Decor-ganize Crafts

Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

To Paint or Not to Paint My Kitchen Cabinets

2011-12-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

For years I've been debating if I should

paint my kitchen cabinets.

I keep going back and forth.

I just don't LOVE my cabinets. I look at them and think, "HELLO 1985!"

My husband doesn't want me too. He says that they are in good shape and really doesn't look as awful as I think. And just because the wood color isn't in style means we should paint them to go with the current trend.

Sigh.

Then a little more about my upbringing...

For generations my family has been the furniture business. I remember growing up friends would ask if my house gets new furniture every other year or so.

Surprisingly no.

My parents knew what to look for in furniture. They would save and go for the high quality solid wood stuff. And then get it for a good deal since they sold it (and only if no interested buyers were wanting it too).

My siblings and I had the same bedroom sets all our lives growing up. The dining room table is over 30 years old and rock solid wood. (I'm actually inheriting it when my parents move to a smaller retirement home!)

Anyway I told my family some of my ideas with my cabinets and they just CRINGED!

"Never paint real wood!!!" they would say.

"Painting wood is just a trend. Trends don't last very long. Your cabinets are oak. Oak is a classic and will be back in style before you know it."

Sigh.

I know they're right. So I don't really think I could really bring myself to do it.

Unless you can convince me otherwise.

I do love looking at other bloggers that had the guts to just paint theirs.

Then I would just dream about what I could do with my kitchen.

So many ideas I have...

I thought this look may be doable for my kitchen.

Source

What do you think?

Are you for painting wood or against it?

Should I paint mine?

Have you, or would you, paint yours?

Linking to...

Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

Re-do Cabinet Handles

2011-11-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

The "fix it" list for a home seems never ending. There's always something to fix. The list has it's priorities too. Whatever is a dire need is what gets fixed first. Other things just have to wait. Some things you just learn to live with.

Finally I got to one of those things that was near the bottom of the "fix it" list.

My kitchen cabinet handles.

The good part is that it was about $10!

They were old, some broken, or missing, and UGLY!

I lived with it because it was mostly just a cosmetic fix and it was going to cost a little too. Maybe not much but other things would usually have more priority in our monthly budget.

Thanks to blogging I've learned so much about upcycling and repurposing. So a new coat of spray paint was what they needed!

I can't believe the difference it has made! I really wish I would of known to do this earlier.

Here's how.

Step 1) Unscrew the handles and clean. I soaked mine up in a bucket of diluted ammonia. I used ammonia because many of then had years of muck and grease on them. Especially the ones above my oven.

Step 2) Once cleaned and dried spray paint a coat of primer on them. I used Krylon Black Metal Spray Paint. Do light coats to avoid drips. I did two coats.

Step 3) Once the primer dries spray paint the finishing coat. I used Krylon Black Oil Rubbed Bronze. Again light coats to avoid drips. I did two coats.

(I love this color because it leaves a tint of brown shine on it).

So much better!

Since I had some missing I replaced them with a drawer handle. I'm glad this is a style now. (It would of been hard to replace them with the same exact ones).

I love this spray paint. I found another thing to paint too!

My front porch railing was looking pretty old. So used the same paint to fix it up! Now I'm looking at what else I can paint!

Linking to...

Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

My Oven

2011-11-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

I have to admit something...

It is soooo embarrassing...

And disgusting...

Something I've put off for far too long...

But I hope I'm not the only one who is guilty...

Hoping...

I have lived in my house for over four years now and never cleaned the inside of my oven!

Ever!

The task seemed so daunting.

Actually it was daunting because I don't have the luxury of a self cleaning oven. I so wish we could just buy a new one, but that won't be an option for a long time.

It took me all day.

But I did it!

Thanks to the prego nesting itch.

Finally!

Yay!

Here it is on the outside...

(I do clean it on the outside often. It was the inside that was scary!)

Now the BEFORE on the inside...

Look away if you must!

I told you! GROSS!

This picture just doesn't give it justice.

It's worse looking in real life.

But it's okay now. Here's the AFTER

I can also thank this stuff...

Just spray, wait, then wipe.

Open a window too. The fumes almost killed me!

(It also likes to leave a white film. I just used diluted vinegar spray to get that off)

And thanks to this stuff too...

My new cleaning love, Organge Shine.

I used it on the outside. Great for getting those tough grease stains.

I even separated the oven doors to get the drips in between the best I could.

Then another trick is to put the grates in a garbage bag with a few cups of ammonia for a day.

I also do this for my stove burners.

Give it time to soak that in.

Put it outside so the fumes don't choke ya.

Then just rinse and wipe.

Here it is all finished!

SOOO MUCH BETTER.

You can add some aluminum foil at the bottom for a quick clean up.

Linking to...

Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

Dried Leaf Candle Holders

2011-11-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

I gotta say that by far Autumn is my favorite time of year. My living room has an Autumn type of feel to it year round. So before Thanksgiving is over I wanted to squeeze in just one more fall craft before Christmas.

Once a month a few of friends get together and have a Craft Night. It was my turn to host in November. I will say that there are not very many Thanksgiving crafts out there (at least one you can do with 5-6 people for real cheap).

I saw this done on Pinterest using a mason jar. I had these vases sitting in my "to craft" box that would go perfect. (I got them at Dollar Tree).

So off to the park to collect REAL leaves! That was kind of fun on it's own too.

Anyway here are the supplies:

Real fall leaves (you don't want them too large or too dry). They need to be flexible for best results. Different kinds and colors too make it fun.

Vase or jar of some sort

Mod Podge and sponge brushes

Scissors and glue gun

T light (I'm not comfortable using real candles in these)

Embellishments if desired like ribbon, pine cones etc.

Step 1) First collect your leaves and press them flat in a large book for a few days.

Finally my husbands school books getting some use lol.

He wont let me throw some of them away yet.

The leaves were still a little flexible after a few days which is perfect. The drier they are the more difficult they are to manipulate and stick to the glass.

From the pics above I put the different leaves in sheet protectors which made it easier for the group to choose what leaves they wanted.

Step 2) Mod Podge a section on the INSIDE of the glass that will fit your first leaf.

Then place your leaf in it (the more colorful side facing out) and hold as long as necessary.

Tips: It can be tricky at first. Some leaves will stick nicely while others wont. You can use more Mod Podge. But less is better. Or try another leaf if one is being stubborn.

I snipped the stems off too.

Also, if possible, try to keep your Mod Podge brush strokes one direction. It will look smoother once dried.

Just be patient. I promise it will look good when finished.

Step 3) Continue same as step 2 with more leaves.

More tips: I liked using small to medium sized leaves most. It may depend on the size of your vase.

Also the yellow maple leaves are nice because the light can illuminate through them where the darker ones not as much.

So I would mostly use yellow leaves and then other colors as an accent.

And to have some spaces between the leaves will help light shine through them too.

Step 4) Once you fill your vase to your heart's content Mod Podge now the all the back of the leaves on the INSIDE to seal them in.

Step 5) It should look like a very goopy Mod Podge mess!

But TRUST me it will take a few days to dry completely. The girls at Craft Night were a little nervous about it but I promise it will turn out.

Step 6) You can stop here if you wish or add some cutsie embellishments if you like.

Now turn the lights out and go OOOh Awww!

Linking to...

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

Craft Fail

2011-10-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well I was hoping to check this off from my

"to do craft list".

It was supposed to be a new shoulder strap

for my diaper bag.

But instead it FAILED!

For some reason it wasn't working out and was making me frustrated.

And a fussy toddler doesn't help either.

But she was happy when I finally let her just play with it.

Yep anything pink and frilly would make any girl happy!

I'll just have to revisit this project later since my diaper bag still needs a strap.

Up-cycled Monogrammed Knife Holder

2011-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

This little craft had a pleasant surprise for me when I finished.

Back story first: I have never had a real nice knife set. Not even from my wedding. So I would buy a knife here and there and throw it in my kitchen utensil bin.

I thought these monogrammed knife set holders floating around blog land were so cute.

One day at my usual stop at the DI I found this lovely...

I think I got it for less than a $1.

So I spray painted it black. And added a cutsie vinyl monogram.

Then the surprise part for me that it fit ALL the random kitchen knives I bought the last couple years just perfectly!

Looks like I bought it all together at $80+ and added a sticker!

So nice when a craft turns out better than you imagined.

Linking to...

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

Freezer Inventory Whiteboard

2011-10-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

I got a chest freezer last spring and LOVE it!

But it's so easy for food to get lost in a chest freezer.

And I can't really remember what's in it a lot of the time.

(I'm still trying to figure a better system of organizing it inside. Any suggestions?).

But to help me I have a little Freezer Inventory Whiteboard that helps me keep track at a glance.

Found this board on a clearance for $5. It goes perfect with my kitchen colors (even though it's in the garage by my freezer ;p ).

Then when I pull something out, I just wipe the notch mark off with a swipe of my finger.

Nice.

Lost Socks

2011-10-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Missing socks are soooo annoying!

Especially my daughter's.

Somehow we're always losing them.

I swear the dryer eats them.

I chuckle as I think of Jerry Seinfeld and his stand up on socks (YouTube it if you never seen it).

Anyway saw this cute idea and shamelessly copied it (don't remember where I first saw it, I think when I Googled Image Search "Laundry Organization").

I also got to up-cylce this board I got from the DI for a quarter.

The DI is a great place to get cheap wood.

