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I found another great idea over at Design Sponge – truly one of the best inspirational sites you can find. This particular post shows you how to create a desk and/or wall organizer from cardboard boxes.
You know all those christmas packages with the boxes and the packaging you were just going to throw away (in the recycle bin, I hope). Don’t toss them! Convert them into an ultra-useful organizer instead. Like this one:
Start with empty boxes like this:
The full post at Design Sponge shows how they did it. Here’s one crucial clue – how to cut your boxes. I figured a pic would make more sense than trying to describe it!
It’s totally worth reading the whole post. One note – in that article, she wraps the boxes in wrapping paper before mounting them on the backing. Me, I think I’d just spray paint the whole arrangement. But either way would work.
And either way would (1) be free (or practically free, if you have to buy some paint, or maybe glue). And (2) it would give you a jump start on organizing all those odds and ends you keep *saying* you’re going to organize.
Do it! It’ll look great, it’ll help clear away clutter, and it’s cheap – or free!
Now this is very cool. Take an old phone book (yeah, we’ve all got them, and who uses phone books anymore?) – and turn it into a useful, funky, and attractive pencil cup holder for your desk.
I found this nifty idea over at Chico and Jo’s Blog and they have pages and pages of terrific do-it-yourself ideas.
Of course they also show you how to do it, and as you can see, you can use the phone book “au natural” or choose your own colors. And you’ll probably think of other variations to make it your very own.
So – a useful and decorative way to get a little more organized, and if you’re like me, you can really use THAT.
And it’s fun, and it’s recycled, and it’s practically free. Too cool!
I know, I keep talking about white rooms – I’m not a purist, truly! I just like the clean feel – and a white room is such a great canvas for whatever personality you add to it.
I just saw this room
at Apartment Therapy.
I love the room! It’s not “grand” – it looks luxurious but partly that’s because it’s not cluttered, and because it has white sofas – but if you look more closely at them, they look to me like they might be do-it-yourself projects – those could be mattresses. And loose slipcovers like that? Entirely washable.
I think I’d replace the little occasional tables, or put a glass top on them – I’m too much of a klutz, I’d drop little things through the wire (if that’s what it is). But that maybe just me.
Look at the ceiling – that too could be a DIY project. Add some scuzzy 2x4s you got on sale or from a reject pile – then paint the whole ceiling white. Instant atmosphere. And it doesn’t hurt that the view through the windows is of the Aegean Sea (I think this apartment is in Greece?)
The actual article was about (drum roll here) concrete floors. Yes, this one too – including the “rug”.
There’s a companion article with tips on how to paint a concrete floor.
All this is do-it-yourself on a big scale maybe; but it’s also useful and affordable and hey, don’t you love that room!
I saw this fabulous idea over at Daily Decorator:
Such a fun and potentially interesting textural idea! They embellished a simple Ikea lamp with buttons – on the inside of the shade. So, this is my “inspiration pic” – all you really need to see 🙂
However, if you’d like to be thrifty (okay, thriftier) and even more do-it-yourself, and hey, even use recycled paper – you could make a lamp and/or lampshade yourself. Check out the instructions for this neat lamp(shade) from Instructables:
I love that you can make a lampshade (safely!) out of paper – and of course you can make it specifically to fit any lamp or any corner of your home. And decorating the inside of the shade, to provide a bit of extra texture or visual interest – that makes it truly yours. That’s what decorating your home is all about, isn’t it?
(and not spending a lot of money – that too!)
Instructables is a great resource you should check out anyway – they have so many how-to’s over there and they work.
I told you I was going to re-visit the Decorating with White idea. Probably many times. It just happens that I ran across an example on Apartment Therapy (yes, I do love that site!) that gives a better example than any words can do.
Here we have your basic wood kitchen cabinets – before:
and after:
Yes, it’s a wonderful kitchen anyway, much nicer than mine. But still. Look at the difference!
Like I said (or thought) – a picture’s worth a thousand words. And paint is cheap. They didn’t even change the hardware! (They did take down the wallpaper though – and may I say, Yay!)
Think about using white!
I just thought I’d give an update, a peek at some of the goodies I have in my Etsy Shop. I love these little sparklies – and I hope you will too 🙂
And – just a little hint and self-promotion combined – you know Prom Season and Mother’s Day is coming.
Do it yourself and save money!
PS If you’re getting married? You can easily make your own bridal earrings, just as an example. They’ll be sparkly, they’ll be beautiful, and you can save your money for your wedding or your party or your honeymoon!
Woo hoo! I just got a new shipment of vintage glass jewels AND now I have silver plated settings in my Etsy jewelry supplies shop. Take a look at a few of these new (vintage, old unused stock) pretties!
Crystal Vintage Glass Jewels – 14mm x 10mm Oval Jewels in Silver Plated Settings
Deep Pink 11mm Jewels with Light Pink Swarovski Crystals – in Silver Plated Settings
Sheer Pink Vintage Glass Pear Jewels in Silver PLated Settings
They’re sparkly – and fun – and affordable – and make wonderful gifts, for your mom, or your girlfriend, or for bridal jewelry – or hey, for yourself. And did I say sparkly? Yes!
Absolutely I’ll admit it – this is self promotion, because these lovely jewels are available in my Artfire Shop. But they’re also lovely – and it’s easy to turn them into glamorous earrings!
and here’s another view, that shows the tiny variations in these pretty vintage stones:
Simply slip these pretty teardrops onto your earwires of choice – and if you order from my shop, I’ll add a free pair of earwires to your order – in golden or patina brass to match the settings – in your choice of leverbacks, elongated kidney wires, or classic simple earwires.
It’s just that simple to make yourself (or your mom?) a great pair of holiday earrings. 🙂
I found this great example of a folding table – use it when you need it, then fold it back against the wall and use it as a picture frame!
Folding Table – found at Geekgirlfinds Blog
The exact method of how to make the table (it didn’t even occur to me that maybe you could buy it!) isn’t given – but if you look at the pic you can see pretty clearly how it could be done. Use piano hinges on the edge of the table that’s supported by the wide wall cleat, and the two upper hooks could swivel to support the table – or picture frame – when it rests up against the wall. Play around with ideas, you’ll think of easy ways to do it.
It’s the idea that’s super valuable. Make a table (top) that’s just the size you need, sand it, paint it, and use the legs as your picture frame. Graphic, cool, and it wouldn’t cost much. Great for when you just need a table sometimes – and you want to make it work graphically for you, the rest of the time!
Saw this in the news today: Sotheby’s is going to be offering a 24.78 karat, uber rare pink diamond for sale next month:
Just for giggles, let’s compare it to these:
Pink 12mm x 10mm vintage glass diamond jewels I have available in my Etsy shop.
Of course the two are worlds apart, and the cut of the diamond is incomparable.
However – the diamond is expected to fetch up to $38 million dollars at auction. Yes. That was “thirty eight MILLION”.
The vintage glass jewels sell for $3.19 a pair.
So my point is, both are pretty. Yes, absolutely, the diamond is rare and incalculable and like that, but — who buys stuff like that? This isn’t even sour grapes on my part. Why would a person want something like that? Just to show it off? Well, yeah, but — I mean, who cares? It’s simply a cultural / ethnic / socioeconomic gap so wide it’s funny.
I mean – what planet do THEY live on?
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Coolness
DIY
Eco friendly
Gardening
Home Decor
Indie / Design
Thrifty
vintage
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