DIY Jewelry Display

If you make handmade jewelry for sale, or just want to keep your favorite pieces on display this DIY Jewelry Display is a cute way to go about it.

A couple of months ago I was reading a design magazine and I noticed somebody had some glove molds that I liked used as jewelry displays. It suddenly occurred to me that I could just DIY my own.

After a trip to the hardware store to get something else, I bought a couple of pounds of plaster and brought it home, but I was in the middle of something else, so it just sat there for weeks.

About three weeks ago I dusted off the idea of a DIY jewelry display and started here:

I grabbed a surgical glove (I have a lot, I use them for painting), and cut off a water bottle that I taped to the glove wrist to keep the opening stretched. I cut some bamboo skewers and put one in every finger, sticking out enough into the "palm". This will make it more structurally sound. some pieces of wire would work too.

I mixed the plaster (follow directions in the package) and filled up the glove with it. I had to hold the glove for a few minutes while the plaster hardened. I bent the fingers slightly (the skewers would not let me bend it too much). It gives it a more natural look., but it still is not a realistic hand, it is a display, not a sculpture.

When the plaster hardened I peeled off the glove (it came off easily) and let the plaster cure. After it hardens, the plaster retains a lot of water, it has to be dry before doing anything to it, so I let it dry for about a week.

Before I put it away to dry, I screwed in a flat head screw in the center, this is best done before the plaster dries. It had to be done slowly and remove the screw when it was half-way through so the excess plaster will come out.

I needed a base for it, a small MDF plaque would have been nice, but I didn't have any. So I glued and screwed it to a jar lid. Then I turned the display upside-down and filled the lid with plaster and let it dry another day.

I filled the pores and creases with a watered-down plaster mixture, let it dry, sanded the hand with a very fine sandpaper, then I spray painted the whole thing with high-gloss white paint. It took 3 coats for complete coverage.

I glued a circle cut out of a cork tile to the bottom (felt works too). It finishes it nicely.

I finished it by glueing a string of plastic pearls around the wrist, and that was it. 6 weeks from idea to completion. And if I hadn't told you, you'd think I just did this last night in time for today's post.

This is pretty delicate, and would break if it is hit, or falls, so it should definitely be out of reach of kids.

If you make handmade jewelry for sale, this is a cute way to photograph them. You can opt for a different color (matte black perhaps?) for a more high-end look, although the high-gloss paint gives it the porcelain-ceramic look I was aiming for.

I used to make models with plaster in university, and I think it is a versatile, forgiving material. Not to mention cheap.

Now I just need to make some actual jewelry to display on it.
Enjoy!