As I still seem to be pissing my fetus off and causing it to create a major pain in my back I am forced to continue on my “Imagine the Impossible” challenge of coming up with couch crafts. I have been meaning to make some doll clothes for my son’s favorite bunnies for some time and what better way to use my time than knocking that project off my list.
I did do a tiny bit of prep work off the couch. I grabbed an arm load of fabric scraps, buttons, velcro, thread, scissors, and hand sewing needles. I sat down and very quickly traced the arms and torsos of Hippity and Hoppity and came up with two tiny patterns for a bib and jacket. Then I reclined on the couch cut them out and hand-sewed the clothes.
Pile of Scrap. Of course Cheerios had to be involved.
Sure what took me a few hours laying and sewing would have taken mere minutes on a machine. However, it kept me busy and McClain Ooohhed and Aahhhed while I was fitting them. As a bonus he got to be more a part of the process. Of course when he wanted the thread, needle, and scissors I had to limit the amount of the process he could be.
Hoppity and Hippity in their new finery. The bib closes with velcro so McClain can take it off and on. The jacket just slips on and off but I reinforced the seams so he can’t easily rip it as he learns to dress them.
Anyway, for my first check in on the “Imagine the Impossible” it is still feeling pretty damn impossible to be idle for another 6-8 weeks and find crafts I can do and blog about. At least I found one I and my son enjoyed!
Here is an example of some quick patterns. McCall’s and Vogue eat your heart out.
When you are looking at scraps think about unusual layouts for the patterns. Here I used the selvage of the red fabric to make and interesting back and collar. As a bonus I didn’t have to hem/finish those edges.
Below are 10 ideas to cheaply organize your home. Since the object of organization is not to buy stuff but to organize I have been trying to find ways to repurpose objects I already have hanging around. Plus I threw in a few cheap and/or creative ideas that might require getting a few things, but damn they look good and organized.
In no particular order:
1. Single Socks
Get rid of single socks (you know the ones left behind after the sock monster eats one) and make a holder to keep your wrapping/craft paper from unrolling.
2. Mint.com
As we discussed Wed. organization goes beyond your stuff. Get a clear picture of your finances with this free website. It takes a bit to load everything but will calculate everything from net-worth to projected budgets. www.mint.com
3. Baby Food Jars
Yesterday we made a mounted spice rack with baby food jars. Today we find they are the perfect height for loose bobby pins.
4. Old School Trapper Keeper
I have a magazine problem. Do you? So instead of buying scads of these:
These are Martha Stewart magazine organizers. You can google them and find a variety of sources. Pretty, but bulky and expensive.
I buy an old school trapper keeper, then yank out the articles/inspiration/recipes I want to keep from each magazine as I read it. Throw them in a labeled folder , such as recipes (like I’m actually going to do any of those), or three hole punch and move on. Sure the racks of magazine containers can be pretty but the single folder takes .1% of the space and is a lot faster since I don’t have to flip through for the article I am looking for.
5. Garden Gear Inside
Got some unused hanging baskets in the garage? Pour out the dirt, remove the coconut liner, and hang from the ceilings or walls for instant storage. Image courtesy of Centsational Girl via BHG.
6. Google Calendar
Got family members everywhere? Sure a large blackboard calendar or dryerase board is great at home but what about when you’re on the go? Check this calendar from work or your smart-phone. google.com/calendar
7. Dollar Store Cutlery Organizers
Those random plastic draw dividers made for utensils… Yeah perfect for nail polish, lotion bottles, brushes. The list goes on and on. Just think you could pay $10.00 on Amazon to store your nail-polish or .50 cents using kitchen gadgets.
8. Old Packaging
I didn’t actually turn that into that, but I’m hoping to. See the tutorial link below.
Sure the discarded cereal box is not the storage solution for everyone… BUT what if you could make it fabulous? Here is a tutorial at Positively Splendid that takes these ugly diaper boxes and makes them faboo! What other free packaging can I turn into chic holders?
9. Goodwill Containers
Maybe you aren’t into thrifting your footwear, but take a second look at second hand. Glass apothecary jar $1.75 and juice glass .75 cents at Goodwill. Keep in mind I knew I needed containers for Q-tips and cotton balls before I went so I didn’t buy a bunch of glass items that wouldn’t fit.
10. Old Furniture
Sure we have all seen the TV cabinet turned into a craft station or an old dresser made-over into a buffet. But how about these puppies:
Old tables give a totally new life as bookcases.
Yep, that takes the idea of using old furniture for storage to a new level. Image courtesy of Art Eko.
I hope this gets your creative juices flowing to find cheap or free storage solutions already on hand or right nearby.
During my organization frenzy of 2012 I am pretty excited to tackle the spice mess in my pantry. I created a mounted spice rack using old baby food jars. Want to learn how? See the following tutorial on creating your own spice rack. Bonus organization: I not only cleaned up the spices but I used these random jars I refused to throw away.
Necessary Materials
Jars with lids (Labels removed… If you want it to be aesthetically pleasing)
Wooden board or Shelf
Wood Screws
Drill
Step 1 Painting the Lids (Not shown because spray paint comes with directions)
Depending on the look you are going for you may or may not want to spray paint the outside rim of your lids. Personally I wasn’t in love with the bright red “baby food” lid so I hit the edges with a little white glossy spray paint. It blended with the current shelf color and should be easy to repaint if when I finally repaint the pantry.
Step 2 Work Out the Spacing
The shelf is stained, but clean. I swear!
This is really going to depend on the size of jars you are using. Mine ended up being about 2 inches apart. Hold up a jar with the lid and make sure you can comfortably turn the jar without getting your hand caught between the wall or another jar. Remember to keep in mind if others will be using the spice rack to leave ample space for different sized hands, i.e. you have danity hands while your husband has meat hooks.
