"Raining" Jewelry Display

by ramenkingandi in Craft > Jewelry

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"Raining" Jewelry Display

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In the spirit of #treatyourself2020--because 2020 otherwise sucked--I signed up for a subscription box that sent me a small assortment of jewelry items from South Korea every three months. The influx of necklaces and earrings began to take it's toll on my current jewelry organizer, and it became apparent that I was due an upgrade, one that met a specific set of requirements:

  1. Easy access to the backs of my earrings -- My current organizer was wall-mounted with the holes designated for earrings positioned flush against the wall, which worked well enough for earrings with hooks, but it was a chore to hang up earrings with stud backings.
  2. Modular -- With the jewelry subscription box sending me a steady supply of new items, I needed a display that could expand with my collection.
  3. Fun and quirky design -- While functionality was extremely important, it would also serve as a decorative piece in my bedroom.

When an online shopping search didn't yield an organizer that fit my requirements--at least, not for a price I deemed reasonable--I decided to design and make my own display using parts from an inexpensive Walmart lamp, the same model lamp that I've used previously in some of my other craft projects.

Turning a lamp into a jewelry holder may seem like an odd choice at first, but the floor lamp used in this Instructable is composed of five individual sections that screw together, meaning you can use as many--or as few--of the rod's sections to create a jewelry display that fits your needs.

Only have a small amount of jewelry? Just use two rods for a display that fits nicely on a dresser or bathroom counter. Have a pair of earrings for every single day of the year? Use all five sections and make yourself a 5'11" standing jewelry display to go in a corner of your room or closet!

Supplies

Design the Parts in Tinkercad

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Note: This step covers--in rather painful detail--the creation of the various 3D printed parts used in the making of the "Raining" Jewelry Display. If you aren't interested in creating or modifying the existing parts yourself, skip to "Step Two: 3D Printing the Parts."

The rod of the Mainstay's floor lamp functions as the core of the "Raining" Jewelry Display that all the 3d printed pieces spin around, so the first step in designing the pieces was measuring the circumference of the rod and calculating the diameter, which is approximately 16mm. To ensure that all of the pieces designed in Tinkercad spun around the core smoothly, a Cylinder Hole shape with a 17mm diameter, 64 sides, and 10 segments [IMG 1.01] was used in the making of all of the pieces, as you will see below, to cut a hole for the lamp rod.

Necklace Hook

The hooks for displaying necklaces was intended to mimic the spokes of an umbrella. To create this piece, you will need a Radial Fins shape found on page four of the "All" shape generator tab. Add a Radial Fins to the work plane and adjust the following measurements in the shape's sidebar menu so that they are as follows:

  • Fin Length: 27
  • Wall thickness: 1.5
  • Fins:1
  • Sections: 15

After adjusting the measurements in the menu, manually adjust the Radial Fins on the work plane so that its diameter is 100mm and its height is 15mm [IMG 1.02]. Next, create a Cylinder Hole with a diameter of 90 mm and a height greater than 10mm [IMG 1.03], and raise the Cylinder Hole so that it is floating 5mm above the work plane [IMG 1.04]. Align the Radial Fins and Cylinder Hole so that they are centered [IMG 1.05] and group the two shapes together to form Shape A [IMG 1.06].

Next create the following shapes [IMG 1.07]:

  • Cylinder Hole: 17mm diameter, 50mm height, 64 sides, and 10 segments
  • Cylinder #1: 20mm diameter, 30mm height, 64 sides, and 10 segments
  • Cylinder #2: 30mm diameter, 5mm height, 64 sides, and 10 segments

After creating the above shapes, center align all of them with Shape A [IMG 1.08] and group all of them together to form the Necklace Hook [IMG 1.09].

Earring Holder

The earring display begins as a Cylinder with a diameter of 175mm* and a height of 20mm [IMG 1.10], a Cylinder hole with a diameter of 169mm* and height of 50mm [IMG 1.11] and a Radial Fins with the below menu settings [IMG 1.12]:

  • Height: 20
  • Fin Length: 20
  • Inner Radius: 70*
  • Wall Thickness: 1.5
  • Gap Thickness: 8
  • Fins: 2
  • Sections: 25

Raise the Radial Fins so that it is 13mm above the work plane [IMG 1.13] and change it from a solid to a hole [IMG 1.14]. Center align the Radial Fins, the Cylinder, and the Cylinder Hole [IMG 1.15] and then group them together to form Shape A [IMG 1.16].

Move Shape A to the side for now and add a Box shape to the work plane [IMG 1.17]. Adjust the Box so that it has a 173mm* length, 3mm a width, and a 5mm height [IMG 1.18]. Copy the Box and paste a replica onto the work plane [IMG 1.19], and rotate the second Box 90-degrees so that it is perpendicular to the first Box [IMG 1.20]. Center the two boxes and merge them together to for Shape B [IMG 1.21].

