I decided to go ahead and convert my found jewelry armoire (I blogged about it a couple weeks ago, here) into a jewelry armoire for myself. It was a great no-fuss (no sew, no glue, no construction, no paint) project that took me about 30 min to finish last night and I’m really pleased with how it turned out!

The only adjustments this cabinet really needed were to have the screws replaced in one of the hinges on the lid and to add some felt lining to the compartments in the top that I’d be putting my jewelry bits and pieces in. I used some felt rounds that came stacked between a new set of plates we bought to cut out the inserts I’d need, and that’s all the materials I used!

My original plan was to remove the bottom sheet of wood from under the compartment drawer, lay a piece of felt across the whole thing then reattach the divisions. Unfortunately, the small compartments originally intended for spools and bobbins each had their own curved bottom so that wasn’t going to work. Instead, I laid a piece of felt on top and gently traced the shape of each compartment using a felt pen, then cut out the traced shape.

Luckily, the inserts fit perfectly and didn’t even need any glue to keep them down! I just tucked them neatly into each little slot. I needed to cut a few pieces to fill the long compartments.

All that was left was to load it up with my jewelry! I used the small felt-lined compartments for earrings, pendants and necklaces, and used the larger ones for necklaces that I didn’t want to bunch up and some pieces that didn’t fit neatly into the smaller openings.

The spindles of the lid were originally intended for large spool or bobbin storage, I think. They’re removable so are perfect for storing my large hoop earrings and necklaces that tend to get all wrapped up on themselves and tangled.

I used the drawers to store larger items that wouldn’t fit into the top compartments. The top drawer now houses my nicer jewelry and perfectly fits one of my jewelry boxes for more storage of fine rings and earrings, with enough space to store my bracelets off to one side. The bottom drawer is a little deeper and perfect for large costume pieces and a few keepsakes.

I’m thrilled that I finally have a jewelry armoire and the space to lay out all my pieces! Who knows? Maybe I’ll get really crazy now and actually wear jewelry on a daily basis! LOL!