Sometimes A Little Tension Is Good

Just wanted to share a quick organization tip that I put into action this weekend.  Since I’ve been restocking my craft closet with all these trips to Michaels and Dollar Tree, I really need to get myself organized.   Ribbon is one thing I find I buy for different projects and from the dollar bin at Michaels when I see something that catches my eye.

I have baskets to help keep things reigned in and I made tags to put on them {just need to actually get them on the baskets}, but my ribbon was taking up valuable space.  I realized that I had enough space underneath the shelving that wasn’t really being used to its fullest potential.   I wondered if a tension rod would work to go across from wall to wall and hold my ribbon. 

It does!  I did need to crack the cardboard hole in the middle on a few to get it to fit on this rod, but overall, most of them just slipped right on.  I just need to get some straight pins now to keep the ribbon neatly on the roll.  I’ve got a second tension rod for the rest of the ribbon that I’ll put underneath this one.

That stuff on the bottom needs to be cleared out.  It includes not only the silver wrapping paper you see propped up, but a long tote on the floor that holds wrapping paper and gift bags, a pillow for outside {my slider to the patio is right next to this area so it was tossed in there at the end of last Summer}, extra greenery and florals, my blog ideas binder {which needs to make it onto one of those shelves}, and a bag of moss.  This closet is at the top of my “Procrastinating List”!

Out Of Necessity Comes Creativity

I love these magnetic boards that Traci at Beneath My Heart made, with Ballard Designs’ version providing her inspiration.  I had seen them in the catalog as well, but am not willing to spend $39.00.  I had printed out her blog post on it and added it to my blog ideas binder.  I wound up doing this project a little sooner than I expected.

Photo courtesy of Ballard Designs

Mine started with a metal reproduction shabby rose advertisement that I had purchased off of eBay some years ago.  It was totally faded and rusted, having been hanging on my shed door.  I checked to make sure, and it is magnetic.  I already had everything I needed to make this, which is always a plus in my book!  Sorry, I forgot to take a picture until I had already did a first coat of white.

I started off by spray painting it with a Krylon white paint.  This is their general paint that says it covers “wood, metal”, etc.  I did two coats of that and then sprayed Heirloom White once that dried.  I’m going to be adding scrapbook paper to the top, but wanted to have a good base color to work with.

I chose this really pretty and whimsical paper to coordinate with my laundry room, since this is where it will be hanging, and Mod Podged that on.  I used a different aged looking yellow paper as a “header”. 

I used these rub-on monogram letters and an embellishment rub-on on the “header”.  The colors in the letters pick up on the colors in the balloons in the paper.

Then to break up the two papers a bit, I added this ribbon with hot glue.  I think it added a nice touch between the two.

Add a simple tie bow to the middle.

Using the existing holes in this piece, I threaded some ribbon through for hanging and just knotted it off.  {Yes, it is crooked}.

Magnets made out of two earrings {see the red gems}.

What is the necessity part, you wonder?  Well, with my daughter and her fiancee in the house now, we need a laundry schedule.  Add in my son, and someone’s laundry always seems to be in the washer or dryer when I go to do mine, and that person is never to be found.

So now we have a schedule, everyone has chosen a day that they can do their laundry from start to finish and not leave anything in either appliance or in the laundry room itself.   I think I can shorten up that piece of paper with the schedule.  Let’s look at this little lovely one more time.

 

In case you want to do this project without having to buy metal at the home improvement store, the dollar store carries decorative metal plaques that would work great for this project. 

Linking up to:

DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land

Be Inspired at Room to Inspire

Make It Yours at My Backyard Eden

Finishing Up The Armoire

Finally!  It was weeks ago that I painted our plain pine armoire black and showed it off here.  I wanted to do glass knobs to replace the pine wood ones that were originally there, but they seemed to be kind of expensive and I needed six.  Here are the before and after to refresh your memory.

I was in Target Friday afternoon after the day job and, while looking in the back near the window treatments, I found knobs and pulls.  They had two packages of four glass knobs left.  I had last looked at Hobby Lobby online and they were a minimum of $4.95 each.  It was $14.99 for a package of four knobs.  I not only figured it was worth it, but here they were, apparently waiting for me.  So, I bought them!

What do you think?  I love the way they look!  If I was any good at painting {and had a steady hand}, I might have tried painting a harlequin pattern on the pine knobs.   I also decorated the top using my nest plaques and shadow box {which I showed you here}, the dollar store prayer candle transformation I did here {look for these in my boutique in the near future}, and a couple of other things that might have just been stored in the basement. 

I thought the blue items worked well in this spare bedroom since the room is mainly blue.  Once I get it cleaned up a bit, I’ll share some pictures of it.  Even though it’s a spare room, I had a fun time adding some items in here to give it a fresh look.

Linking this post up with:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Ready Set Vignette at The Stories of A to Z

Before & After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick

Book Blog ~ A Must Read

I love using books in my decorating, but I also love to read.  I was invited to visit a new blog last week called Bookend Diaries, where Kelly shares her reviews of existing and new books.  I was pleased to see that she talked about and reviewed a few books that are on my “must read” list.

Here are a couple on my list that Kelly talks about and reviews:

 

Here is one that I found on Kelly’s blog that I will be adding to my list, based on her review:

I’m always glad to hear others’ reviews and recommendations of a book, and Kelly’s blog will make it much easier for me to make a decision on whether or not I should purchase one I’ve been considering.

If you love to read, I encourage you to visit this new blogger and check out some of her recommendations and reviews. 

Celebration Giveaway Winner is . . .

 

The winner of my Celebration Giveaway is

#56, Christina from Signs of Obsession!

Congratulations, Christina!

I’ll be sending you an email for your mailing address, but if you see this first, please feel free to send it on to me!