Next create the following shapes [IMG 1.22]:

  • Cylinder Hole: 17mm diameter, 50mm height, 64 sides, and 10 segments
  • Cylinder: 20mm diameter, 20mm height, 64 sides, and 10 segments

Center align the Cylinder, Cylinder Hole, Shape A, and Shape B [IMG 1.23] and group them together to form the Earring Display [IMG 1.24].

*Note: These measurements were adjusted to smaller lengths when creating the smaller-sized earring display.

Spacers

The spacers were created using the below shapes [IMG 1.25]:

  • Cylinder Hole: 17mm diameter, 103mm height, 64 sides, and 10 segments
  • Cylinder: 20mm diameter, 103mm height, 64 sides, and 10 segments

Center align the Cylinder and Cylinder Hole [IMG 1.26] and group them together to create the Large Spacer [IMG 1.27]. Shorten the height of the Large Spacer to 15mm to create the Small Spacer [IMG 1.28].

Umbrella Spoke / Ring Holder

The spoke at the top of the umbrella, which also serves as display for rings, was created with the combined Basic Shapes with the following dimensions [IMG 1.29]:

  • Paraboloid:10mm diameter, 40mm height
  • Half Sphere: 27mm diameter, 6mm height
  • Cylinder: 27mm diameter, 6mm height, 64 sides, and 10 segments

Raise the Paraboloid so that it is 8mm above the work plane, and raise the Half Sphere so that it is 5mm above the work plane [IMG 1.30]. Center align the three shapes [IMG 1.31] and then group them together to create the Umbrella Spoke [IMG 1.32].

Trinket Tray and Umbrella Handle

The "Splash" Trinket Tray at the bottom of the display and the Umbrella Handle were modified from designs I found on Thingiverse. These pieces were enlarged in Tinkercad and dissected through the center by a Cylinder Hole with a 17mm diameter to create a space for the lamp rod.

3D Print the Parts

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After creating the parts in Tinkercad, I downloaded them as .STL files (attached below) and imported them into Ultimaker Cura for slicing.

The following parts were printed using 100% infill:

  • Necklace Hook [A]
  • Large Earring Holder [B]
  • Small Earring Holder [C]
  • Large Spacer [D]
  • Small Spacer [E]

The following parts were printed using 20% infill:

  • Splash Trinket Tray [F]
  • Umbrella Handle [G]
  • Umbrella Spoke [H]

For my jewelry display and for the purpose of this Instructable, I printed one of each of the above, except for the Large Spacer, for which I printed two [IMG 2.01].

Print additional parts as needed for taller displays.

Take Apart the Lamp

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The lamp comes packaged in pieces with the power cord connecting them, so cut the cord at the bottom of the funnel-shaped piece that houses the light switch and light bulb [IMG 3.1] and unthread the cord from all of the pieces. Next, unscrew the light switch from the the plastic funnel by turning the small rod counter clockwise [IMG 3.2].

Now set aside the pieces of the lamp that you will need for this project [IMG 3.3]:

  1. The base of the lamp
  2. 2-5 of the rod pieces
  3. The lampshade
  4. The plastic funnel (and the piece inside where the light bulb would screw in)
  5. The doughnut-shaped screw that attaches the lampshade to the plastic funnel (Should already be attached to funnel when unboxing the lamp.)

Essentially, you will repurpose every piece of the lamp except for the power cord and, depending on the height of your display, a few of the rod pieces.

Turn the Lampshade Into an Umbrella

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Place the lampshade on a piece of paper and trace around the circumference [IMG 4.01]. Cut out the circle [IMG 4.02] and then fold it in half three times [IMG 4.03]. When you unfold the circle, you should have eight equal sections [IMG 4.04]. Align the lampshade with the circle again, and use paper circle as a guide to mark two lines on the lampshade that represent one of the eight sections [IMG 4.05].

Fill in the space between the two marks with masking tape [IMG 4.06]. Draw a shallow arch on the tape and cut it out to create a pattern [IMG 4.07]. Use the pattern to go around the bottom edge of the lampshade to trace eight arches [IMG 4.08].

After you draw your eight arches, cut them out with scissors [IMG 4.09], and when you're done your lampshade should resemble an umbrella [IMG 4.10]. Sand any rough edges as needed, and set aside the lampshade until it's time for painting.

Stack and Glue the 3D Printed Pieces

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Begin by screwing your desired number of lamp rod pieces into the lamp base [IMG 5.01].

Next, squeeze some two-part plastic bonder into a disposable cup and mix the two parts together [IMG 5.02]. First apply the plastic bonder to the top center of the lamp base [IMG 5.03], and then thread the Splash Trinket Tray down the pole to glue it to the lamp base [5.04].

Apply more plastic bonder to the base of the lamp rod near the Splash Trinket Tray, and thread a Large Spacer down the lamp rod [IMG 5.05], using a little force as needed to get the spacer to fit inside the trinket tray. Add either a Small or Large Earring Holder above the Large Spacer [IMG 5.06], but do not add any plastic bonder because you want the earring holder to be able to spin around the lamp rod. Add more plastic bonder and Large Spacer [IMG 5.07], and place another earring holder on top [IMG 5.08]. Continue the process of adding glue, spacers, and jewelry display pieces until you reach the bottom of your topmost lamp rod piece.

