DIY Tiered Spice Rack using cereal boxes

Are you looking for a solution to organize your spice containers? You have come to the right place. I have been cleaning closets at home and found a bunch of cereal boxes that I have been hoarding. It was a surprise to myself because I totally forgot that I have these boxes. I thought this will be the perfect time to use all those cereal boxes and come up with a new idea. Before all this lockdown came into action, I got few spice containers from IKEA to organize my kitchen cabinets. After filling them with spices I found it not quite accessible, it was difficult to find that one container I was looking for and containers falling down as I had them stacked up due to space constraints. So, I thought these cereal boxes will be a perfect solution to organize the spice containers and to make it easy for access. Let's see how I did it. 

DIY essential oils Storage Case from Ferrero Rocher Chocolate box

I have already shared a tutorial on how to make an organizer tray from Ferrero Rocher box with multiple uses and this time it is an another Ferrero Rocher box turned into a storage case for essential oils. I got a few essential oils to try in the diffuser and it came in a cardboard box which allows you to store the oils flat. I wanted to store them straight up after opening and I was looking for a container to store them. After a few searches on the internet, I came to know that these oils need to be stored in a dark place. When I was brainstorming ideas for this, a moderator from Talenthouse commented on my organizer tray post that there is a contest by Ferrero Rocher. You know I love participating in contests, I did not win the contest but I love how this storage case turned out. Here is the full tutorial on how I did it.  

DIY Hanging pegboard perfect solution for saving space in the closet

Last week, I shared how I organized my craft supplies in a shared closet. Today I am sharing an in-depth DIY on how to make a hanging pegboard to organize craft supplies which are rarely used(often buried in boxes) and organized in its original packing. Having supplies in a shared closet means space is a big constraint. Hanging them saves a lot of space. We installed a pegboard in my previous craft space(North Carolina) to organize my craft supplies. It was very useful to get a clear picture of what I have in my stash and also to brainstorm ideas with what I already have. As installing a pegboard inside our current closet is pretty tricky I decided to make this hanging pegboard. Let's see how.

How I organized my craft supplies in a shared closet - Closet organization ideas

It's been three years since I had shared my craft space and how I kept my craft supplies organized. We moved twice after that and a lot of things changed - our family grew, our priorities changed and apartment size varied, etc. When we were in North Carolina, I had a small 10 ft X 10 ft space in the living room for my crafts. I did not get time to share that space (I'll share it soon) as we stayed for a very short period of time and also we got pregnant while we were there. Then, we moved to New Jersey when we were 5 months pregnant.

In New Jersey apartment, I do not have any space specifically for my crafts. I have my craft supplies in a shared closet along with our clothes in our master bedroom and have my craft table adjacent to our bed which is used as a multi-purpose table.

Last year, I did not have enough time to organize the craft supplies when we moved into our current apartment as we were expecting a baby and I got busy with getting ready for baby's arrival. Now that he is one year old, I started organizing slowly as I found it difficult to spot things when needed. I worked with what I already had and bought/made a couple of items to complete the organization. Let's see how I did.

How to repurpose oats container

This post may contain affiliate links.By clicking the link and purchasing items through my links doesn't cost you anything but I receive a small commission.The money helps me buy craft supplies to bring you new creative ideas each week. 

In this post, I am going to show how to repurpose those long oats containers. I have used these containers to store a lot of things but the problem is when I want one item, I have to dump the whole container to look for that one item. So, I decided repurpose the oats container into a container with containers inside(you get it, right? ;)) so that it is easy to organize and sort things inside. Let's see how.

DIY Baskets (2 ways) from Shipping boxes

There are a lot of cardboard box ideas all around the internet but not many tutorials on how to make fabric liner with divisions so I thought I will share my take on how to make the DIY basket with a compartment. Also, I  challenged myself to use what I have on hand to make two DIY baskets( One as a diaper caddy and one as snacks basket). Because at 38 weeks pregnant, I couldn't craft much and also don't have the mood to go shopping for new supplies. But as a DIYer, I just couldn't simply pass time by watching videos or shows all the time. So, I took a lot of time(almost 4 to 5 days) to finish these baskets. You might find a different combination of supplies used here to make a single basket, that is because of the de-stash challenge that I created for myself to avoid shopping for new craft supplies. I mostly used the leftover pieces of material like gray fabric from the DIY nursing pillow, Belt from DIY curtain rod using PVC pipe, leftover contact paper after lining the shelves in our new apartment, scraps of leather, brads from the DIY perpetual calendar, etc. Now, let us move on to the making.

