Spring is finally here, and you know what that means…spring cleaning! I don’t know anyone who’s ever actually stuck to this ‘clean once a year’ bit, but I completed phase one of my cleaning in January and there’s still plenty of work to be done. Everyone and their mother is having sales on bins, boxes, and organizational whathaveyou to aid the toss-out process, but when you’re on a tight budget, it gets a little tricky. How do you clear the clutter without spending a boatload?
Easy! Almonds and oatmeal.
No really! This week’s DIY is a great way to get organized using the resources around you, and I've got three ideas on how to do just that.
1. Lacy Vase You will need:
1. Cut a piece of lace large enough to wrap around the canister, with extra for overlap. Apply fabric glue with paint brush around the top rim of the canister, just under the lip. Glue the top part of the lace all the way around. Smooth the lace as you go so it lays flat along the canister surface.
2. Glue the first edge of lace to the canister. Glue the overlap edge after the first has dried. I let mine overlap about ½ inch so that the bottom pattern of the lace was continuous. Add tiny dots of glue to the bottom lace edge if they stick out too much.
2. Glue the first edge of lace to the canister. Glue the overlap edge after the first has dried. I let mine overlap about ½ inch so that the bottom pattern of the lace was continuous. Add tiny dots of glue to the bottom lace edge if they stick out too much.
3. Thread your needle and circle stitch all the way around the rim of the canister, and there ya go! Fill with flowers to brighten up a room or use as a centerpiece, or organize your crochet needles!
2. Striped Supply Holder You will need:
*disclaimer: When I made mine, I painted the colors backwards…so the photos are misleading-ish. I’ll explain.
1. Paint the entire canister with your basecoat color. I accidentally grabbed the green while doing this, but my basecoat should’ve been off-white. Let dry completely.
2. Tape off the edges of your stripes. Paint within the taped lines. I had to use the tape AS my stripes to reverse my basecoat mistake and it turned out alright, but if you’re using darker colors this might be more difficult. Allow paint to dry completely and then remove the tape. There ya have it! Clear out some kitchen drawer space (t-shirt DIY deja vu, anyone?) by storing cooking utensils in your nifty new container! You could also save the lid and use in your sewing room to store smaller bits of scrap fabric.
3. Fabric Organizer You will need:
1. Cut a piece of fabric large enough to wrap around the container, with extra for overlap. Don’t worry if it hangs past the bottom of the container either, we’ll get to that!
Apply fabric glue with paint brush along top and bottom rims of container, smoothing fabric as you go. Glue edges. Let dry.
2. Trim bottom excess with the exacto knife, using the bottom rim as a guide. Wasn't that easy? Use as a desktop organizer for pens and pencils orrrr... I'm making a few of them to organize some of my smaller craft supplies, so I'm saving the lids. Wouldn't they look cute stacked and labeled?
A few more tips on tidying up:
· Scour your local thrift store for cheap wicker baskets, bins, jars, and vases
· Wrap small boxes or shoe boxes with fabric or wrapping paper that matches your décor to organize craft supplies or photos on a bookcase
· Hobby Lobby has a great selection of mason jars and general glass containers for the kitchen or sewing room. I bought a tiny one recently for all of my buttons! Might be in the market for some larger ones to organize my flours pretty soon.
If you’re in need of some de-cluttering as badly as I am, I hope this inspires you to get started and have some fun while doing it! What does ‘spring cleaning’ look like for you? Do you have any organizing tips to share? I’d love to hear them!
these look pretty, good job :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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