After you've reached the bottom of your topmost piece, add plastic bonder to the above the screw joint* [IMG 5.09] and thread the Umbrella Handle [Not pictured because I spaced out and forgot to take a picture] down to the bottom of the topmost lamp rod piece.

*Note: When stacking the pieces, avoid adding glue to the joints where the lamp rods screw together because it will make it difficult to add/remove sections if you decide to modify your design in the future. It may even be easier for you to add the 3D printed pieces to the lamp rod with the rod pieces unscrewed and separated from each other.

Next, without applying any plastic bonder, thread first a Small Spacer and then the Necklace Hook over the lamp rod. Hold the two 3D printed pieces together as you align the top of the Necklace Hook with the very top of the lamp rod and your jewelry display, and place a piece of masking tap directly under the Small Spacer as a maker [IMG 5.10]. Remove the two 3D printed pieces, add plastic bonder above the tape [IMG 5.11], and replace the Small Spacer so it is resting above the tape* while the glue dries.

*Note: The tape should keep the Small Spacer suspended in place, so add more masking tape if it begins to slide down the lamp rod.

For the final bit of gluing, glob plastic bonder inside the funnel-shaped lamp piece where you would normally screw in a light bulb [IMG 5.12]. Insert the Umbrella Spoke into the space for the light bulb, and it should rest flush with the top of hole [IMG 5.13].

After all the plastic bonder has dried* screw the funnel-shaped piece of the lamp into the pole above the Necklace Hook, and prep the jewelry display for painting [IMG 5.14].

*Note: As the glue dries, periodically spin the jewelry display pieces (not the spacers) to make sure no glue that has dripped down from a spacer above and is affecting their ability to rotate around the pole.

Paint the Lamp

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Using spray paints that bond to plastic and metal, paint your jewelry display in your desired colors. I used a metallic silver for the umbrella rod and Necklace Hook, a light blue for the earring displays and trinket tray, and a yellow for the umbrella and handle [IMG 6.01].

Create and Add Umbrella Tips

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After painting your modified lampshade along with the rest of your jewelry display, it's time to add some tips to the eight points of the umbrella. Begin by taking a mini hot glue stick and cutting it half eight times [IMG 7.01] until you have eight equal length pieces approximately a centimeter long [IMG 7.02].

Next, using an X-acto knife and cutting longways, create a ~5mm slit in each of the glue stick pieces [IMG 7.03], and then paint them with the metallic silver spray paint [IMG 7.04].

Once the paint has dried, apply hot glue to each umbrella point on the side of the lampshade that faces inward and is less visible [IMG 7.05], and add a chrome glue stick piece to each point by wedging the lampshade into the slit cut with the X-acto knife [7.06].

Attach Umbrella to Display

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After all of the glue stick tips are attached to the umbrella, place the lampshade--tips pointing downward--over the spoke at the top of the jewelry display [IMG 8.01] and add the screw to keep it in place [IMG 8.02].

Create "Raindrop" Stud Earring Holders

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3D Design Process

Note: The completed .STL file is attached at the bottom of this step.

To create the raindrop shaped holder for stud earrings, begin by placing a Circular Trapezoid shape (found on tab 8 of the "All" category) on the Tinkercad work plane [IMG 9.01], and in the right menu pain adjust the top radius of the shape to 1 [9.02]. Next, adjust the size of the shape on the work plane so that its length is 71mm, its width is 46mm, and its height is 2mm [IMG 9.03].

To add a hole for the earring hook, add a Cylinder Hole to the work plane [IMG 9.04] and adjust it's measurements so that its diameter is 5mm [IMG 9.05]. Move the Cylinder Hole to the peak of the shape and center align it with the top of the Circular Trapezoid [IMG 9.06] and group the two shapes together [IMG 9.07].

Add another Cylinder Hole to the work plane and change its diameter to 1.5mm [IMG 9.08]. Duplicate the Cylinder Hole and center align the two holes along the Y-axis with a gap of approximate 20mm between the two of them [IMG 9.09]. Group the two holes together before center aligning them with the Circular Trapezoid [IMG 9.10]. Copy and paste the two Cylinder Holes until you have about eight pairings evenly spaced and center aligned with the Circular Trapezoid [IMG 9.11]. After they are aligned, group them together with the Circular Trapezoid to create the Stud Earring Raindrop [IMG 9.12].

Print, Paint, and Assembly

Print the Stud Earring Raindrop with 100% infill [IMG 9.13] and paint it to match your jewelry display [IMG 9.14]. After the paint has dried, add a earring hook and a single jump ring through the top hole of the raindrop [IMG 9.15]. To display your stud earrings, poke them through the holes on the teardrop and secure into place with their respective backings like you would if you were wearing them on your ears [IMG 9.16].

Display Your Jewelry

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Congratulations! The display is complete and ready to display your jewelry!