Recycling for Organization

Here is a handy little tutorial to help with organization. It helps to keep all those loose magazines in order.

All you need is a box a bit wider than your magazines. I used an instant potato box.

Cereal boxes work good too. Just make sure that your box will hold your magazines. Also, when you buy your box, ask for a paper bag. You will need that for this project.

Cut the bottom off your paper bag, remove any handles and cut along the seam to open up the bag.

Now scrunch your cut up paper bag into a ball. Put the ball under running water and keep on scrunching til all the paper is wet.

Carefully unscrunch the paper and smooth out. Let dry. While your paper is drying, cut off the top of your box.

On one side of the box, measure up 3". Draw a straight line across the side of box. At the top, from the opposite side, measure in 3" on front and back of box. Mark the spot. Connect the straight line and this mark to make a diagonal line across the front and back of box. Cut along these lines.

When your paper is dry, starting at shorter side, glue paper around box leaving some at the top and bottom to fold over.

I used a bookmaking glue, but spray glue works well too. Make sure that you use it in a well ventilated area. Smooth down the paper as you go to prevent air pockets. Cut off any excess paper and glue top and bottom edges over.

Now take a bit of your excess paper and cut a piece to cover the shorter side where the edges meet. Leave a little extra on each side edge to fold over.

Mark your edge and score the line to get a crisp fold. Fold on score line and smooth edge with bone folder.

Glue in place matching up edges with front and back of box. Fold over and glue top and bottom.

Now for the embellishing! Scrunching and wetting the paper gives it a leather look. To enhance that, I used some of my distress ink.

I also used a paper stitching ruler and poked holes along the top and sides to further enhance the look.

I used a twine type of thread and a large eye needle to "sew" the edges. You can also use 6 strand embroidery floss. A pair of needle nosed pliers will help to pull the needle through.

When you are done, you have a beautiful and inexpensive holder for magazines! You can also use contact paper, fabric, burlap, etc.... The ideas are never ending to personalize your magazine holder!

Ta daaa!

Now, how do you go through enough boxes of instant potatoes for your magazine holders? Here is one quickie recipe that my family just loves! So easy to make for those days when you don't have alot of time to cook too!

Quickie Shepherd's Pie

1 lb hamburger

1 deep dish pie shell

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3-4 Tbs milk

6 servings of instant mashed potatoes (use directions on box to make)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In skillet, brown hamburger. Drain grease. Add mushroom soup and milk. Stir until meat is covered in soup mix. Add to pie shell. Make 6 servings of instant mashed potatoes. Add cheese and stir. Cover meat in pie shell with cheesy potatoes. Place in oven for 25 minutes or until potatoes are lightly brown and set. Let cool 5 minutes and serve!

I usually serve this with a salad. It makes a great meal when you are in a hurry! Sorry, no pics! It usually doesn't last long enough!

How would you embellish your magazine holder?

Posted @ Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up Party

BNOTP Met Monday

Chalkboard Paint

Since so many of you commented on it, I thought that I would make another post about it.

I LOVE CHALKBOARD PAINT!

Part of the reasoning to paint all my interior doors black was for chalkboard paint. Both of the kids rooms have chalkboard paint on their closet doors.

One of the things that I didn't like about chalkboard paint was you had either green or black to choose from....

until now!

I found a recipe online on how to make your own chalkboard paint!

In any color you want!

Now I have to say that I have not tried out this "recipe" yet, so I can't say how well it works. Here is how you do it.

In a gallon bucket mix for every cup of acrylic latex paint add 2 tablespoons of dry, unsanded tile grout mix. You can find this at any Home Depot or Lowe's. Stir the mixture with a whisk until the paint is smooth with no lumps. Use uncolored grout mix also to keep a true color of your paint. Repeat mixing the 1 cup to 1 tablespoon ratio until you have the amount of paint desired to paint your piece. Apply the paint to your surface and let completely dry. When dry, lightly sand with a fine sandpaper to accept the chalk. After this step, rub over the entire surface with chalk. Wipe away any excess chalk with a damp cloth.

Like I said, I have not tried this since I bought a gallon of black chalkboard paint for 3 sets of doors.

Could you imagine the possibilities of making chalkboard paint in your own color though?!

A Little Something Something

Here ya go! The last sneak peak til the

BIG REVEAL!

Anyone else want to show off your bedroom? Maybe we will have a linky party?!

Anyways, I needed a little something to sit my lard butt at....

....since my old vanity is now my night table. Enter the dirty filthy vanity stool.

