STYROFOAM (yucky for the environment) but good for displaying jewelry

My BFF Kara, gave me this lovely LEOPARD print jewelry box during one of my many luxuriously restful visits.

Since I live AT the BEACH, I prefer to spend my “vacation” visiting friends & family back east. 

Kara’s guest room, in the quaint, historic town of Frederick, Maryland, houses THE BEST, most comfy BED, bar none. It RIVALS that found in any 5 Star HOTEL.
  (Image courtesy of the Downtown Frederick website)

While visiting Kara, aside from getting plenty of restful sleep, I also get in some splendiferous shopping, often accumulating unique pieces of jewelry.

  
(One of our favorite shops The Muse) 

So, appropriately for the occasion, Kara presented me with this lovely LEOPARD print jewelry box (featured above), knowing my affection for ALL THINGS LEOPARD. 

   
(Even my cell phone case, from which I’m writing this entry, is covered in much loved, and weathered, LEOPARD print.)

The only downfall of my lovely LEOPARD jewelry case is that the drawers would not hold my jewels SECURELY, since there were none of the usual jewelry-holding-type inserts.

I mostly wanted to use it for big rings, because my jewelry collection could not even begin to fit into just one box. 

 

I thought about the “foamy” ring inserts I’ve seen in other jewelry cases. Then I thought about all of the things I’ve bought to furnish my apartment, and I remembered throwing away tons of foam & styrofoam packing material. Much to my chagrin.

I actually put these “foamy” products in the recycle bin in my building’s garbage area. According to the La Sanitation website, styrofoam falls under “plastics” & IS recyclable, YAY!!! Thank GOD! And then I thought, “How perfect some of those pieces would be right now.”

But since I haven’t bought or ordered anything lately, which would come with that wasteful, but now useful, styrofoam, I decided to take a peak in the first floor garbage/recycle area. Yep, I’m not ashamed to pick through recycled boxes in search of “foamy” stuff.  

 

I didn’t do any measuring, but I had an idea of the dimensions of pieces I would need to fit in my LEOPARD jewelry box. I found some pieces that were probably wide enough but too thick for the space.  

 

So I took my cheap, but sharp knife, (the one I do not use for food) and I cut the pieces to make them thinner. I fit them into the drawers of the box. Then I cut slits, spaced evenly apart, and inserted most of my bigger, more glitzy, rings into the slits.

 
  

Some of my smaller rings are housed in my LEOPARD shoe-shaped ring holders. 

 

Did I mention that I LOVE LEOPARD print??

Aside from my LEOPARD cell phone case, I have tons of leopard blankets, pillows, shoes, belts, & I even covered a piece of wood with LEOPARD duct tape to use as a shelf in my bathtub. This LEOPARD piece goes across my tub & supports my corner bathroom caddy. 

 

When all was said & done, my rings now fit securely in my LEOPARD jewelry box. The box sits on two metal slats which have been attached to one of my very large jewelry display cases. 

 

Living in a small, yet cozy, studio apartment, and being just the opposite of a “minimalist,” I am forever making creative use of my space while also using whatever I find lying around, as purposeful pieces to my projects.

These metal things, of which I don’t yet have a name, are leftover from when I used to build stacked closets from particle board units I’d bought at Home Depot. I no longer use these heavy units as they are not “moving friendly.” Instead I’ve switched to wire metal clothing racks.

I’ll share some of my other creative space ideas in future posts.

For now, here’s one use for that “yucky,” un-environmentally-friendly STYROFOAM.

 

And if you take on this type of project, beware that you’ll be cleaning up little, staticky, styrofoam pieces once you’re done cutting. 

 

A vacuum cleaner works well for easy clean-up. Use the hose attachment. 

Water & a cloth also work, but don’t rinse the “foamy” pieces down the drain. We don’t need to add to water pollution. 

 

As I’m wrapping up this piece, and thinking about the association between internal health & the cleanliness & organization of your refrigerator, because I’ve covered that in the linked article, I thought there may be an association between being “organized” & being “healthy,” but the only relationship I could find was related to “business health” and “organizational management.” In reality, being TOO organized might be a form of OCD. Yes, I have a little of that, but I can leave my clothes in a pile with the best of ’em. 

It’s fun to organize AND relax AND get outside for some fresh air & Vitamin D (click link)

 So I’m done. I’m OUT! Going to get my “D” on for the day!!

Thanks for your un”D”vided attention. 🙂