Spray painted it then inked the edges giving it a distressed look.

Added vinyl and hot glued clothes pins.

And then you're done!

However, I should of made a bigger one.

I have way more lost socks then this would hold.

But it looks cute in my non-cute unfinished laundry room! Sigh... One day I'll transform it. For now enjoy!

Linking to...

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

Hamburger Helper

2011-10-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

From my last few posts I've been focusing

a lot around the kitchen.

Especially on feeding my family.

Here's another kitchen tip that I learned when I was first married.

Many of you may already do this. For me it was one of those "duh why didn't I think to do that" moments!

I like to pre-cook my meat since that part sometimes takes the longest (see how I prep chicken here).

Anyway I do the same for ground beef.

Usually it's cheaper to buy the bigger packages. I like to buy 20lbs+ of hamburger when it goes on sale.

But throwing it in the freezer, and then trying to thaw it later when you only need a pound for a meal, is a pain.

So now I cook the entire package first before freezing.

I try to make sure I have time to do this when I get home from the store.

Just brown your meat. You'll probably have to do it in smaller portions depending on the size of your pan.

I like to remove excess amounts of grease.

Just put it in a can and then let it solidify in the refrigerator and throw away later.

(Be very careful not to burn yourself. And don't ever dump it down the sink, it can ruin your disposal. I hear my mother saying that as I typed this ;) ).

Then once the meat is all cooked and cooled you can throw it into little baggies.

You can also add seasonings to the meat if you like.

Now you have hamburger ready and cooked for meals. Just grab a baggy, thaw, and throw it in spaghetti, tacos, whatever!

Easy Peasy!

Refrigerator Clipboard

2011-09-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

This post is a little of an continuance from my Meal Planner/Recipe Binder post.

I needed something to help me be a little more organized when I go grocery shopping for the meals I plan.

I wanted something sturdy, cute, and easy to handle for when I go grocery shopping.

I kept seeing these cute embellished clipboards everywhere and it finally dawned on me that that's what I needed!

It's cute on it's own sitting there, but I want to push it's function a little further.

I put a magnet on the back and now it can

hold my grocery list!

I created this list for my meal/shopping needs. The left column has a spot for two weeks worth to put your meals you plan (I like to go grocery shopping only

every other week if I can help it, unless there's an awesome sale going on).

So then where I'm at the store I wont forget what I planned on my cute matching Menu Board I keep in my kitchen.

Here's a free printout if you'd like.

And my Meal Planner Ingredient List.

Same copy from in my Recipe Binder.

Now, if you don't already know, I'm a counponer. I've spend lots of time clipping and organizing coupons in my coupon binder.

This is also nice when I have any loose coupons I plan on using. And for when I print out shopping lists from Pinching Your Pennies.

Then when I'm ready to go to the store I can just take it off the fridge and

I have what I need!

Pen and everything!

If you want to make one it's so easy. And there are so many cute ways to make one too.

I'll show you how I made mine.

Supplies: Clipboard, Mod Podge, paint, scrapbook paper, magnet, ribbon.

Steps:

1) Clean surface of clipboard and paint the edges. I just used black acrylic.

2) Next Mod Podge the clipboard where the scrapbook paper will cover.

3) Select paper, trim to the size you want it then place on clipboard and Mod Podge over the paper.

Be sure to get the edges real good so the paper wont come loose. It's okay to do this all over the paper because the glue will dry clear.

4) Add a magnet on the back if you like.

5) Add any ribbon for a pen, or any other embellishments.

Then it's finished!

Linking to...

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

DIY Cell Phone Case

2011-09-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was time to jazz up my cell phone.

But didn't realize that the cute cell phone cases were so expensive for my phone.

So by luck I found some clear cases at the dollar store that went to my phone.

Who knows what fun stuff you'll find there!

This craft was so fun and easy I made a few!

I thought these turned out even cuter than the expensive ones you buy at the stores!

You can use up some of your favorite scrap fabrics too!

Here's how to make it.

Supplies: Clear phone case, Mod Podge, sponge brush, scrap fabric, small sharp scissors.

Steps:

1) Find a clear cell phone case that goes to your phone.

Hopefully you can find one for cheap!

2) Depending on the case I only decorated the back on mine.

Mod Podge it on the inside of the back.

3) Place fabric directly on inside of the back and Mod Podge on fabric.

4) Let it dry a few minutes. The fabric will start to harden a little.

5) Trim the edges as close as you can.

It's easiest to use small sharp scissors.

6) Mod Podge the edges down and trim as needed.

7) Trim any parts that are needed for the phone.

8) Let it dry completely.

9) You're Done!

Finished!

CAUTION: My cases, once put together, were hard to separate without breaking. However, I've used these cases on my IPhone for some time and it holds together real well. I just have to use a case for a while then when I want to change it out I may not be able to use it again. But that's okay cause remember it was only a $1!

