How to make a jewelry display from old shutters

I spent a long time looking for a great way to display my earrings at craft shows and couldn't find anything I really liked, so I made my own display instead. It wasn't very hard and relatively inexpensive, so I decided to post a tutorial so everyone could see how it's done.

Supplies: two shutters, sand paper, cleaning rag, spray paint, a tarp or other paint protection layer, small hinges, drill, screwdriver, and a pencil.

1. Find some old shutters. You need the kind with actual slats and not just shaped plastic. I found mine on craigslist, but you might already have some at home, or can find them at a flea market or junk shop.

2. Take off all the old hardware. If the shutters have any large or unsightly holes fill them with putty. I left mine as they were because I think it adds character.

3. Use a little sand paper to sand down any rough spots or chipping paint, then wipe clean with a damp rag.

4. Spray paint the shutters, be sure to spray from different angles to get all around the slats, plan on doing a few coats. I picked a flat black color because it will show off my bright jewelry best.

5. Attach the hinges. I did this by closing the shutters right sides together and laying them flat on a table (make sure the slats tilt the same way on both sides) That made it easy to just hold the hinge where I wanted it and pencil mark where I would need to drill to put the screws.

6. Stand your shutters up and open them at a 60 degree angle. Congrats you are finished! You can place hook style earrings straight on the slats of the shutters or use earring cards. Hang the earrings from the front of the card and stick the back through the slat.