CD Spindle Earring Stand

A very simple project to take the leftover stuff from a stack of blank CDs and make a stand to hold earrings. 

step 1Find a suitable CD stack spindle

I had a stack of blank CDs stored on this spindle. There was also a plastic cover, but it's unfortunately gone to the landfill, as I couldn't figure out another use for it. But the spindle that held the blank CDs was quite nice, and the little plastic top that held the whole thing together screwed on nicely. Obviously this won't work with just any spindle without som…

step 2Drill holes in the CD

I had a stack of CDs with useless data on them. This one came from a tourist bureau, and I liked the color, so decided to have the colored/label part show. You could also put the silver, shiny side up. Start with the CD. I used a Dremel cutting tool, but a power drill would also work. 1) clamp the CD firmly to a piece of wood. The wood will have a few dozen tiny …

step 3Glue drilled CD to spindle top

First figure out where the CD and the top of the spindle are touching. There were relatively few contact points on mine. That influenced my decision about what glue to use, as I wanted to use a glue that would 'fill in' a little, and increase the area of the bond. Household GOOP was perfect. Epoxy would likely also work fine. I usually squeeze the goop out onto a p…

step 4Assemble

Here's what mine looked like when I screwed it back together.

step 5Load with earrings and admire

Now you can end the jumble of earrings on your dresser, and have all your lovelies neatly displayed and ready for action. If I can find a tall enough spindle, I'm going to try to do something with necklaces next.

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Flea Market Sales Tips with notes on Cost and Tax

1. To determine how much you should charge for each item, take into account how much the item cost you, tax, and shipping charges, then multiply that total 2 to 3 times for sales to your customers.
2. Before you set up your booth, place price tags on each and every piece of merchandise you intend to sell.
3. If you are selling items in a state that requires you to charge sales tax at a flea market, then be sure to note on each price tag that there is “tax included.”
4. Some states require you to obtain a business license with tax ID and display it in your booth. They may also require you to charge state and/or federal income tax, but you can pass that cost along to your customers as noted above. Usually they will offer temporary licenses for each time you set up a booth at a flea market, but some will require you to pay an annual license tax amount.
5. Make a checklist of items you need to bring for the business side. We recommend:

pens and markers

price tags

scissors

scotch tape

stapler

notebook

reference table of sales tax

calculator or adding machine

an extra roll of receipt tape

cash box with adequate change and smaller bills

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