I love my vanity. It was the first piece of furniture that my husband bought me. I think it was a subtle hint that I should atleast look in the mirror and brush my hair before running out in the morning. Anyways the bitty one is infatuated with makeup and nail polish. She got a tube of lipstick and proceeded to "paint" the stool.

Grrrr.....

So I made a skirt with of course, pleats!

and made some piping

and threw it all together with about 873 staples

and Voila! A new vanity stool!

Now back to the old grinstone (aka the sewing machine). I still have a couple of projects to do before the BIG REVEAL on Monday morning.

For the Love of Pleater Tape!

Yup, I finally got off my buttocks and did a pleater tape tutorial!

You know the drill....

Pee - DONE!

Coffee - DONE!

Snacks - DONE!

Now you are all set for a good long talk about pleater tape. I admit I am a sucker for anything pleated. I love pleats! Box pleats are my favorite. I prefer pleats over ruffles. Sorry for you ruffle loving gals, I don't mean to offend!

So..... pleater tape....

.... it looks like this. It's a stiff webbing material. See the vertical lines? They are "pockets" that are evenly spaced and run the length of the tape.

I stuck my seam ripper in so you can see the pocket. It's only open on one end. That end you want at the bottom so you can insert drapery hooks in. There are 2 lines of stitching on this end so you know which it is. There is 2 different sizes of pleater tape too. One has wider spacing and that is for drapes. The one with the smaller makes smaller pleats and that is for sheers.

Now pin on your pleater tape. I still have my seam ripper in there so you can see what I mean about the pocket opening facing the hem. Hopefully, I will remember to take it out before sewing.

Now just sew a straight seam across the top and the bottom. I try to stay on that stitching line across the top and between the two stitching lines on the bottom. That way I know I am not sewing and pockets closed. That would suck!

I also don't sew the sides, but you will see why in a minute.

There are two styles of drapery hooks. Unfortunately you need enough of each. The one on the left is going to make our pleats. The one on the left only is going to go one on each end. That way your ends stay close to the rod and not get all floppy.

Here is a pic of both on the curtain. Each tine of the pleater hook goes in a pocket. The end ones pin through. That is why I keep my ends open. I only want to pin through the tape and not the curtain.

This is what it looks like on the other side. Now just take a seat on the bed. I have to put up a new curtain rod.

I am replacing the top ones with the bottom ones.

Ta Daa!

The old style next to the new one. I also have a little something up my sleeve to finish these off too.

But I will save that for the big reveal on Saturday!

So.... TA TA! for now!

WARNING!

This could be a long post so if you need to go to the potty or get a beverage feel free....

We'll wait....

Ok, everyone set?! I know I have been gone like a week or more. No it wasn't due to a fancy schmancy surprise vacation or anything like that. We got a stomach bug that has been going around. It's pretty yucky. Thankfully, I got it first so I could be well for cleaning up everyone else's pukey business. The 3 year old told me that I needed to push real hard so I could fart real big and the bugs would just fly out and go away.

Ummmm.....

Her grandma told her to do that according to her. I think she is telling a story. It was cute to see her all scrunching up "pushing real hard". Even though I did not take her advice I did get over the bug. I don't know what it is, but this winter it seems that I have gotten sick every time someone looks at me cross eyed!

I did manage to get something done on my list though! It was a kinda start project, get sick, finish project so it took longer than expected. I fixed my closet doors! Yeah me! Even though my husband's solution was to take down the doors, throw them in the trash and buy new. I didn't want to spend money on that. I got other stuff I would rather do that on. See I was tired of looking at the inside of my closet. All it needed was to put this pinny thingy in this waaaay too large hole.

So after much finagaling I got the pinny thingy out cause it had slipped into the door. So I filled up the hole with liquid nails stuff....

Mushed the pinny thingy into the liquid nails....

....and let dry for a gazillion hours like the tube says. This is where I got sick for a gazillion hours plus 3 so it came in handy.

Tip: Once you have enough gunk in the hole, you do want to release pressure on the plunger of the caulk tube. Otherwise it will ooze out the end all over the place. Not that I did that or anything....

Now, even though my closet is clean, this is a much better view....

Taaa-daaa!

I did get my colors straightened out or rather figured out, for my stripes. I am hoping that I will get to that this weekend. I even got a little trick that my Sherwin Williams Goddess Crystal taught me. I love Crystal!

See this?

Thanks to Yvonne @ Stone Gable this is the first pie crust that I have ever made that turned out edible. I have been redeemed and am no longer a slave to store bought crusts! Ywonne is also on my love list! Now to work on the prettiness of the pies....

So now to get a crack a lackin' on some of those other items on the list....

See I Got These 2 Chairs....