Linking to...

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

Meal Planning/Recipe Binder

2011-09-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest challenges about life is dinner time.

Cooking is really not one of my passions. I wish it was (husband does too lol), but really I struggle sometimes to get a decent meal on the table.

It's not unusual for me at 5 pm scrambling to figure out what to make for the family. Most of the time I don't have ALL the ingredients I need anyway.

I know I'm not the only one who does this.

Luckily there are many blogs that share their ideas and experiences on this matter that has helped me. (You can check out A Bowl Full of Lemons Linky Party on this for tons of ideas here).

When I don't cook dinner, husband will resort to grilling a steak most of the time, which he likes, and I'll just eat a bowl of cereal or something.

Actually I like to tease him that if all we ever ate for dinner was steak he'd never complain (and I've been tempted to do it too). But eating unplanned meals (and steak) can be real expensive!

However, lately I've been trying to work on this. We all hear the benefits of families actually sitting down and eating dinner together.

I think it even somehow miraculously makes my cooking taste better when you eat it together as a family.

So to help my planning meals go smoother I felt it was time to create a Recipe Binder.

It's really close to what I read on The Nanny Goat and their AMAZING Favorite 30 Meals Binder. With a little touch

of Clean Mama's as well.

Here's my binder. Isn't it cute? It goes with my country sunflower kitchen.

My creative sister-in-law gave me this for Christmas last year with some of her own recipes typed up. I just added my own recipes to it and made it cutsie inside with scrapbook paper dividers.

Oh it matches my kitchen oh so nicely.

But the coolest part is how it

helps plan my meals.

So here's how my binder works...

1) Compile the recipes your family will actually eat.

In my binder I have about 40 of our favorite entrees along with favorite sides, desserts, dips etc.

2) Type it up, make a copy, print from a website, tear out of a magazine. Whatever to get it into the binder in sheet protectors.

3) Next for my dinner entrees have a list so you can see it quickly when trying to plan your meals.

It's nice to have it as a quick reference. Then I'll write it on my cute matching Menu Board.

Here's mine. I have all our favorite dinner entrees listed in alphabetical order on an Excel spreadsheet.

In the next columns I listed some healthier options for the meal, summer cooking, and freezer/prep work I need to do.

4) This step is the best part. A chart of ALL the dinner entrees ingredients.

So you can take it to the store and know exactly what you need to get.

I made a few copies, one I keep in my binder and one to take shopping with me. I might make an extra one for the car so when you have those unexpected stops.

Mine is about two pages. I may have it laminated when I get a chance.

This is just how I do my binder. It's a good idea to search other's ideas and see what would work best for your family.

Hopefully this will continue to work for me and my family! It has so far.

Plus I'd love to hear what other tips you great ladies have for planning/making meals!

Linking to...

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

Subway Prayer Art

2011-09-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

I try to make prayer a regular part of my daily life. It's a very solemn and personal time for me.

To help me stay focus I even organize my thoughts so to make my prayers a little more meaningful.

So to help organize my thoughts, I thought up of a cute way to display it, or "decor-ganize it", in a Subway Art Fashion.

Then I displayed next to my bed where I'll see it often. It also serves as a little reminder to pray when life gets busy or distracted.

This is more of an outline of how I pray. I fill in the gaps with more of the specific things I need.

Praying is a very personal and sacred act. This outline may differ from how another person would pray.

Respectfully I felt it appropriate to do this craft, and then share with you.

To make a Subway Art Board:

1) Pick a topic of your choice. Then with different fonts and sizes display the words on a board.

2) Since I wanted to stencil mine I used my Cricut to cut out the words and phrases.

The possibilities are limitless on this part, not just a stencil and paint.

3) I got this board from the DI and painted it with acrylic paint.

4) Since stenciling letters can be tricky here's a tip. Use a spray adhesive evenly on the back and let it dry for 5 minutes before applying it to the surface.

It will remain slightly tacky and will help the stencil stay in place. It should still come off easily when done.

5) Place stencil on surface.

6) I also had to individually glue on the holes in the letters. I didn't do it on all of them, just the ones that were larger or looked real funny if I didn't.

I used a scrapbook glue to do this part.

7) Next take a different acrylic paint color and a sponge brush and start painting.

Get your brush just barley wet with the paint and dab lightly. Too much paint and/or pressure will cause it to smear under parts you don't it want to.

Do light dabs over one part and let dry a little while you move to another part. Then go back till you're satisfied with the look.

8) When finished let dry and remove stencil.

It's a good idea to practice a few times...

1st attempt

2nd attempt

You can see that it's smudgy in lots of parts. I just used some cardboard to practice these ones on.

Good thing the 3rd time was a charm!

