-end furniture look, use oak or walnut dowels and give them a fine sanding followed by a coat of beeswax, or paint them in modern accent colors to match your bedroom decor.

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Quick Build Summary

1. Drill the Post: Use your drill and a 1/4″ bit to drill holes through the 7/8″ dowel at the heights you want your tiers.
2. Assemble Tiers: Slide the 1/4″ dowels through, securing with a drop of wood glue.
3. Attach Base: Drill a pilot hole through the center of the plaque and into the bottom of the post. Secure with a 2-inch wood screw and glue.
4. Stain: Apply the Dark Walnut stain, let sit for a few minutes, and wipe clean.

For a more detailed procedure do checkout Happy Projects.

One quick tip: Since the 1/4-inch dowels are 12 inches long, you might want to use your miter saw (if you have one) or a small hand saw to trim them down to 8 or 10 inches if you want a more compact look.

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13. The Scrap Wood Block

If the tiered dowel stand is too tall for your space, you can take those same scrap wood principles and condense them into a flat, highly functional desktop organizer. 

For a project that makes maximum use of minimal materials, the slotted scrap wood block is a champion.

This build takes a single piece of 1×6 lumber and turns it into a comprehensive docking station for your daily-wear jewelry. The genius of this design is in the table saw work. 

By setting your table saw blade to a 15-degree angle and lowering the blade height to just under half the thickness of your board, you run the wood block through to create shallow, angled grooves across the surface. 

These slots are perfectly sized to hold small cards cut from 1/8-inch wood underlayment, which act as stiff display boards for stud earrings or delicate necklaces.

Next, grab your drill. By drilling a few shallow holes into the flat areas of the 1×6 block, you can glue in short lengths of wooden dowels to act as vertical ring posts or build a mini T-bar for bracelets. 

For a boutique-quality finish, stain the wooden base in a rich, dark color and spray paint the wooden dowels in a metallic gold before gluing them in.

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Full DIY instructions/tutorials here.

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14. The Natural Branch Display

If you want a rustic, organic look but need something sturdier than suspended driftwood, mounting a solid branch directly to the wall is a fantastic weekend project. 

It brings a sculptural, natural element into the room while acting as a heavy-duty hanger for your necklaces and bracelets.

The process starts with foraging. You need to find a sturdy hardwood branch, ideally one with several small, sturdy offshoots and twigs remaining, as these will act as your natural “hooks.” 

Once you have your branch, use a sanding block to remove any loose bark, dirt, or sharp edges so it doesn’t snag your jewelry.

To mount it, you will use a countersink drill bit to pre-drill holes through the thickest parts of the branch. This allows you to drive long screws directly through the wood so the screw heads sit flush (or slightly hidden) beneath the surface of the wood. 

Finally, give the entire branch, screw heads included, a few coats of spray paint. A bold metallic gold, bright white, or sleek matte black instantly elevates it from a “piece of wood” to a piece of modern, functional wall art.

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Full DIY instructions/tutorials here.

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15. The Wooden Embroidery Hoop

If you have a massive collection of stud and hook earrings and need a storage solution that takes up absolutely zero table space, the embroidery hoop is the ultimate quick-fix.

It is lightweight, incredibly cheap, and takes less than five minutes to put together without a single power tool.

The mechanics of an embroidery hoop make it a perfect, self-tightening frame. You simply loosen the top hardware, separate the two wooden rings, and lay a piece of stiff lace, wire screen, or even decorative mesh across the inner hoop. 

Press the outer hoop back over the top, pull the material taut like a drum, and tighten the screw to lock it in place. Run a pair of scissors around the back edge to trim off the excess material.

The natural gaps in the lace or mesh act as an infinite grid for hanging dangling earrings, while stud earrings can be pushed directly through the fabric and secured with their backs. 

You can leave the wood raw for a minimalist Scandinavian vibe, or hit it with a quick coat of spray paint to match your room. Hang it from a simple nail or suspend it from a piece of leather cord, and your earring storage is solved.

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The Builder’s Toolkit

While the specific hardware you need, like brass hooks, wire mesh, or leather cord, will change depending on which of the 15 projects you choose, the tools required to build them do not.

If you want to start tackling small-scale woodworking and upcycling projects but currently have an empty garage, you do not need to drop thousands of dollars on a full shop setup. 

Here are the core, high-utility tools that will unlock almost every single build on this list.

Tool	Utility	Link
20V Cordless Drill Kit	The non-negotiable MVP. Used for pre-drilling pilot holes, driving wall screws, and boring dowel holes across almost every wood project.	DEWALT 20V Max Drill Kit
Detail “Mouse” Sander	Perfect for smoothing rough scrap wood edges, foraged branches, and old window shutters before painting or staining.	BLACK+DECKER Mouse Sander
Heavy-Duty Staple Gun	The fastest, most secure way to attach chicken wire, stretched lace, or linen fabric to frames and corkboards.	Arrow Heavy-Duty Staple Gun
Hand Saw & Miter Box	A cheap, safe alternative to a power saw for getting perfectly straight, clean cuts on 1×2 pine boards and wooden dowels.	Stanley Miter Box with Saw
Mini Tube Cutter	Specifically needed to cleanly slice copper pipes and hollow brass tubing for the industrial, metal-based builds.	Mini Tubing Cutter
Quick-Grip Bar Clamps	Acts as a second set of hands to hold wood blocks and dowels perfectly still while wood glue dries or while you are drilling.	IRWIN Quick-Grip Clamps
Titanium Drill Bit Set	The essential companion to your drill. Must include standard bits for pilot holes and the countersink bits needed for the branch mount.	Titanium Drill Bit Set

Conclusion

So there you have it, 15 ways to finally rescue your jewelry from the dark depths of a tangled box.

As I mentioned at the start, you don’t need to be a master carpenter with a garage full of expensive tools to pull these off. 

Whether you are repurposing an old picture frame, threading brass tubes, or cutting down scrap wood for a tiered display, the goal is simply utility. 

Build something that works, looks great, and solves the daily headache of hunting for a matching earring.

I ended up building a version of the slotted scrap wood block for my sister. It sits on her dresser now, and while her jewelry wishlist is still an absolute museum, at least the pieces she actually owns aren’t fighting for survival in a pile anymore. (And yes, she finally stopped giving me that mean stare, at least when it comes to her accessories).

Maybe I will share a completely different DIY article dedicated to just that. But now I think it’s best to stop here. 

Owing to the fact that I want an exhaustive list of which I wanted every single person to at least find one project to undertake and my obsession towards perfection, I made this article a little too long, I know. But I feel it was worth it, I hope you do too.

Now it’s your turn.

Pick a project, clear off a workspace, and get organized this weekend.

Need more quick shop projects? Check out our list of 21 Small Wood Projects You Can Build Today.