DIY: Cheap and Easy Watch Stand

Finally, something other than food! (But then again, who doesn't like food...)

I've always liked watches, but they just never fit me! Last winter, when I finally learned how to resize my own watches (possible demonstration in the future?), I realized that there was hope for me and my tiny wrists. Thus, my love for watches flourished.

As my small collection continues to grow, I definitely don't want them scattered around my cluttered desk or stuffed in some box. And who wants to pay $10-$20 for a stand?.. Well for those who are just as cheap and equally eager to make things as I am, here's an easy DIY for you!

DIY Watch Stand (EASY)

What you'll need:

• CD container
• Paper towel roll
• Felt
• Scizors
• Fast-drying glue (hot glue gun or E6000 recommended)

*Be cautious of glue fumes. Glue in ventilated area.

Fill the bottom of your CD container with wax or resin to give your base some body and weight. I recommend resin because it isn't as messy and will last longer.

Find the middle of the paper towel roll and cut a hole just big enough to fit the center of the CD container. Cut a little at a time to make sure the hole isn't too big. 

Most CD containers come with a plastic divider; trace and cut out a piece of felt. Cut it a little larger than the disk to ensure you can cover all gaps.

*If you do not have a divider to trace, use a CD or DVD

Glue the plastic divider onto your resin, followed by the felt piece on top. You can see that cutting your felt larger covers the visible resin/wax.

*Thick card stock paper or cardboard can replace plastic divider if needed.

Before covering your pieces in felt, stuff the paper towel roll. Scrap fabric or paper will work just fine. You want the paper towel roll to be sturdy enough to withstand the weight of your watches/accessories. Tape off the open ends to make gluing the end circles of felt easier. I recommend cutting the hole into the felt after covering the paper towel roll.

Cover the rest of pieces. Have all your seams at the back of your stand.

Put glue on the top of the CD container and insert it into the hole and hold firmly for a couple of minutes. Glue around the outside to make sure it is secure. Allow your stand to stand upright for 10-20 minutes to completely set.

At this point, your easy DIY watch stand is complete! But of course, you can always take it to the next level...

Decorating is the best part! Let your creativity run wild. I had some decorative ribbon lying around from a previous DIY and decided to use the rest of it for some simple embellishments. It really does make a difference!

And NOW you're done!

Since the materials used in this DIY are merely scraps found around the house, it won't always be very stable, especially with heavy watches and jewelry. So I recommend trying to balance the weight on both sides.

This DIY was really cheap and easy, and as my collection grows, perhaps I'll make another DIY that accommodates to more! Until then, here are a few of my favorite watches at the moment:

I really had a lot of fun making this and I hope to soon expand on this as well as expand my collection. Here's to more future DIYs!

Cafe Darak

Last weekend, I made my way to Cafe Darak, a Korean-owned, vintage inspired cafe that just recently opened not too long ago. I've heard many good things about this little place and have been dying to try it out! While the boyfriend was still in town, what better time to try somewhere new?

This place once again fed my obsession for interior design. It was obvious that the vintage trend was prevalent here and I thought it was quite adorable. I just really enjoyed the ambiance overall. It seemed like everywhere you turned, there was something to look at. For a small place, it had such a comfortable atmosphere where people could just sit back, relax, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and munch on delicious desserts.

I actually really liked the fact that none of the furniture or decor really matched.

I loved their collection of vintage cameras and radios.

I cannot stress how badly I wanted to go into the tent and fall asleep. Sadly, there were people in it the entire time.... I could tell that this place had a thing for Volkswagen from some of their signs and small knick knacks lying around, and of course this giant tent!

I thought the little trinkets on their serving trays were a cute touch.

Now finally, on to their food! They had a variety of drinks (mostly tea and coffee as well as common bottled/canned options) and desserts. Going to Cafe Darak I already knew what I HAD to try, and that was their macarons and their Honey Bread. Sadly they only had raspberry macarons left, but it was nonetheless delicious. The center was a little on the sweet side, but also had a slight tartness. Such a flavor had to have been made with fresh raspberries (probably that morning). The macarons were a dollar each which, compared to many other bakeries, is very reasonable. 

"Do you know what my shirt's made out of? BOYFRIEND MATERIAL."

To accompany the macarons, I thought I'd try out their coffee and ordered an iced Cafe Mocha (usually my drink of choice at cafes). I don't like my coffee too sweet, so this definitely satisfied me. It was a good balance of sweet and bitter in my opinion. The coffee that they offer in general costs a little less than a venti frappacino at Starbucks (a little under $5).

I can't tell you how excited I was to try their Honey Bread. After sampling what Bay Area cafes had to offer (those of which were much larger and fancier than this and costing ~$12), I've been on a mission to find anything that compares here in Vegas. The syrup was definitely SUPER sweet, as expected, but surprisingly the vanilla ice cream on top was not, so I thought the two balanced quite well. The bread itself was warm and soft yet still crispy and flaky. Although not nearly as glamorous as what I've had before, I actually really enjoyed it for what it was and I'd say that it was worth the $5.

All in all, the boyfriend and I (and friends) enjoyed our first experience at Cafe Darak and I'll definitely be coming back soon with an empty belly! 

I only wish that this place wasn't so far from my house!