Thank you.

Linking to...

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Lil Luna
A Little Tipsy
Not Just A Housewife
Someday Crafts
At The Picket Fence

Camping Tote

2011-08-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

A common scenario at my house:

Husband comes home early Friday afternoon, "Hey I'm home and have the rest of the weekend off! So we're going camping! Pack everything up and lets leave asap!

Wife (that's me, usually still in my pajamas) says,

"Uh Uh, but..."

Husband, "This is our chance! Lets get going!"

Wife takes a minute, sighs and says,

"Okay! But let me get myself together first."

Does that ever happen at your house? That's one thing I love about my husband, he keeps our lives filled with

fun and spontaneity.

But I'm the planner and organizer and sometimes I can get stressed out in these situations.

(But in the end I usually have a great time anyway).

It's happened just enough at my house that I had to better prepare myself. Plus I hate packing.

So I keep a "Camping Tote" all ready to go.

It's filled with mostly the kitchen things, first aid, toilet paper and a few other camping necessities that will fit.

I keep a checkoff list in a sheet protector taped to the inside of the lid.

Then the whole family can be ready to go in a lot less time with a lot less stress!

Here's a copy of the list if you're interested.

Camping Tote List

I also included a camping check list that has some gear, clothing, toiletries, baby items and
some fun things for children.

Camping Check List

And here is a food camping menu/grocery list.
It's filled with easy delish items.

Camping Menu/Grocery List

I also found another cutsie list here as well.

The list is geared mostly to my needs so if you're interested I can email you the word document if you want to make changes. Email me to let me know.

I did leave room if you'd like write to add to the list too.

So if you're having last minute summer camping plans
(or for Labor Day coming up)
this will be great to look at.

Happy Camping!

Ready-to-go Toiletry Pack

2011-08-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

Packing up for a get-away is one of my

least favorite parts for a vacation.

So to keep things simple I always have

all my toiletries prepacked.

If you travel a lot you may already do this.

I've been doing this for a real long time

and thought I'd share.

I first used a bag large enough to hold everything I need, and small enough to fit in a suitcase easily.

Gotta love those Clinique Gifts!

Then to fit everything in: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, medicines and etc.

Travel sizes are always nice.

Keep it nicely stocked too so you

don't have to stress about it later.

And to avoid a sticky mess

put those items in a plastic baggy.

There! Already ready!

Just throw in your bag and you're ready to go!

When Life Hits Ya

2011-08-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hello blog world again!

I hope you didn't think I dropped from the face of the earth. Life has gotten real crazy this Summer.

Not that I was way busy, but lots of things were going on that needed more of my attention. Life sometimes hits ya hard. So blogging had to take a back seat for a while.

One excuse that I have is a happy one. My darling little girl is going to be a...

Hint* Read the shirt

Yep baby #2 is a comin!

We'll find out what were having in the next week, hopefully.

This pregnancy has been a toughy so far, but it looks like the 2nd Trimester has blue skies ahead.

As for blogging, I miss it lots! And I hope to get back into the swing of things soon. I'm re-evaluating how I want do my blog. I can spend A LOT of precious time on it that I would rather spend with family or the actual crafting part.

I may slow down on the linky parties I do and number of posts each week. I also follow so many other awesome blogs (that's where I get lots of ideas), but just keeping up on them all can also take lots of time. We'll see how things go.

For now I'll show ya one of the few few crafts I was able to do this Summer, the Big Sister T-shirt.

It's super easy. I'll just show pictures because I just got a fabric letter kit from the craft store and followed their instructions.

That's it.

Greeting Card Box

2011-07-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

I love this cute little box to organize cards from Delightful Order!

Closet Tags

2011-07-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Kristen from Life with the Ellwoods creates these fabulous Clothes Dividers for the baby's closet.

For fast growing kids it's a good idea to have clothes that are still a little big in a place that you see them often.

Otherwise they'll grow them out before they're able to wear them. (I have a few cute outfits I'm sad my daughter never got to wear because they were tucked away in a box).

Having these in a kid's closet sure would make it easy to see all the clothes and keep it organized too.

Still Here! And Have A Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

Don't worry everybody I'm still here! It's been a little crazy. I have lots of projects under the works.

I hope everyone a Happy 4th!

{source}

Lemonade Stand Kit

2011-06-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Awwwwwww! Nothing is more refreshing than a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day...

Mariah @ Giggles Galore creates this adorable

Lemonade Stand Kit.

Love it!

Beach Bag

2011-06-21T04:00:00.001-07:00

Oh the joys of summer by the pool, or the beach, can end with stinky soggy wet clothes and towels.

Artsy Va Va shares how she made this beach bag so you won't have that problem!

Knob Hooks

2011-06-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

I love little knobs right now. Ginger from Literally Inspired uses them for a coat rack in her son's room!

