After yesterday’s bookshelf before/after, I started thinking about other areas of my house that could use a bit of decluttering. Then I realized how much work I needed to do (ps it’s a lot). But there’s no time like January to make you pretend to get your life together.
So, in search of easy solutions, I came across these ten great organizational projects that are sure to help you tackle any mess in your home. That is of course if you don’t just make a new mess while crafting.
There’s always something about January that makes me want to organize. Perhaps it’s all the optimistic resolutions motivation floating around, or the fact that it tends to be a slower/snowier month. Either way, I’m not mad about it!
I decided to tackle my bookshelf first because things were getting a bit out of hand. You know it’s bad when you have to clean to take a before photo. Do you ever just have that space in your home where things sort of just pile up without you realizing it? That was my bookshelf. There was no system so I was just leaving items where I could find room; however, with a few simple changes, it’s now finally a functional and organized space! Here’s what I did:
If there’s one thing I think we all love as crafters, it’s washi tape. And by love of course I mean obsess over to the point where we can’t get enough. The only draw back is that sometimes they can get a bit disorganized if you don’t have a way to display/store them. This diy washi tape holder is beyond easy to make and can be customized to fit just about any collection. Here’s how to make your own:
You’ll be able to find all the materials you need at your local hardware store. I would recommend that you test to see if the dowel and fittings are the right side (fit in to one another) before leaving the store. I used 2″ copper fittings and a 5/8″ dowel.
Start by painting your base so that it can dry while you complete the other steps. Cut your dowel rod into piece. You’ll need four 4″ pieces and three 3″ pieces. Sand ends if necessary.
Once you have your pieces, you really just need to put it together! I used the 3″ pieces for the height and the 4″ pieces for the length. You can easily adjust this to fit your needs. Screw final copper fitting into the base to attach.
All that’s left to do is add your washi! And because I’m sure you’re just itching to know where I got mine, they’re all from Duck®. Not only is their washi super cute, but it also holds great. Don’t even get me started on their prism rolls either. Seriously, I can’t get enough!
All my tape used to just sit in a jar on my desk, so this is such an improvement! I’ll probably make it larger as time goes by, but for right now it does a great job of keeping my desk clean while displaying a bit of my collection.
Okay, so here’s the thing about Pinterest. It sometimes, more often than not actually, can be a black hole. For the amount of time I spend gushing over other’s projects, I’ve rarely made them for myself. Well, that is, until now! Starting today there will be a new column on The Crafted Life called, Pinned It, Made It, Loved It. I’ll be going through some of my favorite pins and actually giving them a go, while sharing the results with you! Hopefully this will encourage you to give some of your dream projects a try along the way :)
For my first project, I don’t think I could have picked an easier tutorial. I found this DIY Blanket Ladder tutorial by Maxwell Ryan of Apartment Therapy and just fell in love. But I since I don’t have that many blankets in our home, I thought I’d make one for fabric storage instead!
One difference in mine is that I made my dowels all the same size. Since I’ll be using it for fabric storage, I wanted an extra rung instead of extra space at the bottom like in the original tutorial. I also did not use any glue, and so far so good. I may go back in and add glue later if I notice it not holding up so well.
So what do you think?! Have you tried this project before? What are some pins that you’re itching to try?
After yesterday’s bookshelf before/after, I started thinking about other areas of my house that could use a bit of decluttering. Then I realized how much work I needed to do (ps it’s a lot). But there’s no time like January to make you pretend to get your life together.
1. Hanging Organizer by The Lovely Drawer
2. Stone Trinket Dishes by Homey Oh My
3. Washi Tape Holder by The Crafted Life
4. Copper + Wood Inspiration Board by Damask Love
5. Plywood Shelving by Paper & Stitch
