I love it when an upcycle comes easily.

It doesn’t always happen this way. Sometimes you have to really scratch away at the dirt to find that diamond in the rough.

And other times, the project seamlessly comes together, as if your hands are being guided by the Repurposing Gods.

This jewelry organizer was one of those “seamless” times. It was amazing how effortlessly this window assumed its new role as an organizer and wall art.

It all started with this antique stained glass window. While scouring the UsedVancouver.com ads, I came across this little beauty pictured above, and promptly emailed the seller.

We met in a parking lot. He proudly unwrapped the window from its shroud of towels and sighed, “Isn’t it gorgeous?”

I agreed. The window was simple and lovely. Heavy solder lines ran through the pattern, and the frame was naturally chippy and worn. Being a lover-of-all-things-rustic, this was perfect.

Then, the seller told me the story: this window was brought back from Europe. It used to live in a small church in Belgium.

Okay. Hold the phone. This window has history? Beautiful Belgian history where there are windmills and nice beers and rolling hillsides!?!? And it somehow got on a plane (and/or boat, but I doubt that) and made its way over here?

Dare I believe it?

The wonderful thing about stories like this is that there really isn’t a way to prove them. You can either decide to believe them, or not.

You can guess what I chose. I believed it! And so my little stained glass beauty came home with me, and became a piece of wall-art-and-functional-organization.

To make your own stained glass jewelry organizer, you will need:

• A stained glass window in a wooden frame
• Metal hooks (I used four gold-coloured ones)
• A cordless screwdriver and drill bit
• A ruler
• A level
• Sawtooth picture hangers
• A hammer

I started by measuring out where I wanted the hooks to go. If you have dramatic jewelry to display, it’s best to keep the hooks a generous width apart.

If this rack is going to be for keys or thin chains, put your hooks closer together. Mine were approximately 3″ apart.

Using a cordless screwdriver and a thin drill bit (compare your hooks to your drill bits – you want the bit to be slightly smaller than the width of the screw end of your hook), I drilled pilot holes along the bottom of the window. I didn’t go much deeper than a centimeter deep, the hook did the rest of the work as I twisted it into the wood.

I didn’t feel the need to refinish or dress up the window frame, mostly because I love a good chippy look.

However, if your window is in serious disrepair and/or isn’t the right colour for your space, you may want to paint the frame. Here is where I will share a word of caution: antique pieces may be painted in lead paint. You can buy a testing kit from a hardware store if you’re worried. Whenever you are sanding an antique piece, be sure to do it in a well-ventilated area (outside or in the garage) and wear a dust mask. It’s when the little paint flecks are airborne that you risk inhaling the lead.

Okay. I’ll take off my safety vest now. I just had to make sure I said that.

I love sawtooth picture hangers. A few whacks with the hammer, and they were easily installed onto the back of my frame. I opted to use two hangers on this piece, due to the weight of the window and the frame. Each hanger will come with a maximum weight capacity. Heed that, or double up!

And in no time at all, I was done! This gorgeous window has now become not only a practical way to display and organize my jewelry, but it is also art for my bedroom .

I love how much character it holds, despite its simple lines and distressed frame.

And it was SO quick and easy to put together. Projects like this are such lovely happenstances.

Thinking about making your own? One for your sweetie for Valentine’s Day? (Or maybe even one for the foyer to hold your keys?) Check out these great listings on your local Used.ca site – there’s a stained glass beauty (perhaps from France or Germany?) waiting for you:

Search for: stained glass, vintage windows, antique windows, window frames. You will typically find them in the household category or antique category.

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Vintage wooden window in Malahat/Victoria
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Antique Window in Ottawa