I'm about to move, so I've gotten really into DIY and interior decoration, in preparation for trying to make my scruffy student flat look a lot nicer. This is a really, really cheap and useful project I came up with recently, and I think it's worth sharing!


Necklace storage is such a hassle, because if you do it wrong you'll either end up with a tangled mess or have your jewellery in a place that makes it forgettable. Because they're so beautiful, it's nice to be able to display them too.

Note that this DIY uses Pianola Roll spools. I've had some of these lying around, for a while, having decided they were perfect for upcycling, but if you don't have that specific circumstance atm, head to an opshop or online auction. They're basically worthless artifacts, besides maybe a couple of rare or mint condition ones, so go no higher than $2 (NZD) each.

Things I used:

-Pianola Roll spool(s)
-Classic white string (the kind everyone has that never seems to run out!)
-Scissors
-Clear glue

The ingredients are pretty flexible. I used the string to decorate my spools, but you could use anything else, eg, wool, paint, paper or fabric. You don't even need a Pianola Roll spool exactly! I think they're perfect for this, but if you have something else floating around your house you think will work, try that. This DIY assumes the exact process I used will be replicated.

Method:

1. Strip your Pianola Roll sheets off so you have a naked spool. The box and sheets of the Pianola Roll could totally be used for some other project, so keep them if you want.


2. You'll find that one of the Pianola Roll spool handles either comes off completely or comes out just a little- this will be where you want to end up at, so start at the other handle. Keeping the string attached to the string spool, tie it tightly to the Pianola Roll spool, pushing it as close as possible to the handle.

3. Use a tab of glue to secure the knot. You could also use clear nail varnish. Dab a bit of glue and lay down the loose piece of string. 4. Start wrapping the string as tight as possible around the spool, going over the loose end of string to secure it.

5. It takes about 20-40 minutes to wrap a spool. Keep going around and around. It's a good thing to do whilst listening to a podcast or watching TV. If you need to get up at any point, place the spool down and use something heavy to keep the string taut. Every so often, dab a bit of glue on the spool and wrap over it, just to keep things secure.

6. When you've reached the end, pop out the handle a little bit and wrap in this small gap a couple of times. Tie a tight knot. Snip off the string and use glue to secure the knot and the shortened end of string.

7. Cut a long piece of string and tie it around the middle of your spool (or do it twice towards each end). To find the middle, tie the string loosely around approximately the centre point, then holds the string, dangling the spool in mid air. Move the string along the middle section until the spool hangs perpendicular to the string it dangles on. Tie a tight double knot, then use glue to secure the knot and the string that wraps around the spool.

8. Tie a knot and push a pin or nail through the string loop, attaching it to a wall or pinboard. I think these look nicer in duos, so make another if yours looks lonely or you have a lot of jewellery.

9. When adding necklaces, remember that you'll also need to be able to take them off! You could make it so you have to undo the clasp to take the necklace off, or simply place the necklace over the spool and pull the pendant through the loop created, so it can just be pulled off (this doesn't work so well for chunky or stiff necklaces).


Ta-da! Super easy and, more importantly, mega cheap. There are heaps of cool things you could do with these, like painting over the wrapped string or hanging one from another, go crazy.

Sites like TradeMe (for us NZers) and eBay (the actual auction-y side) are fantastic because they combine two of the greatest activities of modern life: thrifting and online shopping. Paradise.

I've bought some absolute gems over TradeMe. I got a Uniqlo skirt for $3 (inc shipping). I've also got- no, we'll be here if I list all the great things I've bought off TradeMe. Incidentally, I've been to the TradeMe offices! They have a slide. I went down it. It was super flimsy and creaky. They were also planning to go international back in 2012- I'm not supposed to talk about that, but hey, it's been long enough and I never signed anything.

Right, off topic.



To skip to the point, there's a right way to do online auction sites. Instead of searching for the cheapest Buy Nows and auctions that have a week to close, use whatever filters are available to you on your local/fave auction site to mirror this search function:



The price is flexible, but you get the gist. You want to find what auctions are about to end, because this means there's less time for you to get outbid or involved in a bidding war. Either narrow down your category or do what I do and look at everything under the sun in a broad category, such as Woman's Clothing.

If you're looking for something specific, then don't use this method. This is for 'rummaging', and finding really cheap goods that you don't really need (although marketing discourse actually defines 'need' as including 'wants', so you can argue that you do 'need' that new pair of shoes you're coveting).

Another TradeMe tip for NZers: Use the mobile app, not the website! The app is configured to show thumbnails of all listings, not just the ones which have paid extra for a photo on the search screen.

Also, Happy 2015 everyone! Welcome back to Absolootely for the year :-)