From Trash to Treasure

Turn a thrift store find into something fabulous! 

A cheap, quick, and easy way to add a cute accent to any room is to buy a cheap figurine from any thrift store and spray-paint it! Usually figurines you find at the Goodwill and other thrift shops are covered in weird patterns or just straight up ugly, but painting them a solid color can really change things up! I bought this 8" tall rabbit that had a strange flower pattern and poorly painted facial features and turned it into a nice piece to set on a table or desk. I can't wait to see how it looks in the new apartment. 

Hello, I am the Project Queue!

My name is Joslyn and I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska where mile-high skyscrapers and mile-long cornfields are just 30 minute drives from each other. I love it here in Nebraska, and am proud to call it home. In 2011, I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Fine Art with an emphasis in graphic design. I've loved creating art since as long as I can remember and have yet to run out of creative juice. Illustration and design are my passions, but I also love working on creative projects as well. Since discovering Pinterest a couple of years ago, I've "pinned" a bunch of DIY projects and crafts that seemed fun, interesting, and practical to me. However, I found myself throwing a lot of these projects on the back burner. Every time I came across a creative idea that I wanted to try, I thought to myself, "Throw it in the project queue, I'll get to it eventually." But with summer arriving and a lot of new-found free time with my new design job, I discovered I had a lot more time to work on things than I thought! I decided to start The Project Queue to document my projects and hopefully inspire others to get out there and be creative! I will try and update weekly with either a new project I am working on or other helpful design tips. Feel free to share your ideas, projects you've done, or any other helpful advice you can give! Instead of sitting around and collecting ideas, get up and finally create one! It's a lot easier than you think. 

Vintage Frame Jewelry Holder

How To Make Your Own Vintage-Inspired Jewelry Holder

Here is a simple and creative way to display your jewelry as well as add a decorative vintage-inspired element to your bedroom.

What You Will Need:

- Basic white frame from a craft store

- 3 or more strips of lace fabric, each 1 yard in length

- 1 can of spray paint, any color of your choice

- sewing or fabric scissors

- hot glue gun

Step One:

First, you are going to spray paint your frame. Make sure you have a solid and level area away from your house and vehicles that you can paint on. I used an old sheet and a piece of cardboard so I wouldn't get any paint on the driveway. Be aware of any tree branches above you, because debris could fall from them and stick to the wet paint!

Step Two:

Once you have sprayed your first coat on your frame, let it dry for about 10-15 minutes. This will allow the paint to set and you will be able to spot areas that you might have missed. If you are working with an intricate frame like mine, be sure to get into all of those nooks and crannies! You don't want any white space. Give your frame about 3 coats and let dry for a 2-3 hours.

Step Three:

After your frame has dried, it's time to add the lace. Before you do any gluing, take a ruler and mark out where you are going to stretch your strips of fabric. This will help you get straight consistent lines every time. 

Step Four:

Dab a small dot of hot glue on one of the marks. Carefully place one end of your fabric strip on the glue and press it into the glue. Then take the other end of the fabric and do the same on the other side. Make sure you are keeping the strip of fabric tight, you don't want a droopy line of lace. Once the fabric seems to be set in place, dab a little bit of extra glue on each end to make sure it's secure.

After letting the glue cool, the project is complete!

Cut off any extra fabric that sticks out from the frame and you are done! Hang it on a wall with either a nail or Command Strips. The total cost of lace, frame, & spray paint: $23.44