Tidy Time

Oh hi.

Welcome to a Stash Your Stuff and Neaten Up

Edition of Makeover Madness!

We're going to do some easy repurposes and repaints to organize some

shaggy spots in the house.

You know the ones...those drifts of stuff that build up before you know it,

 despite your best efforts?

And then you pick the things up...but there's nowhere to go with it???

ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!

So let's start with that pile of stretch bracelets on your dresser.

Maybe they're hidden in a box.

You forget what you have and don't wear them.

Skip on over to the Dollar Tree.

 

 These little candle holders are perfect for a decorative solution.

Slide your bracelets around the cylinder.

 The lip on the bottom will keep them in place.

 Add a candle if you like (this one is battery powered) and enjoy the effect of your accessories.

They also make a good vessel to stash sunglasses, combs, or pencils.

Everything is handy.

And you might just remember what you own.

Almost anything looks neater when you corral it.

Take my kitchen buffet.
Man, that's not doing anyone any good.
I burned a couple of extra calories shuddering as I walked by, sure,
but it was like a decorative landfill.
EVERYTHING got removed.
Blank slates are always best.

Now we have a much more Summery, casual display.

 Trays, caddies for picnic ware, beverage servers, and even my favorite pot for
a quick cup of green tea are now easy to find and they look pretty darned good
all grouped.

My crab platter, $7.00 from Home Goods due to a chip in the rope trim,
is handy for quick snack spreads.

The stack of plates we made for Easter is perfect for fruits and vegetables.

 

I like having my drink dispensers out and accessible
for when friends drop by, but why waste the space?
There's 5 pounds of potatoes hidden in here.
Make sure you remove those before you concoct Sangria.

 

With my Florida room being converted into Mother's domain,
I lost my home office.
I did have space for a small cabinet near the dining table.

 

Now it just needs to be useable.
THIS is not.

KMart's shoe boxes have little holes already in them for ribbons and trims.
If you aren't ready to buy a dozen pairs of shoes, sweet talk
the manager into letting you have some discarded boxes.
Believe it or not, there are people who don't bring these home.
A couple of quick coats of paint will tie them all together.

Ribbon is great for giving these a finished look, but I found
this cool sticker-by-the-yard embellishment at Michael's for some variety.

Swirls of glitter...

...waves of rhinestones...

  ...and some bejeweled potential.

And these are simple to use.

I chose an aqua sparkly swirl to tie some tropical pink paint
in with the blue boxes.

Peel the design off the backing...

...and lay it loosely on the surface.

Smooth it down.
Done.

These stack nicely and keep my daily goodies under wraps.
My files and jars of beads hide inside.

I keep the next project on a cup hook on the side...

...and under that is my planning board.

A nearby basket keeps my wallpaper and contact paper in one place.
This may not be perfect, but it's so much better,
and I'm not wasting the first hour of a project running around searching for
the things I need.

In other words, that investment of time saves me a ton.

There was close to zero money involved.

Just imagination and a need to be able to FIND THINGS!!!

Any organizing tricks you'd like to share with the class?