Shabby Chic Jewelry-holder tutorial

 This is such an easy and thrifty solution to hang your jewelry from. If you're like me, you want to be able to see them so you can easily choose which piece you want to wear. And like most people, I had more wall space than I  counter space, so this was a great solution for me!

I found an old picture frame at the thrift store (the one with the velvet in-lay). This isn't the one, but I forgot to take a "before" picture--and this one's pretty close to what it looked like. I paid $1.00 for it.

 

 Next, I bought a subtle off-white paint sample at Home Depot. It was an "oops", so I paid $.50 for it.
I painted the whole thing a few times--taking special care to liberally coat the velvet. As soon as all coats were dry, I lightly sanded the edges and detail to give it an aged look. Then I drilled 5 evenly spaced holes in the velvet part.

 Also at Home Depot, I bought the cheapest wooden knobs I could find and painted them.

 This is what they looked like scuffed and installed. Cute, aren't they?

 Then, I stretched a piece of fabric (cut 1" bigger on all sides) over Dollar Store foam core using hot glue on the back.

 I decided at the last minute to add more hooks on the bottom.

 Here's the finished product. I also made one to hold my hair accessories by gluing vertical pieces of ribbon on it.

That's it! I have been absolutely loving it! Not only is it very functional and cleared up quite a bit of space for me, but it's such a fun way to add pops of color to a drab wall!

How to Organize Children's Bookshelves

This was one of our bookshelves just a couple weeks ago. I had the other one on a different wall, but only took this pic, so picture this times two. That was the amount of books that lived in my 3 boys' room. Both were packed to the brim and we had no sense of organization whatsoever. I can't tell you how many times I had straightened the books up just to have them look like this again within days.

So, I was helping out in one of my son's classrooms and I couldn't help but notice how nice and organized her bookshelves were! She had a bunch of labeled bins and they looked so nice! I went right home and started looking up bookshelf organization ideas. It made so much sense!

The key is to make it easier to keep it clean than to mess it up. It's so nice and easy for kids to pull out a bin, flip through until they find the book they'd like, take it, then push the bin back in it's place. It's much better than looking at the spine of the book (kids like to see the fronts, anyway!), then pulling out a whole slew of them until they've decided on the perfect book, leaving a pile of un-wanted books on the floor. Why hadn't I thought of this before??? I've been a mom for 10 years. I've been battling with organizing my kid's bookshelves nearly evey day of those 10 years! What a waste of time; it kills me to know how much easier it could've been for me!

Let me introduce you to our new, organized shelves. I know you're thinking- Where are all the books? There's no way you fit what was crammed in the picture above (times 2) in these shelves. But it's TRUE! I DID! I only threw away a few books that had totally fallen apart and were missing pages. It's amazing how much extra SPACE we have on the shelves now!

Below is a picture I took AFTER a full day of the kids pulling out and reading books. Hardly a mess- and it only took seconds to put back.

I decided to test this new system out and see how well we could keep it up...and here we are two weeks later with perfectly organized bookshelves still!

 Since I knew it was something we could maintain, I decided to make labels for each category. I was out of my laminating sheets, so I used packing tape.

Here they are after labels-

Looks better with the labels, doesn't it?

I categorized them as-

Chapter Books, Early Reader Books, Rhythm & Rhyme books, Abc books, Bedtime Stories, Religious books, Non-fiction, Scriptures, Holiday books, Animal books, Little Golden books, Disney, Seuss, Muppets, and misc. Some of the labels were placed on the edge of the shelf itself.

 I used these wash basins from the dollar store-

 And shoe boxes-

 I found this bin for the books that didn't fit on the shelves-

 Ah, organization! :)

 I was having so much fun, I decided to put new labels on some of our toy bins.

Double yay for a system that finally works for us! I'm so happy, I could just...I don't know...go organize something else!

Now, I'm off to the girl's bookshelves!

The Contraption Clean-up Game

I have 5 kids. And yes, they are messy. And yes, they resist when it's time to clean up. It can be exhausting trying to get them to do anything. Well, a few years ago, we came up with a little game to help make cleaning up a bit more fun. We call it "Contraption Clean-up"...and my kids love it!

First, gather up a bunch of "contraptions" from around the house. In this picture, I raided the kitchen utensil drawer. I have a wire sieve, a ladle, wooden salad fork & spoon, small cheese tongs, big tongs, and turkey lifters. Sometimes we'll grab measuring cups, pliers, wrenches, a brush & comb, really anything. Make sure to choose instruments you're sure your kids can use safely. *Those turkey lifters are kind of pointy, but I made sure to only let my older kids use them. They're actually great for picking up laundry. Use what works for your kids.

