Creative projects even you can do!

I've been working on a few projects...here's a sneak peek from the past few months. First up is a jewelry organizer. In my home, all available wall space is taken advantage of, since I have 4 people living in a house that is less than 1000 square feet! I am forced to be creative in everything I do, and make even utilitarian things look pretty. I hung it next to my bathroom sink, since that's where I put on and take off my jewelry each day. I also put it high out of reach of little curious fingers! That's important when you have a 3 year old who loves shiny jewels! :)

I made this by taking an old piece of scrap plywood (I just used chip board, as it's going to be covered anyway). Cut it to the desired size, then cover it in your favorite material and staple it tightly to the back. Then I chose pretty knobs and handles for the jewelry hangers. Vary them in color and sheen for variety. I laid out my plan to make sure necklaces didn't cover up the earrings and get tangled and so on. I then installed the knobs according to the directions. Make sure if you use handles like I did, that you use a tape measure or a level to assure that they're straight so your earrings don't slide "downhill." :) Measure and mark the locations of each item before drilling holes, so you don't make mistakes. After I installed all knobs and handles, I then took 1x2 boards and attached them to the back of the board with screws, one near the top and one near the bottom, so it would hang away from the wall and allow space behind the board for the hardware from the knobs. I then screwed 2 long screws on the top and bottom through the front side of the board and into the wall behind to attach the whole organizer to the wall (you could find studs if you want). Then hang your jewelry according to style or color, or mismatched...whatever tickles your fancy! I think I may add a black ribbon on the edge to cover the gap from the wall to the board. What a beautiful way to organize jewelry so it's right at your fingertips!

The second project is a bedside organizer. It's made from less than a yard of fabric (I used scraps that I had leftover from other projects). First, you cut a piece of fabric about 1 foot 3" wide by 4 feet long, for a queen bed (I used an old sheet, because it's hidden beneath the mattress). If you have a king size bed, just measure the length a little longer. Then I cut 2 large rectangles from pretty fabric for the edges (the same width as the piece you just cut, but only about 18" long. I hemmed the edges of all these pieces and sewed them together to make a really long piece of material, making sure all the right sides are facing outward. Then I cut out squares of fabric of varying sizes and hemmed them and then sewed them to the right side of the pretty fabric to make pockets for books, magazines, pens, pencils, and I even made a pocket for my water bottle, since I like to drink water in bed! Voila! So easy! Should take only a few hours, but mine took me all day, because my baby kept needing me, Haha!

Hope you can make these yourself and find your home much more organized and aesthetically pleasing!