Check it out!

Garbage Can Holder

2011-06-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Those pesky garbage bags sometimes don't stay put on the garbage can.

Tina from Sweet Floweret share a cute and easy solution!

Cleaner Printables

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

To help save some money I like to make

my own household cleaners.

I buy my bottles from the dollar store and I saw these cute printalbes that would go perfectly with them

from Design Finch.

DIY Crates out of Yardsticks

2011-06-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Very innovative to make crates using yardsticks

(.69 at Lowes too!).

Seven Sisters has a great easy tutorial.

DIY Ottoman Tray

2011-06-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

I love the old weathered wood look on this Ottomon Tray!

Laura at Live.Laugh.Photograph does this awesome tutorial.

No more "Where's the Remote?" Pillow

2011-06-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Very Clever! A Remote Pillow

by Lindsay and May @ Craftbuds.

Summer Fun in a Can

2011-06-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

More cute Summer Fun ideas! Very cute in a can with clothespins!

Check it out at Clean Mama!

Embellished $1 Shoe Organizer

2011-06-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

Remember that Car Shoe Organizer I did, and how I wanted to embellish it? Well here it is!

For now I won't use this one in my car

(we're down to one car right now anyway).

But it's very useful for some of my craft stuff right now.

Guess what I used around the edges...

That's right good ol' duct tape.

This is the first time I bought decorative duct tape

and LOVE it!

I can't wait what other things I may try it on.

I love this "decor-ganize" craft because it was SO EASY!

I just simply taped around the edges

folding over to the back (no one sees that part).

And right down the middle

(it covered that top clear pockets just a little).

Removed the handles, taped, and replaced.

FINISHED!

You can't even really tell that it's duct tape.

It looks like I bought it that way.

Linking up...

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Today's Creative Blog
Blue Cricket Design
Sweet Floweret
Not Just A Housewife
The Thrifty Home
Someday Crafts
My Girlish Whims
A Little Tipsy
Ogranize And Decorate Everything
Elements Interiors
DIY By Design
Lil Luna
Somewhat Simple
House of Hepworths
A Creative Princess
Delightful Order
At The Picket Fence
Nap Time Crafters
I Heart Naptime
Ask Anna

Old suitcase upcycled to a SWEET picnic basket

2011-06-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Sybelle from from Funky Time takes this old vintage suitcase and turns it to a way cute picnic basket!

Baby Leg Warmers

2011-05-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Baby leg warmers! They're so practical. It keeps little legs warm and looks so cute under dresses

(or even just with a onesie).

I also love that you can change a diaper without having to remove them.

The only thing is that they're hard to find at a good deal!

I just saw some for $15!

YIKES!

I don't know why they have to be so much.

Aren't they just socks with out feet?

Anyway I made some from socks that I got for $2!

MUCH BETTER.

And they're so EASY to make.

1) Cut the heal and toes off the socks. Then throw those parts away.

Now you have two little cuffs and two long socks.

2) Turn the cuffs and long socks inside out.

3) Take the cuff and fold it inside itself so that the wrong sides are

together inside, and the right sides are on the outside.

Fold till the raw edges are lined up.

4) Sew a zig-zag stitch all around inside the cuff as close to the raw edge as you can.

The material tends to roll a bit so try to keep the edges together the best you can.

5) Slightly stretch the cuff as you sew around.

Here's your first cuff!

You can trim the excess edges off as needed.

6) Now take the long sock part and place the cuff all the way inside.

Line all the raw edges up together.

7) Sew around with a zig-zag stitch.

As you sew, stretch the cuff to the sock (but don't stretch the sock part).

8) Now pull it inside out and now to the other one.

FINISHED!

Just so cute on these little squishy legs!

Linking up...

Beneath the Rowan Tree

Summer Fun List

2011-05-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is here pretty much here and

I want to fill it full of fun stuff to do!

I love this Summer Check Off List by

Marni @ Your Sassy Sites!

Way cute in a frame with burlap! She also give you a list of ideas you can put on the list too!

Cute Paper Sorter

2011-05-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

I love this paper sorter that Ellie

@ Less Cake More Frosting created!

She got this sorter from Ikea for $10! Then mod podged some cute paper onto it!

I have some plans for something like this that I want to do with my craft room!

Jewelry Frame Pedestal Gifts

2011-05-25T04:00:00.001-07:00

I made a few more Jewelry Frame Pedestals as gifts for some friends!

I love these in the different colors so I thought that I'd share them with you!

Here's the tutorial if you want to make one too.

Cricut Organization Solution

2011-05-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

What a great solution for organizing your Cricut Stuff!

Michelle from Thrifty 101 created this brillant Cricut Shelf.

Love that you can hang the cutting mats right underneath!

