Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Spending Freeze: Storage

The spending freeze continues, and so do the free projects around here. A few weeks ago, I revealed my newly organized craft room. What I failed to mention was that I had totally neglected the stuff on the shelves to the right of my table.

Going with the idea of using what I have, I decided to make some pretty storage using a Twisted Tea 12 pack box (don't judge me!), some fabric, and spray adhesive. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure how this was going to turn out, so I didn't take any pictures during the process. It obviously turned out ok, since I'm sharing the results!
The process was pretty straightforward: I started by spraying each side and the bottom of the box with the adhesive. I wrapped the fabric around the sides, flattening the fabric as I went. Then I folded the leftover fabric on the bottom, kind of like wrapping a present. Finally, I sprayed the inside of the box and tucked the fabric over the edges. That makes it sound more difficult than it really was. It only took about 3 minutes to complete.

I filled the box with my etsy shop materials, labeled it and put it up on the shelf. If you're a fan of my facebook page, you know that I got a great deal on labels at Staples. These are Martha Stewart labels and were on sale for $2 for the package of 12. Staples had a $2 off coupon on all of the Martha Stewart labels, making these free! Wahoo :)
See the green and white storage all the way to the right? That's just an old oval-shaped vase that I Mod Podged some scrapbook paper on. It now conceals things like my glue gun and Mod Podge. This shelf has made such a turn around and all it cost me was the tax on the free labels.

I also needed a solution for a few things that I used a lot like my scissors and tape measure. They kept winding up on my table because I needed them a lot, but I wanted to find a place to put them away. You know, a place for everything and everything in it's place, right? You can get a sneak peek of this solution in the above photo.
I had a few mason jars left from my sister's bridal shower as well as some wire. I was playing around with it one night with the intention of making some hanging vases or candle holders for our back deck. Once I attached the wire, I wanted to make sure that it would safely hang and I was too lazy busy to run downstairs and outside, so I tried hanging it from the shelf brackets. Clearly, it hangs safely. Then the light bulb went off that this was the storage solution I had been looking for for the items I needed easy access to. It's been like this for a week or two, and it has been so great to just toss those things back in there when I'm done using them.

Again, I'm proud of what I was able to do on an almost zero budget. I'm getting a few diaper boxes from a friend tomorrow and I'm going to see what I can do with those for more storage at school. You know I'll keep you posted!

What free or inexpensive storage solutions have you come up with lately? I hear a lot of good stuff about things found at dollar stores, but I won't venture in there until the spending freeze it over!

Thanks for reading,
Kathleen

Showing off at:    Not Just a Housewife  Elizabeth & Co.

6 comments:

  1. I'm loving the upcycled mason jars! Check this project out:
    http://franklyliving.tumblr.com/post/14316001632/jars-with-fancy-lids#

    I saw it today on the Nate Berkus Show (a rerun from earlier in the year) and quickly thought of your mason jars since I had just read your post this morning.

    I had to do some searching around to find it. I did find it on Nate's website (http://www.thenateshow.com/howto/detail/diy-projects), but there aren't any pictures! Either way, I think this might be a great alternative to what you've created with your mason jars!

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  2. That's really creative. I think you are a huge inspiration to people trying to do their projects on a budget (or for free!)

    I love the hanging mason jar too :)

    ~Lisha

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  3. Looks great! I've been wanting to do something similar for awhile. I love to upcycle when I can :)

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  4. Your projects are awesome! I love the mason jar but I absolutely adore your etsy storage box!!! I made a magazine holder out of a cereal box...love the idea of using what you have :)

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  5. It's amzing how much you can really do on a limited budget and a whole lot of creativity! Way to go!

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  6. Love that fabric box!! such a great project...thanks for sharing!

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