DIY Organizer Tray from Ferrero Rocher box with multiple uses

I think every house has at least one of these empty boxes either holding some knick-knacks or empty without knowing what do with them. I had two of these boxes which I got as a gift from my friends for anniversary and birthday. I used one box as such for organizing my jewelry findings, as the inner plastic thing which holds the chocolates has deeper pockets so it was perfect whereas the other one has shallow and small compartments which is difficult to organize things like findings as it will mix together while handling.But you can still use the plastic sheet as paint palette for mixing paints.Regarding the use of the box, I came up with an idea of using them as organizer trays.These trays are expensive at the store but you can easily make them for fraction of cost you get at the store. These can be used in many areas of the house and I will show you few ideas below. Let's get started on the making.

DIY Perler Beads Fruit bowl

I love experimenting with Perler beads and coming up with new ideas. As fruit prints are in trend right now, I thought I will show you how to make 3D fruit bowls out of Perler beads. You can use these bowls for organizing your school/ office supplies in your drawer. Or use them on your desk to add a pop of color and to store knickknacks.

Materials Required:
Perler beads in your color choice.
Circle Pegboard
Parchment paper
Iron
E6000

Step 1: Create a base for the bowl as shown below. I decided to make a full circle bowl and a half circle bowl. For the full circle bowl, I made a watermelon pattern and for the half-circle bowl, I made grapefruit pattern.

Step 2: Fuse the base using parchment paper and Iron. Follow the instructions on the package for fusing the beads. I covered the pattern with parchment paper and used iron in a circular motion for 30 to 45 seconds until the beads fuse together. Once it cools down, remove it from the pegboard and repeat the steps for another side.

One of my favorite activities to do is to sort the beads from the big box of Perler beads. Grab yours here:

Step 3: Now that the base is ready, it's time to make the sides of the bowl. For this, use beads and form the outline part alone in the pegboard. I used alternate colors of light and dark green beads for the outer layer of watermelon bowl and light orange beads for grapefruit bowl.

Fuse them as discussed in step 2. Repeat this step to make five outline circles. 

Step 4: Use any strong glue and glue the layers one by one to form the fruit bowl. I used five layers of outline circles for each bowl . Allow it to dry. Your fruit bowls are now ready to use. 

How simple is this project? If you are not into the fruit trend, you can make any pattern or designs of your choice to suit the decor of your room. Make sure you use clear E6000 glue to glue the pieces together. I used white E6000 glue and it kind of shows it some areas. Avoid using hot glue for this, as it creates a bulge in between the outline areas. 

Hope you like this idea of making bowls. Share what you think in the comments below. As always I would love to hear from you. If you know any of your friends who love Perler beads crafts, share with them using social media icons. :) 

Other crafts you might like:

DIY Perler Beads Key holder

DIY Christmas garland

DIY Pearl Bracelets- 2 Types

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How to install pegboard and pegboard organizing ideas

If you are regular reader you might know that we moved recently. I'm currently working on setting up my new craft space. The shelf I was using to store craft supplies is now being used to store my clothes and I no more have the big table, metallic thumb tack wall art, inspiration board, ribbon organizer, etc. So I have to start from the scratch to build a craft space and the area I have now is very small compared to the one I had before but I am happy that I have an area dedicated entirely to my crafts and no other household item is sharing the space this time. So I had to come up with a solution to organize all my supplies as well as make my craft space, an inspiring space to work.

I had a lot of craft supplies that are just sitting idle inside my supply boxes for many years and I needed a way to display them so that I know they are there and also I can come up with an idea to use them.(Kind of an inspiration board with unused craft supplies) So, I decided to install pegboard to display and organize them. 

I came up with this post as I struggled a lot to find the exact things I need to build this pegboard.I am sharing this to make it easy for you if you decide to install a pegboard too. When I decided I want pegboard for my craft space I started to search for how-to's about pegboard installation and what kind of pegboard to get,etc. Most of the websites suggested to get a pegboard with 1/4" or 1/2" hole because it is difficult to find accessories for 3/16" hole. I went to home depot & Lowe's and asked for pegboard with 1/4" or 1/2" hole, they only had 3/16" hole 2ft x 4ft pegboard in white(Home depot)and lowe's only had 4ft x 8ft 3/16" hole in brown, then I came home and searched for it in amazon.