Check out her blog. She gives stealer deals on all kinds of products too!

Follow her so she can reach her goal of 500 followers by July!

And if you subscribe

you won't ever miss out on the great deals she posts!

Tiered Dessert Plates -With interchangeable designs!

2011-05-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

This was one of those project that you're so glad when it's finished (and don't want to do again for a while).

But I do think that it really did turn out great!

I'm excited to use it, which will be tonight!

I used stove burner covers. And guess were I got them?

The dollar store of coarse!

(A lot of my crafts somehow involves the dollar store.)

Yeah they're not so cute here.

I got the 3rd top tier from the lid of a small round tin,

also from the dollar store.

Here's the tutorial:

You will need stove burners, or some kind of plate.

You will also need 3 short pedestals for the center.

Like these...

I found these in the stair rail/base board section of a home department store.

The first two were one piece that I cut in half (if you end up doing this make sure you cut it straight unlike mine. It caused me some havoc later on).

I also got three little round "feet" for the bottom tier.

1) Locate center and drill a hole (the hole is to drill the pedestals to).

2) Spray paint the tins (use a metal spray paint if it's on metal).

I used here a Black Satin Oil Rubbed Bronze

Do light coats and move away from puddles on newspaper so it won't stick to it.

3) Spray paint the pedestals. (I just used regular back spray paint since it was wood).

4) Once dried put tins and pedestals together.

Mine were screwed together. You can use a metal/wood glue for this part as well.

The bottom tin I screwed a few screw up through the bottom pedestal to stabilize it better.

5) Now if you like you can seal the wood to the tin a little better with glue. My pedestals were not cut very straight so I needed the glue. You may not have to do this part if it feels stable already.

6) Then I glued the three little "feet" (I can't remember what these are called) to the bottom.

7) After the glue was dry you can give a another light coat of spray paint for a finishing touch . It gets a little scuffed up when you're trying to put the tiers together.

That's it for the tier stand!

I made one in a cream color too.

(The cream on needs another coat of spray paint, but I ran out).

But to make it even a little more interesting I added some scrapbook paper to the tin plates!

Just measure the tin plates and centers and cut out a circle.

Also cut a slit to the center in the paper (not shown here, but you can see in on the top pink tier in the last photo). Then slide it around the pedestals.

Tip: You'll want to make the large outer circle a bit smaller than the tin plates and the small inner circle a little larger. It just makes it easier to place it in.

The best part is you can change these out and match it for any occasion!

Linking up...

Homemade Playdough Eggs - Not just for Easter:)

First Blog Swap: Kara from Happy Go Lucky!

2011-05-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to do my first Blog Swap with

Kara from Happy Go Lucky!

She's full of great innovative ideas! Especially the things she creates for her toddler! Here she just shares just a fraction of her many talents.

Take a minute and check out her blog!

Meet Kara...

Hi all you fabulous Decor-ganize Crafts readers. I'm so excited and honored to be with you today as I swap blogs with Heather. I absolutely love Decor-ganize Crafts and all the crafty ideas Heather shares.

I'm Kara from Happy Go Lucky and I started my blog a few months ago because I love being creative and crafty. I'm a Middle School Reading Teacher and I have a 2 1/2 year old son who keeps me active and very entertained. My wonderful husband is in the Navy but lucky for us hasn't had to go overseas in a few years.

My favorite projects are always easy and inexpensive!!

Here are a few:

Mosaic Family Art

Book Ledges

Mail And Key Organizer

Grocery Store Game

Magnetic Activity Board

I also host a Weekly Mingle with Us Blog Hop every Thursday so come by and link up. We always follow back.

My true passion is creating fun, entertaining, and educational activities that I can do with my son and I love sharing free printables:) So come over and take a look around. Summer vacation will be here soon so I will be sharing even more fun crafts.

Thanks again Heather for having me. I love Decor-organize Crafts!!

Decor-ganize Tip: A 40 Pound Box of Chicken

2011-05-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a tip I do that saves me time and money
(so that I can have more time to craft too!).

We usually have a meat portion at dinner. But meat can be expensive (especially if your husband and baby are carnivores).

I recently got a freezer a few months ago and so now it feels like my "coupon shopping" has widened up a little. See my coupon binder here.

I went to the store and got on sale a 40 lb box of chicken for $52.00! (About 1.28 lb)

Depending where you buy it, the chicken inside is thawed and clumped together in bags. When you get home don't throw it in the freezer yet or you'll have one huge clump of frozen chicken.

I'll show you how to prepare it and get the most of your money in a box of chicken.

First you'll need:

freezer space for large cookie sheets to lay flat in

cookie sheets

wax paper for easy clean-up

scissors

large pot

a few bowls and tupperware with lids

First line cookie sheet with wax paper.

When you first get the chicken breasts they'll be connected, just cut it in half.