Use a pencil and draw around the lid. Dislike the spacing and draw again. Hold a couple of jars up and try not to drop one on your foot… Decide the spacing is pretty good and move on.
Step 3 Drill, Baby, Drill
Why yes, I did think it was necessary to protect my beauuuutiful 70’s faux-wood counter-tops when drilling. Also note the thin spray paint on top, you won’t be seeing that area so don’t waste your time.
While the metal lids aren’t exactly Kevlar you will thank yourself if you drill a pilot hole for the screw through the middle of each jar. Imagine holding a jar lid, screw, and drill upside down and trying to apply enough pressure to pierce the metal. So, take the extra second to drill a quick hole. The metal is thin enough on most jars you won’t need a special drill bit.
Step 4 We’re All Screwed Now
At some point I really will go back and paint these stained shelves we inherited from the previous owner. Really.
Take a wood screw and tightly hook the lid to the underneath of the shelf or to a board you can mount later. Make sure the wood screw is shorter than the board thickness since you will want to get it as flush as possible with the lid. I didn’t really worry about the make (metal content) of the screw since the spices will not be in contact with it and I want to keep them as dry as possible.
Finally fill the jars and attach to the lids!
Completed Spice Rack! Now I just need to make some pretty labels.
Here’s a detail shot:
Notes:
-This idea isn’t novel and works with canning jars too. My great-grandfather hung all his nails, bolts, and screws from the rafters in the basement using old canning jars. Just make sure to mount the rim over the lid before securing with the screw.
-This makes a great space saver if you have odd height shelves ( me!) or you can always mount these to a board to hang elsewhere.
-Other than waiting for the paint to dry and being picky about the spacing this is a very fast project. I completed it while entertaining a two year old so it must not have required a huge amount of effort on my part :).
If you try this project or have done a similar spice rack please let me know! I love to see pictures.
I find in life that my love of perfection and research lead me to read a lot about topics while actually doing… Well let’s just say the doing leaves much to be desired.
Secure in my knowledge that I was going to actually make a resolution about organization for 2012 I started a week early AND I dove right in. I had some code yellow areas (as described by Rants from Mommyland) that were just begging to be tackled to make room for the ginormous amount of crap necessary for the survival of an American newborn.
I’m used to this cycle of neatness to slob and back around again so it was no surprise when about halfway through toy clean and bookcase purge 2012 my project started to get that out-of-control hoarders look. To keep the momentum going and find a way to keep myself organized this time (I mean it) my evenings have been spent frantically researching every organization blog and library book I could get my hands on. Because I am determined to not go. Through. This. Cycle. Again.
From my personal organization battles and research I found the experts agree there are main areas that must be addressed for organization to occur and be maintained. So I bring you:
Top 5 Organization Ideas
Organization is about getting rid of or finding a permanent home for your stuff. Not about buying “organization” items.
Organization requires a family buy in.
Organization is a daily affair.
There are thousands of creative uses for the things you already own.
Organization should go beyond your stuff and consider your entire life like finances, vacations, etc.
Let’s Look In More Detail
1. Not buying more stuff: This is a biggy for me. Not the buying stuff. I’m kind of over buying stuff plus we are broke. No, I’m discussing the belief I hold that says, ” I need all that beautiful organization stuff in order to get organized.” Surprisingly it isn’t true, plus the professionals say it is counterproductive. Unless you have a specific use for those beautiful stainless steel canisters then they are just another item taking up the kitchen counter
Real life bonus: I have continually bitched about needing more bookcases, but I put on my big girl panties and purged, purged, purged. After getting rid of every book I didn’t truly love, use as a reference, or want save for my children (Hello my original copy of “A Wrinkle in Time”) I had cleaned off my bookcases. Then amazingly I had room on every shelf to add a few new books.
Real life bonus #2: Found out McClain loves art books. Sure he points out the boobs in the Klimt paintings, but I’ll take any toddler sophistication I can get.
2. The family buy in: Ugh! This one is hard, but a lot of it just comes from being realistic. If everyone dumps everything by the front door then it won’t matter that you have the prettiest coat rack two rooms away. The shiznit is never, ever going to make it that far. Luckily, I am married to a man who loves to purge and will happily cart anything to Goodwill but we just disagree on where the remaining stuff should go. Why the class containers are on the top shelf in the kitchen while the plastic tupperware is on the bottom I will never know.
3. Organization Everyday: Double UGH! Honestly, it takes picking up every day. Not every Tuesday but every single frigging day, for the rest of my life. This depresses me and makes me want to get a maid. However, I have found picking up for 10 minutes every evening when McClain goes to bed is starting to be easier than cleaning all day Saturday.
4. Seriously, creative uses: I’m going to do a round up of a few I have come up with (uses for those single socks!) and some other great organization ideas on Friday.
5. Going beyond the crap: I’m taking 15 hours of college courses this Spring, working 25 hours a week outside the home, blogging, and will be having our second baby in a few weeks. Patrick just got elected alderman (think town council), works full-time, and volunteers & works part-time for a variety of town and historical projects. Can you say we don’t know who is coming and going? We both got on board with Google calendar and that has been a saving grace for our event organization. Now to take care of the rest of our lives.
Certainly each book and blog offered specific tips on how to achieve these main themes. However, mostly each item revolved around these five central ideas. Well that and all of them said the biggest step was to JUST GET STARTED. So hopefully my research will pay off and we can tame the chaos for good this time around.
BTW, this is what I meant about looking like hoarders mid-organization…
If you have any other great ideas please, please, please share!