The results shows a lot of things but nothing in the color and size you want and also the price tag is crazy. I mean $56 for two pegboards when you can get it for $15(for 3/16" hole) in home depot.No way! Finally I decided to settle for two 3/16" hole pegboard and went to the accessories section to find that none of the accessories says "for 3/16" hole"(As said earlier in many of the websites) but they had accessories kit that "fits 1/4" or 1/2" hole". When you put the math it all makes sense, if it fits 1/2"(0.5) hole it should fit 3/16"(0.18) , right? (Thanks to hubby because I did not think in that angle at all). So I got a assortment of accessories kit which also had screws and spacers to install the pegboard.Now let's see how to install. 

Materials Used :
White Pegboard 2ft X 4ft 3/16"- 2
Everbilt 47 pcs Locking peg hook assortment kit
E-Z Ancor TapNLock Drywall Anchoring system 10 Anchors (Only for drywall which are one to 1/2" inch so please read the instructions carefully)
Fender washer 3/16"
Drill
Hammer
Screw driver
1/4"(Thickness) X 4"(Width)  X 36"(Length) Wood panel for shelves (optional)
Painter's tape
Acrylic paint & brushes(Optional)

Step 1: This is a optional step.As I am going to fill the wall space with pegboard instead of some colorful art, I don't wanted it to look plain.So I decided to paint the pegboard in my blog colors(Teal,pink and gold). To bring a balance, I used chevron pattern as I used the same in the bookshelves rim I am using for storing my craft supplies. Used masking tape(as I only had that in hand but I advice you to use painter's tape) to mask the design on the pegboard and used 2 to 3 coats of acrylic paint to paint the chevron pattern.I used enamel gold paint for the middle.

Step 2: Place the pegboard where you wanted to install and mark the outer areas with painter's tape and use a pencil to trace the holes where you want to drill. 

Step 3: Drill the holes in the wall, we used 3/16" drill bit. Then insert the drywall anchor into the wall.(The package said no drilling but we did drill the holes).Use hammer so that it fits nicely into the wall. Now take the screw insert it into the washer and then into the pegboard hole from the front. Then insert the spacer into the screw from the back of the pegboard. Now with some help lift the pegboard to the wall and fit the screws matching to the drywall anchors and use a screw driver to tighten the screw.That's it. You are done. 

I installed two 2ft X 4ft pegboards side by side for which I recommend six screws for each board (3 in the top and 3 in the bottom) totally 12 screws. 

Ideas for hanging the items to the pegboard :

1) Try to keep your craft supplies in the package it comes as far as possible because the package will be designed to display on shelves in craft stores which are all pegboards so it will be easy for you to hang them in the hooks. 

2) If you don't have them in package, use binder clips to hang them on hooks.

3) Use small long baskets for storing brushes, pens, pencils, etc. These baskets are 3 for $1 and it is the best deal you can get. I have used vertical space here to display these baskets but you can use these in the tiny space at the bottom.

4) Use wire baskets to store small items like stamps, stamp pads, punches, etc.These wire baskets are $1 each and it gives transparent look which allows you to easily identify what is inside. 

5) Double the shelving space by using it as shelf as well as for ribbon storage. Instead of using a big wooden plank in the size of the shelving bracket, use a correct size of wooden plank as shelf and use the remaining area to store things like ribbons and tape on a wooden dowel. 

Here is the final complete look of the pegboard!!

Hope this blog post helps you to get the complete insight of how to install a pegboard and also some accessories ideas. I am still playing with arrangement of items and if I come across more ideas I will update this post later. Let me know what you feel about this arrangement. Have you installed pegboard before? Do you have any suggestions or clarifications? Share or ask them in the comments below. I will be happy to hear them.

DIY Bookends with Organizers

I am really excited to share this project with you because this is my first ever wood project with lot of cutting involved but don't worry friends, I still do not own a wood saw or any fancy tools but I made this project successfully. I asked for our friend's help in cutting the wood as home depot cutting machine was out of order on that day when I purchased wood but usually Home Depot  does this cutting for you if you purchase the wood there.So, you can also do this project even if you don't own any fancy tools like me. C'mon that is the whole point , right? If I can do this, you can perfectly do this.If not , there is not point in sharing it here. :) If you don't have shops like "Home Depot" where you live, ask for some carpenter's help, I am sure they will be happy to help you.