I stripped off all the fabric and had my husband restian them about 10 years ago. Since then they have been sitting in the basement. I don't know why I never did them, I had all the stuff to do them.

Cindy is having her "I made it with what I had" party and I thought this was the perfect thing to do for it.

First of all I did the seat. It's the easiest. Being the rocket scientist that I am, I long ago tossed all the fabric. So I had to make my own pattern.

I covered the cushion with upholstery batting. Then I took the whole thing and drew around it plus 4" on the back of my fabric.

Then I stapled it to the underside with my electric staple gun. Then I got to work on the frame. I cut my pieces as I went since I didn't have a pattern and was feeling lazy. I covered the sides of the back and put the trim around the edge.

As you can see I did have a helper. Too bad she didn't bring her 7 short guys with her! I put some batting on the top of the frame to make it cushy for sitting in. I then covered it wih quilt batting for more cushiness.

I just cut squares large enough to fit. I started with the front first then moved to the back.

I cut strips of thin cardboard, flipped the fabric over and tacked them in place. You can buy tack strips but I was lazy and didn't feel like running for some. I used the instructions on the transition strip that is yet to be installed. I'm sure my husband doesn't need them.

This is what it looks like with the fabric folded down. Then I stapled it in place. Here is a hint for you. If you are upholstering, wear a short sleeved shirt. It is hard to drag around a chair you stapled your sweater to while you try to find the staple puller tool the girl has run off with.

I trimmed all the excess fabric and folded over the trim pieces. I then added a little detail with some nailhead trim I had.

Ta daa! One chair done and one to go. I think I am going to add some nailhead trim to the edge of the seat. I want to get the other one done first so I can see if I have enough left. Probably do I got 10 yards of the stuff!

I'm pretty happy with it if I do say so myself. I am going to get some small cushions for them also.

Now to get crack-a-lacking on that other one!

Window Topper

I know most of you have seen my bathroom window.

Love the shutters, but it needed something. Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments and suggestions. I appreciate ALL of them! I thought and thought and thought about it. Today is one of those days when it is annoying to have it in the week. My wonderful husband gave me a gift certificate for 6 HOURS AT THE SPA! Unfortunately, it is tomorrow. So I gotta get through today til heaven tomorrow.

Anywho, I was rummaging around for something here, since I don't feel like getting out of my pj's, for this window.

I found this....

I still like these sheers. When I first saw them I went nuts running to every store in the state if I had to to get enough for the living room and foyer windows. 12 panels total. It took me 5 stores, but I did find them. I think they stayed up for 6 mos then I got bored with them and took them down. I did put some of them back up in the foyer though. I got lots extra and I am planning on new window treatments for the living room and foyer.

There I go again getting off track.

I like the sheerness of the fabric and the viney embroidery on them and the curvy hem. So I measured and cut one to fit saving the hem detail.

I basically just hacked them off with my rotary cutter. I sewed a 2" casing at the top. Now for a rod. I wanted to hang them from rings on a pretty rod but the idea of going out to get one was too much. Too cold, I'd have to take the lil girl, and I would definitely have to get dressed. If Handy Manny can use a horseshoe for a gate latch in a pinch I could come up with something.

To the ribbon stash! Dang it, no white ribbon! But for some strange reason I do have 8 packages of hem tape. Hem tape is kinda silky.... Hem tape it is. No curtain rod though. Again for some reason unbeknownst to me, I do have a package of 50 cup rings never opened! Who knows what I was going to do with those but since I can't remember now those will work.

I predrilled holes in the top of the window casing and screwed in some cup hooks. I made loops of the hem tape and sewed them on.

So what do you think?

Shutter Up!

Sorry, I used the good title for the other blog post.

Okkkk... I just finished a project that was so simple and I got no idea why it took me all weekend to complete.

The bathroom window went from this....

... to this...

It still needs some type of topper though. I've been debating about it. Maybe a white linen shade tied up over the shutters? Or maybe an old fishing net draped across the top? Or maybe a stained glass piece?

If you are interested in how I did it I posted it here.

The Kitchen Remodel Story

Today, I ventured across great lands to obtain wisdom from the very wise Crystal. The almighty color seer told me to seek guidance from Nomadic Desert.

(Battled traffic on M59 to go to Sherwin Williams)

We went to great heights to complete the Nomadic Desert.

We divulged in a bit of Caviar on the way.

But time was ticking away

and we needed to get things buttoned up.

We spent too much time in a travertine

and beadboard castle.

The journey has been distressing

but the pig has been there for our inspiration.

So, what do you think of the kitchen so far?!