Once you've trained your brain to recognize 1:6 scale, you'll find inspiration EVERYWHERE. For example, last month, a quick trip to Target to buy kitten food (which just so happened to take me past the Home Decor section) yielded far more than just a case of feline fare. Here Collette shows off my unexpected and exciting find - a sleek black mirrored jewelry armoire:

As I zoomed down the aisle en route to the pet section, what caught my eye at first was the combination of size, style and color. I wasn't sure what it was, but it definitely warranted investigation, so I doubled back. A jewelry armoire? In the Home Decor section??? Like someone else who recently provided a Diorama Alert for this same item, the first thing I thought was: Oooo! This would be a great match for the FR furniture collection (though it's clean lines and classic styling mean that it can be used with non-FR pieces, too). In any case, on to the project. Here, you can see what the inside of the armoire looked like before I began. Two rotating racks mounted on the inside top hold necklaces and bracelets while the black flocked velvet tray at the bottom provides storage for rings, earrings, etc.

With a little help from an eyeglass/jewelry screwdriver, those rotating racks were outta there! Next, I ripped out the tray which was glued in at the bottom.

Converting it into a clothing armoire was simple. To create a hanger bar, I used a pair of scissors to cut a slim wooden dowel to the appropriate length, then pushed two 3/4" wooden toy wheels on at at either end of the dowel. After that, I brushed on two coats of inexpensive craft paint in silver metallic (though I could have also used black), let it dry, and then slid the bar into place in the top of the armoire. No screws, no glue, no stress, no mess. The bar is held in place by gravity alone and can be removed, shifted or replaced in the blink of an eye. For additional versitility, add TWO hanging bars or a vertical center partion that would allow you to utilize one side of the armoire for hanging long garments and the other side for shelves, drawers or a bi-level hanging space. To cover the mess at the bottom, I cut out a piece of black flocked scrapbook paper and glued it in place with Elmers Spray Glue. Done. :-)

The best part is, you can do the same thing with ANY jewelry armoire. All you need are the right crafting materials and 15 minutes of your time. (Yes, you **CAN** do this, I swear. It truly is an easy project.) Here's Cher showing off the finished result:

But armoires are not just for clothes. If you take out the hanging rod and add your own shelves, small drawer organizers or cardboard boxes standing on end, you can also use it as an entertainment armoire, a liquor cabinet, a shoe, purse or wig cabinet, a linen closet or even a display nook for a shop or a living room, etc.

To give the back wall a different look, I added a piece of scrapbook paper as a liner.

Adding push pins, head pins or small cup hooks to the inside of the doors will provide additional storage space for belts and purses. Clutch bags, scarves and shoe boxes fit nicely into the bottom drawer. Don't need extra storage space? Why not add artwork and/or door liners instead? Phew. So much for my "I'll just post a few quick how to pics for Diorama Tuesday" notion. Until next time . . .

Best Wishes,
Audrey of Diva Details