Rules-
1. Try your best not to use your hands. You have new contraption appendages now!
2. No using contraptions on siblings.
How to play-
Have each kid grab their tool of choice (if they seem to fight over a certain gadget, explain that they'll be taking turns).

Set a timer for 5 minutes and begin the cleaning (keep track of which kid is working the hardest or keeping the best attitude). When the 5 minutes are up, all contraptions go back in the basket. The best cleaner gets to choose their new gadget first (but not the same one they had last time).

Repeat until each kid has tried each tool and you're satisfied with the clean-up. If it's a really big mess and they're losing interest, it's time to change it up. This is when we start TEAMWORK CONTRAPTIONS. Give each kid a partner. They now have to work together, using their contraptions to clean an area. Keep setting the timer and rotating tools. It's amazing how fast they'll work when there's a certain tool they really want to use the next round.

I have found that it's best to walk them through what needs to be done in the room before you start. For example- Clothes in hamper, cars in their tote, trains in a certain bin, books on shelf, legos in their bin, etc. If there's a place for everything, the kids work MUCH better. They'll probably need reminders while working, so stick around and supervise (or help).

Make sure to encourage them as they go. It's amazing how positive words can FUEL them and keep them pumped about cleaning.



Tongs-

Wire sieve-

 Ladle-

 Salad spoon & fork-

 Ladle-

Turkey lifters-

Wire sieve-

Yes, even my 3yr old enjoys cleaning up with this game. I sure love these little helpers.

Bless their little hearts, I now have a spotless upstairs!

Happy Cleaning!

Repurpose baby blankets



I made myself a blankie. Yep, this one's mine. All my kids have their own "snuggle" blankies. I thought it was about time I made one for me! 

It's extra special to me because I made it out of my youngest daughter's crib bedding. I didn't feel the need to keep all that bulky bedding around, but it was still sentimental to me. So I reluctantly cut it allllll up.

I couldn't find a picture of her bedding, so I found this one, which is pretty close.

I got this image from-
http://www.distinctivenurseries.com/Lola-by-Maddie-Boo--4-Piece-Crib-Collection_p_3357.html



 I actually bought her set at Target about 4 years ago. Does anyone remember the cute Lola dots and stripes collection? Loved it.

Still do. :)

I cut it into 10" squares, arranged and sewed them together, backed it with pink Soft & Comfy Bubble Velour (A.K.A. Minky), and tied it with white string. I didn't even use batting. It really didn't need it (I live in a very warm climate, though. If you DO want to add batting for warmth, I suggest Warm & White Cotton).

NOW, you should go & dig up those old blankets and get workin'! :)

Easy Abstract Tree Mural

Here's a fun little abstract tree I did for my friend, Becky's nursery yesterday. I know, I know, leaves don't come blue & green! But hey, we wanted to bring in some of the colors of the crib bedding, so they're intentionally blue! And I DID say it was abstract. It turned out really cute & looks great with the decor!

This was VERY easy! If you can color in the lines, you can do this!

1. Draw the basic shape of your tree lightly with a pencil. Don't be afraid to draw on the walls! I have to warn you, though, you may have to talk to your kids about it if they catch YOU doing it! My kids have colored plenty of walls in my house... but how can I be upset if they see me doing the same thing?! No biggy, a moist Magic Eraser (Mr. Clean) will erase any mistakes. **Notice there's a shelf on the wall. Just draw & paint your tree as if it weren't there. It looks fine.

2. Draw, then start painting your leaves. I used 6 or 7 different shades of green. It looks best if you do one color at a time, spacing them out a little.

3. Using the rest of your greens, finish the leaves. Fill out your tree as full as you'd like! You could also paint flower blossoms instead of the leaves... or just leave it bare!

4. Add the blue inner part of the leaves. I used 3 shades of blue. I started with the darkest blue on the darkest leaves, then tinted the blue paint a couple times with white to lighten it & do the lighter leaves.

This is a picture of a tree I did for my friend, Brandy's nursery. Hers was a more organic, flowing shape. To make it look more natural, once the tree & leaves were painted, I added highlights & shadows. If you choose to do this, make sure they're consistent. I mean, make sure your pretend sun is highlighting the leaves & trunk in the places it should be.

These murals can add a HUGE impact to a room for very little cost (IF you do it yourself). Paint is CHEAP!

East 2-step Firefly Murals

I wanted to come up with a fun, gender-neutral decor for my kid's playroom. I was inspired by Stampin' Up's (retired) Bold Butterfly set shown HERE. Except, I wanted dragon flies instead. I though they were so cute & just KNEW they'd be perfect on our playroom walls.

