Friday Finale: Storage Bins

Today is the last day of DIY week. I hope you have enjoyed the posts and found maybe one or two DIYs that you'd like to give a go. It has been so fun for me to do this and a bit challenging as well. It takes a lot of time and energy to make this stuff, write about it, keep the house clean, love and care for my family and keep laundry laundry piles at a minimum. Whew... bring on the weekend.

"hanging baskets"

On Tuesday I asked for your votes for today's DIY and I heard from two of you. Really? No one else cared what the final DIY would be? Well, Nicole and Rachel you spoke and I listened. Today's DIY is on storage bins.  Here's the best part, I found an amazing tutorial for this project that I couldn't do any better (no matter how hard I tried) on U-createcrafts; so I am going to share The Mother Huddle's storage bins with you. She hung hers on a simple white curtain rod, which is totally creative and unique. Hang low and it's easily accessible for your littles one.

full tutorial here

Now you might be thinking... "I don't want to hang my baskets because my kiddos will rip that rod right off the wall and I'll be left with two big holes and floor baskets." You might also be thinking, what the heck are you doing, driving us to another site instead of keeping us here at Pure and Noble. (FYI...this blog isn't really about me, it's about you in a strange way. I like giving to you, getting to know you and learning while I do what I enjoy.)  Now that I've gone off on a bit of a tangent, let me get back to the solution part of this DIY for all you non-hanging storage lovers. Just leave off the fabric insert that the pole/rod goes through.  Then, add your own "handles" similar to the Dwell studio boxes I showed Tuesday.  Here are a few options for handles:

Fabric straps sewn onto body of storage bin.

Recycled belts - grab an old belt from your closet or the thrift store, cut off both ends so your are left with the strap sans holes and buckle. Cut in desired length of handles and sew on to storage bin.
(TIP: use a heavier weight needle when sewing leather. I use a heavy denim needle and go super slow.)

Webbing - This stuff is great and can be found at your local sewing or craft store. Cut to desired length and "finish" the edges by flame. Go over the edges lightly with a match of lighter and it will melt the ends perfectly. Once ends are "fray-proof" simply pin straps into place on bin and stitch with machine.

If you end up making any of the DIYs from this week, I'd love to hear about it and see pictures! Thanks for spending the week with me! Enjoy your weekend and stop back by on Monday!  I have an amazing home for you to see that you do NOT want to miss. xo

Around the House: Getting Organized

Happy Monday! Is organized a four letter word? I think for some, it can be. I go back and forth. One thing's for sure - I don't like clutter. It's hard for me to look at stuff in total disarray. (I guess the Lord is going to do some work on me in that area with two boys.) One thing that's harder for me to deal with than clutter is spending big bucks on organization products. Don't get me wrong, I love looking at them. I can spend hours in The Container Store. They have a product for everything. And yes, I wish my laundry room and craft room were as organized and beautiful as the images above. I just can't give in to spending a ton of money on that stuff.  Lucky for me, there's the Dollar Tree.

Organization doesn't have to cost a lot. (I can't believe I'm showing the insides of my cabinets - that's either crazy or love.) I think I spent a total of $12.00 on the baskets in the above images. It may not be pretty, but I don't have stuff hitting me in the head anymore when I open my cabinets. Success!

And there are a ton of options out there from plastic storage bins to milk crates and everything in between. Then there's the option of labeling. You can get pretty crafty and creative here without breaking the bank. I love it! I'm going to  have to try the scrabble letters in my boys' room or the playroom. Does this help you get excited about spring cleaning? Maybe just a little? I sure hope so. xo

images via: flickr (jodymeza, myvintagewhimsy, biggie, chezlarsson, almost bunnies, deepfriedkudzu) and real simple.com

Clutter Free

I spend a lot of time on the computer. I write my blog, send emails, do the books for my husband's business, look at/read other blogs for inspiration, blah, blah, blah. The point is that I'm in my office a lot. Here's the kicker - my office is a closet.  That's right, a closet. It's a decent size and I get sunlight from the small window on the front door, so I don't mind it so much.  However, when the clutter takes over I get more than a little anxious and claustrophobic. That's where this image comes in:

(source forgotten - help me out if you know)

When I saw the above image featured on one of my daily blog reads, I knew it was time for a makeover. Everything about it is so clean, organized and colorful! Not at all like my office where paper and post it notes were beginning to take-over.

Before

After

Ahhhhh...there's nothing like some early Spring cleaning. I love organization. Another happy ending! I love those too! xo

Around the House

Happy Monday! It's a new week and a new month, so I thought I would get things rolling with with a new weekly feature called Around the House. I plan to cover everything from art to organization and anything that falls in between. Today is a bit of a twofer. (Is that a word?)
My love of trays and organization was created mostly out of necessity when we lived in a tiny 900 sq.ft. apartment. I understand that by most "city" standards that is pretty large, but we live in Dallas where the state moto is "everything's bigger in Texas." And although the rest of our apartment was quite large, our kitchen was tiny and severely lacking of cabinet storage. With everything sitting out on our counters, I became desperate to create some sort of order among the clutter. I am now convinced that you can have a ton of things out on display and as long as they are neatly arranged on a tray, they look great!

Whether it's make-up, coffee cups, memos or vases a simple tray can instantly create a focal point, transform clutter to beauty and brighten up an otherwise mundane collection of goods. Here's the best part, they're inexpensive! Ikea has some really fun trays for under $10; Target introduces new melamine plates and trays with practically every new holiday and I have found some amazing vintage trays at local thrift stores and estate sales.  I'm sure ebay has some gorgeous finds as well. Take a look at how others display their wares on the beloved tray. I do so love a good tray! xo

images via candi mandi on flickr, hownowdesign on flickr, design*sponge