To celebrate the back to school season, I thought this will be a perfect DIY which will help to organizer the books as well as school supplies. When I was searching for DIY bookends ,all the tutorials that showed up on the search were glue two woods in L shape and place some fancy things on either side and Tada! the bookends are ready. I wanted to do something different than that, so I thought "How cool will it be if the bookends has some organizers on them?". So I started making a model with cardboard and it turned out great .So I wanted it to be replicated in wood to add utility value to it. And here it is.Lets see how to make it.

Materials Required :
Wood plank with 1/4" thickness
Ruler and Pencil
Sand paper
Wood glue or any glue that can be applied to wood
Acrylic paint
Foam brush or paint brush
Any varnish or clear spray paint

Step 1: With a ruler and pencil mark the measurements on the wood.And cut the wood with help of carpenter or in Home Depot or by yourself if you have appropriate tools.
For L Shape -  4" X 7" - 4 pieces
1st Holder  -  2.5" X 3.5" - 4 pieces
1st holder - 2" X 3.5" - 4 pieces
To make a square holder, you need to subtract the thickness of the wood when making the pieces for two sides.So, "Holder" represents the front and back pieces and "holder" represents side pieces of the holder. It is 4 pieces because you will need 2 pieces for each side of the bookend to make one holder.
Hope it is clear.If not, ask me in the comments.;)
2nd Holder - 1.5" X 2" - 4 pieces
2nd holder - 1" X 2" - 4 pieces
3rd Holder - 1.5" X 1.25" - 4 pieces
3rd holder - 1" X 1.25" - 4 pieces

Step 2: Sand the edges of the cut wood pieces to remove any splinters on the edges.

With splinters

Without splinters after sanding

Step 3: Glue the pieces together. First glue the "L" Shape piece to make the bookends. I used some books to keep them in place and to match the height. As we are using glue it takes 5 or 10 minutes to set depending on the type of glue you are using. I tried E6000 as well as Loctite Go2 all purpose glue both works great. I felt Loctite is better than E6000 in certain cases but both does the job. I did not use any screws or staple gun in this project as I want this project to be DIYable for many of you who don't have tools.But if you want to reduce the wait time and have the appropriate tool , you can go ahead and use them to attach the pieces together.

For gluing the holder, first glue two "L" shape and let them dry and cure. Then glue both the "L" together to form the holder. These gluing and curing process may take a day or two.It depends on the time specified on the back of the glue package. 

I was trying with different arrangements and finally decided to go with left one.

Step 4: Once the pieces are glued. Paint them in the desired colors. I went with black for main "L" of the bookends and used three different colors for each holders (Teal, yellow and pink - isn't it matches my blog colors ;)) . I used 3 coats of acrylic paint for each holder and sprayed them with clear gloss paint.

Step 5: Once the paint is dry, glue the holders on to the bookends. And Voila !! Your gorgeous bookends are now ready to rock your shelves. I made the third holder intentionally small that I can only keep my erasers on one side and sharpener on the other because I used to put them along with the pens and other stuffs in a big holder and dig into the holder every time to find them .In order to avoid that I made a special place for them so they are easily accessible.(Problem of having only shelves as storage place.If you have drawers and small organizers this may seem to be a joke for you.But I promise somebody like me will surely appreciate the idea ;)).

More points :

• You can also use mod podge and scrapbook paper to decorate your bookends if you already have some pattern or theme going on in your room.
• Alter the size or arrangement of the holders according to the things you want to hold in it. 
• You can get more creative by using some magnetic tape on the bookends if you want to display some photo magnets or any logos. 
• Make sure you subtract the thickness of wood when you are cutting the pieces for sides if you are using a different thickness of wood.
• If you have the wood cutting tools at you home, why not try some other geometric shapes for holders like hexagon, triangle for holders instead squares. 

Hope this tutorial inspires you to create your own bookends for this back to school season. Share what you think about these bookends in the comments below. Have you made any bookends like this? If you want any customization to be done in this bookends what changes will you make ?