If you want them smaller you can cut it at the seam and trim off the bottom too. Then you'll have a sizable portion of breast meat AND a small breast tender.

The chicken breasts will have little bits of chicken that just barley hangs on. You can cut these off and start a pile for some chopped chicken pieces.

I also trim large parts of fat and put it in the chopped chicken pile too.

Place on cookie sheet then in the freezer. You'll flash freeze them for about 15 min. or until slightly firm.

Then place chicken breasts in freezer bags. I like to do 4-5 breasts in a 1 quart size bags, and 7-8 breast tenders in a separate 1 quart bag.

Then I'll fit all I can in a 2 gallon freezer bag. Then place in the freezer.

When I need chicken for the meals I plan,

see my meal weekly menu chart,

I'll grab a 1 quart bag and let thaw in the

fridge for the week.

This makes it easier when dinner time is coming around.

Then, with your now huge pile of cubed chicken and fat, boil it with about 16 cups of water. (I split this in half with 8 cups of water when I did it).

Take out chopped chicken from pot, leave the water in the pot (you'll use this too). Place chicken cubes on plate with a paper towel to cool. (I then took the large pieces of fat in the pile and discarded those).

Put cooked chopped chicken in a freezer bag. Now you'll have cooked chopped chicken for some quick meals and casseroles!

Go back to the water you boiled the chopped chicken in.

Here you'll have about

16 cups of chicken broth stock! Great for soups.

I don't mind the tiny bits chicken floaties in it either (more flavor).

I put the stock in smaller tupperware with lids then put them in the freezer.

This yields about:

80 chicken breasts

80 breast tenders

10 cups of chopped chicken

and

16 cups of chicken stock

ALL for $52!

It may be some work at first but in the long run it saves time and lots of money!

What's Up Weekly Board!

2011-05-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

I love schedules you can display!

Angela from

Love Sweet Love creates a weekly board

that even her 4 year old can understand!

Having a weekly/daily routine is a must at my house. I'm sure life is easier when even young children can know what to expect!

(Even though I only have a 16 month right now, something like this would be beneficial for my forgetful mind and my husband. We seem to forget all our plans sometimes ;) ).

Dress up Headquarters!

2011-05-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Natalie from A Turtle's Life For Me took an old dresser and turned it into a

little girl's Dress Up Headquarters!

A cute and fun way for little ones to store and play with dress up clothes!

Easy T-shirt Pillows

2011-05-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Do you have a keepsake t-shirt you just can't get rid of?

It just stays in the very back of the closet

or tucked in a box somewhere?

You don't really have a real reason to keep it,

but you just can't let it go.

(I have plenty of little knick-knacks like this).

I've seen a few cute ways to use your keepsake t-shirts. A few ideas off the top of my head is a t-shirt quilt, display a special one in a frame, or even a little carrying bag.

(If you know of any others I'd love to hear them!)

For this project I made pillows out of t-shirts.

The story behind these is that my Mother-in-law has three sons that played sports in High School. Some of her favorite memories were of going to all their games.

It was a big deal for my husband's family growing up.

Now that they're all grown and moved out she has a few rooms to spare. Her dream is to redecorate a room with all her children's memorabilia and then

have her grandchildren stay in that room when they sleep over.

Then they can see the fun things

their parents did when they were young.

She's an amazing (and busy) lady. So I've been helping her out on this project. I made these for her for Mother's Day. They'll go on the bed.

Now I'm not much of a sewer, but these are pretty simple.

1) Supplies: A t-shirt and pillow (I using the stuffing from an old one).

2) Turn shirt inside out.

3) If using old pillow you can cut it out of it's old casing.

4) Measure pillow to t-shirt (add an inch for seam allowance).

5) Cut t-shirt to what you measured

6) Sew 3 sides together leaving a small hole on the 4th side

7) Stuff with pillow stuffing then sew back up (I hand stitched mine up).

You're done!

Linking up...

Clock Face Lift

2011-05-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

I've had this clock laying in my "take to the DI pile" for some time.

Then I had an idea to spiff it up just a little.

It just needed a face lift.

This was a real easy solution to like this old clock again.

1) Supplies clock and cute scrapbook paper

2) Carefully take the clock apart

3) Measure the diameter of the old clock face.

4) Next I searched online to see if I could find a basic template of a clock face to print out.

I found mine here and here's a Roman Numeral one here.

5) Then I resized the template in a photo editing software to the diameter I needed.

6) Next I printed out the clock right onto the scrapbook paper.

7) The old clock face had these little anchors to keep it in place.

I just traced these on the scrapbook paper.

8) Cut it out and place in clock.

9) Punch a hole in the center where the hand gears connect.

10) Put clock back together.

11) Now hang on wall and admire!

Linking up...