Wow! I just noticed how much the green background varies on different walls in varied light & shadows!
Looks like 4 separate shades!
Okay, here you go:

Step 1- Draw (with pencil) an outline of the wings & a small circle for a head.

                 Paint inside your lines (DON'T worry about perfection)!

Step 2- Using a darker color, outline your shapes making sure to not follow

                 them exactly. Darken where needed. You're DONE!

The cool thing about using this technique, is that it's NOT supposed to be perfect! Notice the darker outline shouldn't line up with the lighter shape. That's what makes it look so cool. In fact, if I were to do it again, I'd make the outlines even more intentionally off-kilter.

Go ahead & try this! It was so much fun!

Here's the view you see when you walk into the room. A futon
is a great choice for a playroom if you'd like to be able to use
your room for guests & sleep-overs. It's also perfect to sit
on while watching movies!

Ug. I think I need a new clock for the wall.

View of the window (notice the fireflies in the fabric)
& closet (where aaaaaaaaall the toys are).

Here's the TV & bedroom door.

Here's the view of their little media center. We love the armoire
computer desk which can be kept closed when
not in use (in case of wire-crazy toddlers).

Functional Magnetic Wall Borders? YES.

TUTORIAL

Magnetic Wall Borders-

Do your kids constantly create art pages?

MINE DO, and of course I HAVE to display the ones they're the most proud of. The problem was that my poor fridge door was COVERED & begging for some relief. When you can't get the milk without papers sliding to the floor, you know you have a problem. Don't get me wrong, I really do love kid art; it's seriously the best! I just struggle with finding a good place to display them.

Sure, a cute magnetic board's a good idea, but what if you need even MORE space?

Here's an idea for your kid's rooms! You've heard of using WALLPAPER borders, right?

Well, why not step it up and make your borders FUNCTIONAL, too?

Construction-themed bedroom with construction truck wall
paper AND metal roof flashing used as a border, as well.

To do this, first measure your room & decide how many feet you'll need.

Then, go to your local Home Depot (ahhhhh... can you just hear the heavenly choir of angels singing?) and buy some metal flashing (in the roofing section). I LOVE HOME DEPOT. In fact, all I wanted for Christmas was a large gift card to there. When Santa delivered, I was a VERY happy girl! Haha, I guess I'm not your typical girl.

Anyway, this is what it looks like. It comes in a roll & is really inexpensive.

Be careful when you open the
package...it kinda pops open
& unwinds itself.

 Use galvanized nails to tack it in place up at the edges. Use a stud-finder & make sure you tack it in the studs (about every 16" or so).
"So, how do I cut the metal," you ask? You can use a couple of things: 1) Cut with a pair of tin snips like scissors, or 2) Lay a metal ruler over the metal where you'd like it cut and score a line with a utility knife a few times until you can bend the flashing back & forth to break it.

For corners, just measure where your corner is, mark it, and bend against your metal ruler.

Outside corner-------------------------Inside corner

See? not too bad, huh?

Now look at all the space you have to display your kid's fun stuff!!!

If you'd like, you can hide the nails like I did (not necessary, though... galvanized nails are magnetic, too), you can just buy some wood strips, paint them, and use a small saw to cut them. I tacked mine in place with a compressor-powered nail gun (on the studs... making sure to miss the nails), but construction adhesive works great, too!

I wish I would've taken a picture showing off my kid's art!
Well, you get the picture.

When I was teaching our little neighborhood joy school group, I used the wall all the time to teach abc's and numbers (using those letter & number magnets you can buy at the dollar store). We also used the board for all kinds of magnetic math manipulative's! SO GREAT!

Check out more fun ideas on THE IDEA ROOM and DIYbyDesign!

Bunk Bed Tents

Bunk Bed Tents

We made these fun little tents for my 3 boys last Christmas. They were fairly easy to make... especially the middle one. I just measured the space, made a flat rectangle (with a vinyl window), and added velcro tabs to the top where it attaches to the bed. Although it wasn't difficult, it WAS time consuming because of the measuring and planning. But I have to say, these were well worth the time. My boys keep them up 24/7! They tend to go to bed with less resistance for me, too. The love each having their own little private space, which is hard to give them when you have 3 sharing a room. They read with their book lights every night. They love it... and so do I!

*To make tabs, follow steps 2, 3, and 4 of THIS tutorial.
*To applique' stars, go to THIS tutorial for instructions.

Triple Bunk Bed Tents with PVC pipe arcs,
star appliques, and a vinyl window.