Well I haven't made much progress this week due to a broken and abcessed tooth - Ouch is an understatement, unfortunately my fear (and lack of NHS dentist's on the Isle of Wight) meant that I only gave in and went yesterday when the pain became unbearable!
Today, the antibiotics have kicked in and I am thankfully feeling a lot better. Which is just as well as myself, Hubbie and our three youngest leave for the Cornwall in two hours. Hopefully a weeks stay in a forest cabin in wonderful tranquil surroundings will leave me refreshed and ready to crack on with the next project when we return!
Day 10 - Easy Wrapping Paper and Craft Tool Storage
I have found a solution for storing my wrapping paper and vinyl rolls. First I screwed cup hooks into the back of the cupboard (with a bit of help from Hubbie), then I cut string to various lengths (so that my rolls would hang at varying heights) and threaded each piece through the centre of the rolls, I made loops at both ends of each piece of string, then simply hung the loops on the cup hooks. I also used an idea I saw on pinterest and cut some toilet rolls down one side to place around my paper to keep the ends tidy. Now my wrapping paper is nicely out of the way and I can access it easily.
Materials and Expenditure
Cup hooks (2) - 4p each from Hursts
String - I already had in the draw - 0p
Toilet Rolls - from my Junk Store - 0p
Total cost - £0.08p
The top part of this cupboard - where the wrapping paper is now stored, used to contain a wine rack full of alcohol (mainly spirits) that Steve had received as presents from customers over the years, most of it had never been opened so it's been boxed up whilst we decide what do do with it. Alongside the alcohol was some of those free wine carriers that you get from supermarkets. I realised that one of these would be perfect for storing all my craft tools and bits and pieces. So I took one with nice square compartments, gave it a couple of coats of acrylic paint to strengthen it, hot glued in some boxes and pots from our junk store and there we are - a new craft caddy/trug.
Materials and Expenditure
Cardboard wine Carrier - free from Tesco's - 0p
Small amount of acrylic paint - from my craft storage - I guess I may have used 10p's worth.
Recycled pots and boxes - from junk box - 0p
Total cost - £0.10p
Craft Cupboard List
Empty and paint inside.- Decorate door panels with cherry blossom artwork.
- Create new height chart - cherry blossom?
Make paper storage files and organise paper and card stock.- Make pen/craft caddy/carousel.
- Green and Pink play rice could be stored in glass jars and used as decorative item?
- Make or buy shelving to make compartments for organising paint, beads etc.
Come up with a way to store wrapping paper.- Make spice rack type storage for inside doors to store paint etc.
Make caddy for glue gun and other craft basics.- Make a tape dispenser.
- Decide on a way to store ribbon.
- Collect and decorate jars to store embellishments/glitter etc.
Days 8 and 9 - Diy Cereal Box Files
Here is my new storage system for our Craft papers etc.. Made from Cereal boxes (large,stores own rice crispies or cornflakes boxes work best for A4) and wrapping paper. I designed the labels to go with the boxes, (http://craftylittleblossoms.blogspot.co.uk/p/free-printables-and-downloads.html) then simply printed and cut them out. I know they're not all nicely lined up, but in my quest to let go of perfection I'm trying to except that and am fighting the urge to redo them all.
Total cost - just £1, which was for the wrapping paper bought from the pound shop, one roll covered all 4 boxes with some to spare.
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| Craft Paper, Card, Foam and Felt - Before |
Craft Cupboard List
Empty and paint inside.- Decorate door panels with cherry blossom artwork.
- Create new height chart - cherry blossom?
Make paper storage files and organise paper and card stock.- Make pen/craft caddy/carousel.
- Green and Pink play rice could be stored in glass jars and used as decorative item?
- Make or buy shelving to make compartments for organising paint, beads etc.
- Come up with a way to store wrapping paper.
- Make spice rack type storage for inside doors to store paint etc.
- Make caddy for glue gun and other craft basics.
- Make a tape dispenser.
- Decide on a way to store ribbon.
- Collect and decorate jars to store embellishments/glitter etc.
Day 7 - Craft Cupboard Organization
I'm afraid I got a bit carried away and forgot to take a before picture with all the stuff in it, but this is the cupboard in it's bare and original state.
This is everything that came out, it doesn't look too inspiring like that, but there are some lovely and very useful things in there, honest!
And this is Mollie (with her dinner still round her face - what a terrible mother she has, poor child) having a wonderful time in what she thinks is now her den - hopefully she'll get over the disappointment when it turns back into our crafting haven!
After a good clean, a bit of sanding down and a lick of paint, it's looking fresher and ready to house some (hopefully) well organised craft equipment. I'll be starting on that project tomorrow by making some diy paper storage files!
