Hello lovely readers! Today I am over on We Heart This with my tutorial for a DIY Evil Eye Ring. It’s actually so easy to make with a little bit of clay and paint, and rivals anything you can find in a store. Plus if you weren’t aware of the deep history behind this symbol, I’ve shared a little about the cultural significance of it too. Check it out and let me know what you think!
xo
Carly
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So this now closes my Rings Week series – it actually ended up being TWO weeks as I’ve gotten so behind on things.
This is how I store my rings in my closet: right below my clothing, on top of my tights drawer.
Storing rings (or just about anything) I’ve always found a challenge – because the more you have, the harder it is to make the storage look “neat” and “organized.” My solution is to store my rings with thin bands in a velour-lined case, bought from a jewelry supply shop; it keeps them visible, neat, and looks a little luxurious. (This is a tufted ring display, similar to this one here.)
(I stack another box and 3 layers below this one that hold small stud earrings, chain necklaces, and larger necklaces. Similar flocked inserts are sold here, and the trays are sold here.) But lately I’ve acquired a number of rings that have very thick shanks or wide bands or large, wide stones in them, and have had trouble figuring out how to store/display them. (For me, if I don’t have it on display in front of my face, I completely forget that it’s in my closet.;-) At first I tried compartmentalized boxes, but I own such a range of sizes and widths that I was still left with rings that didn’t fit in the boxes, or tiny, delicate rings that were just left swimming in their compartments. So I now keep my larger rings all jumbled together (they’re costume jewelry anyway) in wide, cotton-lined jewelry gift boxes that have come with one purchase or another at some time. 
You can see some of the ring shanks are wrapped with moleskin to prevent them slipping off my fingers.
Right now this is what’s working best for me.
If you like displaying and storing your jewelry in a professional manner, you can certainly just use what jewelry stores do: velour, denim, plastic, or leather stands and cases are all surprisingly affordable and chic. Some people also like buying tiny busts or miniature mannequins to display their favorite pieces, on top of a dresser or armoire for easy access. You can pile all your rings on long spikes (like those desk accessories that you stab finished receipts onto from old film noir movies) for a long n clustered look.
Brass Desk Spike Paperweight from Amazon.com
If you like the idea of a ring tray, Smart N Snazzy has a great DIY for making your own, lined in satin. It gives the standard jewelry tray and utterly regal feel.
The ubiquitous hand-holder. (img src)
Some people choose to display their rings on a branched holder; I’ve seen one shaped like deer antlers or trees; some use real sticks and branches to give their collection an earthy, bohemian feel.
Deer from Urban Outfitters; no longer available.:-(
The uber-talented duo from Dismount Creative DIY’d another Urban Outfitters piece: this one, white dollhouse chairs in a tower-cum-jewelry-organizer (which is also a great option if you like the “branch” setup and like to keep things on display). What an inspiring project!
Do you have any ring storage solutions or ideas that work for you? Please let me know in the comments!
Well this Week of Rings has been fun! Hopefully there’s been some info in there that has been inspiring or useful – and helped us all look at those little decorations for our fingers just the slightest bit differently. Thanks for reading along!
xoxo
Carly
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Question Mark Ring from CHAO & EERO – you can place an order from them here
Since beginning this week chock-full of ring-themed posts, I realize I haven’t delved into the basics just yet. So for all of you who have questions about rings: how to clean em’, how to size em’, how to keep ’em…this post’s for YOU! (more…)
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Boy, I wish this site had been around when I got engaged! Hub, kind and loving that he is, honestly isn’t the most clued-in when it comes to my personal taste or jewelry that I am drawn to. As a result, I’m not really a fan of my own engagement…or wedding rings, sad to say.:-( Though they are representative of our bond and our commitment to each other, they’re really not representative of either of us!
But shopping for an engagement ring is one of the most difficult things to do for a guy – ever! You (as the lady on the receiving end) probably don’t want to whip out a list and say “This is what I want…something like this….but not THIS…” and hand it over to your guy before he even gets around to popping the question (talk about putting the cart before the horse!) You can drop hints all you like prior to being asked but sometimes they go right over your guy’s head – or worse, he hears all of your hints and decides instead to choose something that he likes because it symbolizes his love for you. (Yet you’re the one who has to wear it. Ladies – please chime in here: is this ever okay?) Oftentimes guys have no clue where to start and just ask their other guy friends, or other women in their lives for their advice…often even defaulting to their mothers to make this difficult choice!(*ahem*) And sometimes there’s no hinting at all – and you are caught completely by surprise by the proposal – and didn’t even have a chance to mention what you’d really like to wear to show off as a symbol of your bond.
Enter ThisRING.com, designed to take the guesswork out of buying an engagement ring for someone else. From their description:
It’s straightforward, no matter if you are in a relationship or not you just create an account, including diamond color and shape, ring size and metal type, and ring styles that you might have seen and wish to replicate. It’s a very simple process, and can take as little as five minutes to complete. Once done, for a very small fee the man can secretly access your details so the proposal is still a surprise, but present you with the ring of your dreams!
The style guides are specific enough so that the bride-to-be can lay out the details of what she likes…and vague enough so that the groom-to-be can still make his own decisions for the final piece.
What do all of you think? Is this a service you can see yourself using? Are you happy with your engagement/wedding ring yourself? How did you get the hint across to your beau?
(Take it from somebody who’s been on the receiving end of something…less than perfect…it ends up as a permanent “wish it couldabeen….” years down the road. Perhaps at our 10th wedding anniversary we’ll renew our wedding/engagement rings so they’re more…our style…but gosh, it would have been soooo nice to get them right the first time around!!)
I had some different content planned for all of you this evening…but I have the flu, and have spent most of this week cocooned in blankets and tissues. Hopefully I’ll be able to string together a couple sentences in coherent thought when the Dayquil kicks in tomorrow, and post something more meaty then. Til tomorrow, lovelies!
xoxox
Carly
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Well, according to Emitations.com – check out the amazing infographic above that they put together about the iconic Kate Middleton Ring! (Probably the most well-known and discussed ring of late…)
If you are looking to purchase the affordable version of the Kate Middleton ring in Sterling Silver or in silvertone (or any other jewelry inspired by Kate and the Royal Family), Emitations has an entire page of possibilities! Also: Until May 9th, take $4 off a $40 order with code HN440, and take $12 off a $80 order with code HN1280 (So the Kate Middleton ring in Sterling Silver would end up at $70 using code HN440, for example.)
What do all of you think? Is the appeal in owning what feels to be a part of history? A pretty jewel? An icon of royalty? Do tell!
xoxox
Carly
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Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
