So following Jamie’s instructions, I bought:

-Open-backed frame without glass (I found my simple black one for $12 at Hobby Lobby in the 90% off custom reject section)

-Window screening ($6 at Home Depot for a roll large enough to make 30 earring holders)

-Staple gun ($8 at Hobby Lobby)

First, I cut the screen with scissors to fit the frame. It was pretty easy to cut it with scissors, but if you have a pet or an often-barefooted roommate, be mindful that the screen left behind some small metal pieces that could be painful to step on.

Next, I pulled the screen across the back of the frame and used the staple gun to put in the first staple. Then I moved to the opposite side and put in another staple and continued that pattern until it was stapled all the way around. If I had it to do over again, I would probably staple the screen to the back of the frame rather than the inside lip of the frame (where the glass would press against if the frame had glass) because I think I would have been able to pull the screen tighter that way. Mine wasn’t super tight, but it’s still functional. Also, the staples ended up coming through a little on that inside lip so you can see them from the front. Oops. Luckily my frame is black and my staples are black, so it’s not terribly noticeable. I touched up the staple holes a little bit with a Sharpie, just in case they showed.

I’d hoped that I could put some hooks in the bottom of the frame so that I could have my earring holder double as a necklace holder, but I guess that was a little too greedy because no matter how hard I tried to get those screw-in hooks to go in the frame, they just weren’t budging. Also, as a heads-up, I didn’t realize beforehand that this type of holder isn’t ideal for hoops or post earrings.

But all told, I’m pretty happy with my homemade earring holder. It’s not flashy by any means, but now that I’ve got all my earrings on it, I think it adds a bit of something to the empty wall by my dresser. Check it out:

Thanks to Jamie for the idea! If a crafting newbie like me can do it, believe me, anybody can. Plus it gives you an excuse to buy cute new earrings as ART. Anyone want to hit Forever 21 with me?

This year that all changed when one chickster decided to throw a Halloween party and invite some other chicksters and their boytoys. When a couple of chicksters tossed around costume ideas over La Palapa’s tortilla soup, one of the ideas included “Kill Bill”‘s Gogo Yubari, the mace-wielding schoolgirl/personal bodyguard of O-Ren Ishii. I loved the idea from the get-go. Not only did it give me a chance to subtly bring sexy back to Halloween, but it also gave a little credence to this chickster’s mister, who thinks her eyes make her look like her family is more from Hanoi than Houston. And the costume had been featured on my favorite show of all-time, “Gilmore Girls.” (If the Kurt Cobain costume didn’t clue you in to the extent of my geekery, I’m betting that last statement just did.)

So what did I need to become Gogo? A wig (check), schoolgirl outfit (easy peasy) and a mace (not so easy). I started with the long black wig, which I found for $15 at Spirit the Halloween store. Next, a trip to Goodwill yielded a navy blazer, plaid skirt, white Keds and a tie for less than $20. I was afraid the mace would be my downfall. I trolled the aisles of Michael’s, a foreign wilderness to those of us not versed in the language of DIY, and picked up various objects, wondering how someone craftier than I could turn a styrofoam ball into a deadly weapon.

Finally, a trip to the new Costume World opened up a new realm of possibility when I came across a ball and chain and then a spiked collar. Using a bit of superglue, I attached the collar around the diameter of the ball. Since the chain was only a few inches long (and made of black plastic), I headed to Home Depot and picked up five more feet of real chain for a scant $3. I have to admit that the addition of the real chain really gave the mace some gravitas and had the added bonus of making that awesome swishing sound when I whipped it around.

When I got dressed for the Halloween party, I was pretty excited about my costume. And then I was even more excited when most people actually got who I was and thought it was pretty cool.

But what’s the main lesson I learned from this experience? Always choose a costume that involves a weapon. People don’t care how accurate the costume is or even who you’re dressed up as when you’re carrying something shiny that looks like it might kill someone.

Gogo battles Shaun of the Dead