And this is Mollie (with her dinner still round her face - what a terrible mother she has, poor child) having a wonderful time in what she thinks is now her den - hopefully she'll get over the disappointment when it turns back into our crafting haven!
Craft Cupboard List
Empty and paint inside.- Decorate door panels with cherry blossom artwork.
- Create new height chart - cherry blossom?
- Make paper storage files and organise paper and card stock.
- Make pen/craft caddy/carousel.
- Green and Pink play rice could be stored in glass jars and used as decorative item?
- Make or buy shelving to make compartments for organising paint, beads etc.
- Come up with a way to store wrapping paper.
- Make spice rack type storage for inside doors to store paint etc.
- Make caddy for glue gun and other craft basics.
- Make a tape dispenser.
- Decide on a way to store ribbon.
- Collect and decorate jars to store embellishments/glitter etc.
Dining and Craft Room - Days 5 & 6
More decluttering and wiping down.
Some of the DVDs and c.d's went to the charity shop. The DVDs that were left were boxed and moved to the living room as I plan to create new storage for them there. We are going to transfer all the c.d's to iTunes and they'll then be stored in the loft.
Oh dear! What a lovely sight washing piles (clean I might add) waiting for the respective owners to put away.
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| 3. |
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| 5. |
Shelves all clear ready to be adorned with the new decorative treasures, which
I'm planning to both make and hunt down in charity shops. Hmm, Son no.4's sock and axe seem to have appeared here already, which just goes to show how hard it will be keeping things in order. I think I'm going to need an action plan for getting the family to cooperate, but I guess setting an example is a good place to start.
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| 6.
This small window has always intrigued us, it seems an odd design - we have one large main window (as can be seen in pic 4) and next to it this extra little high window!
Dining and Craft Room List
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Dining and Craft Room - Day 4
Steve re-purposed an old bathroom cabinet that has been sitting around in the shed for a couple of years - it now disguises the electric meter but leaves it easy to access when we need to.
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It will look a lot better with a coat of paint or two.
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Dining and Craft Room - Day 3.
Day 3 and it seems revamp fever is spreading to other members of the family!
Today saw the departure of our old overloaded, rickety computer desk, it was originally part of an mfi bedroom set that used to belong to son no. 1. In it's place my clever hubby created a new computer station from a piece of left over worktop, donated by a friend and a bookcase brought from argos for £15. The book case will hold the xbox and all it's games - which I hate, but I'm outnumbered and out-ruled by the males of the household, so I've given up protesting, at least it will be pretty much out of sight now.
We still need to find a solution to hide and make safe all those trailing wires. I will most likely make some pretty boxes to further disguise all the xbox paraphernalia, but I think it's still an improvement.
Dining and Craft Room List
Today saw the departure of our old overloaded, rickety computer desk, it was originally part of an mfi bedroom set that used to belong to son no. 1. In it's place my clever hubby created a new computer station from a piece of left over worktop, donated by a friend and a bookcase brought from argos for £15. The book case will hold the xbox and all it's games - which I hate, but I'm outnumbered and out-ruled by the males of the household, so I've given up protesting, at least it will be pretty much out of sight now.
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| Before (cringe) The filing cabinet is heading for the master bedroom, where we plan to create an office space away from sticky fingers. |
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| Steve fixing the wooden batons in place, these will support the left hand side of the worktop. |
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| Jakey helping to keep the dust at bay. |
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| All Finished (pic taken on Day 4) |
We still need to find a solution to hide and make safe all those trailing wires. I will most likely make some pretty boxes to further disguise all the xbox paraphernalia, but I think it's still an improvement.
Dining and Craft Room List
- Keep current paint scheme for walls - finish painting.
- Declutter one area at a time.
- Wipe down walls.
- Repaint /clean woodwork where needed.
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Decide on theme- Cherry Blossom, Pink Roses, Bluebirds and Owls. -
Choose colour scheme for ornaments/accessories- Pink, Green White, Blue. - Make peg boards to display artwork.
- Make paper/fabric letters GALLERY - to put up over art area.
- Design/Print and frame quotes and wall art/family photos.
- Make colour block notice board as on pinterest using felt and thick/layered card board?
- Collect and decorate bottles to be used as vases/ornaments.
- Declutter manual box and create attractive storage for necessary manuals.
- Laminate patterned paper and make into light switch covers?
- Use decorated wrapping paper roll as cable tidy?
- Repurpose chest of drawers from boys room to use as dresser/material store.
- Turn drawers into shelves/plate rack/crockery store.
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Get rid of old desk and make or buy new one.Desk made thanks to Steve! - Find a way to enclose Electric meter.
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