Inspiration for "Stuff"

Whenever I'm browsing the web looking for inspiration, I usually find that I'm looking for stores "like Pottery Barn" or "like Pier 1," because, let's face it, even though there are more places out there that are just as inspiring, they don't roll off the tongue (or the fingertips) as easily as those do. 

So today I set out to find stores that have awesome "stuff" and are easy to navigate.  Some stores I found had awesome stuff, but it was so hard navigating the site that I quickly became frustrated and closed the page.  So here is my list, ready and waiting for when the urge strikes me.

The first is Pronto Home, which is not really a store, but a collection of stores.  If I need something specific, Pronto Home will help me find it quickly without having to go to each specific store.

The rest are loosely ordered according to ease of navigation.  I especially like if the user is able to "view all" when browsing.

Jonathan Adler

Bellacor

Hayneedle

Front Gate

Ballard Designs

Inside Avenue

Layla Grayce

West Elm

Wisteria

Burke Decor

Emmo Home

Artisanti


Have a favorite I should try?  Please let me know and I'll add it to the list!  Always looking!

Until next time,
Go Get Crafty Sister!
~Sister #3

Recycled Pallet into Book Shelves

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With the number of little ones frequenting our house recently, I decided that we needed a set of shelves at their level.  I had a space in the hall that was perfect, but finding the perfect shelving was another issue.


Enter:  The Recycled Pallet Shelves


For diy and Pinterest fans, these shelves are nothing new, but it was a great first "real wood" project for me.  Here is how it happened:

First I acquired the wood pallets -- free thanks to Freecycle!

Next I grabbed my reciprocating saw and made a few strategic cuts.

By strategic, I mean so that what I ended up with looked like this: 
two slats on the back, one on the front, and the curved supporters.

Next I grabbed the sander...

and sanded the living heck out of every surface and edge.  Can't have any chance of booboo's!

Found some scrap wood for the bottoms and cut them to size.

Nailed down the bottoms.

Pin It Screwed them into the studs (they're not extremely heavy, but I was playing it safe.)

Pin It Finally, I filled them with all the necessities.

Pin It Minnie likes her new hangout.

Pin It They're a hit!

Check out these other examples to see my inspiration:

Ana White (she's my hero!)  I hope to be as fearless as she one day.

 Strawberry Chick.  Very nice photos and tutorial.

ArtsyNina.  Can you believe she got her stain from her local hazardous waste facility--how cool is that?!?. 

Little Lucy Lu.  I love these painted ones.  Just perfect for a little girl's room.

 

Until next time,

~Sister #2

Go Get Crafty, Sister!

OMG Coffee Table Book, or is it a Book Coffee Table?

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While this doesn't exactly fall under recycle, upcycle or anything else we're about, I couldn't resist sharing this awesome coffee table.  I've seen some great Coffee Table Books, but this coffee table takes that phrase to a whole new level.  Wonder if one of my sisters could create a knock-off?  I know it's way beyond my skills!

Designed by Micth Steinmetz this table (he called it Remembrance) is a combination of a coffee table and a large photo album. The cover actually opens to large "pages" that are filled with photos.  And at the bottom is a secret space.

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Have a great day, and go Get Crafty!
~Sister #3

Closet Poster

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Not to be a copycat (despite what my sisters may say), I also had organization at the top of my goals for 2012.  And to kick the year off, I decided to tackle my closet.  Since all the holiday gifts are stored in my closet during the months before the holiday, my closet was finally free of the bags and boxes that had littered the floor and shelves, so it was a great place to start.

In the middle of one short wall I have a long cubby, with short, rather deep shelves that normally are full of things I've randomally shoved in.  So, after seeing a few pins on Pinterest where other, more creative people than me, have turned diaper boxes into storage boxes, I decided to do the same.  Since I don't have diaper boxes around any more, I came up with a few alternatives.

Here's how you could do it:

Gather your supplies:

1. Boxes (My large boxes are the boxes we brought home the holiday wine in, and the smaller ones used to store the double gallons of milk from Costco.)
2. Fabric scraps (Since my closet is one of the first things I see in the morning, I decided to use larger scraps for consistency--if not for coordination, lol)
3. Plastic transparency paper or something similar (I used photo binder pages)
4. Spray adhesive
5. Scissors
6. Patterns:  Handle, Window
7. Optional:  Pockets cut from old jeans, shirts, etc. and fabric glue.

Those are clothes receipts in the pocket.

Fabric covered boxes with optional pocket:

1. Spread your fabric out on the floor and trace around the front of the box, leaving at least 6" all around. 
2. Spray the front of your box liberally with spray adhesive.
3. Press the fabric against the front of the box. 
4. Spray the top 6" of fabric and fold into the box.
   
5. Spray the remaining 6" of fabric and fold around the sides and bottom of box as if you were wrapping a present.
6. Let dry overnight.

Optional pockets:

1. Trim around pocket edges right up against the seam.
2. Use your fabric glue to adhere the edges to your fabric.

Boxes with front handles:

1. Spread your fabric out on the floor and trace around the front of the box, leaving at least 6" all around, and marking the spot for the handle. 
2. Using the pattern, cut a handle out of the box.  Cut around the outside of the pattern (the solid lines).
3. Spray the front of your box liberally with spray adhesive.
4. Press the fabric against the front of the box. 
5. Cut the handle for the fabric, but this time, cut along the dotted lines, turn the fabric into the box, and glue down with some spray adhesive.
6. Spray the top 6" of fabric and fold into the box.
7. Spray the remaining 6" of fabric and fold around the sides and bottom of box as if you were wrapping a present.
8. Let dry overnight.

Boxes with see through windows:

1. Spread your fabric out on the floor and trace around the front of the box, leaving at least 6" all around, and marking the spots for thewindows . 
2. Using the pattern, cut the windows out of the box.  Cut around the outside of the pattern (the solid lines).
3. Spray the front of your box liberally with spray adhesive.
4. Press the fabric against the front of the box. 
5. Cut the windows for the fabric, but this time, cut along the dotted lines, turn the fabric into the box, and glue down with some spray adhesive.
6. Spray the inside front of the box and position the transparency paper over the windows.  
7. Spray the top 6" of fabric and fold into the box.
   
8. Spray the remaining 6" of fabric and fold around the sides and bottom of box as if you were wrapping a present.
9. Let dry overnight.

I still want to add labels, but for now, this is a big step toward my organizational goals!

Here are a few other organization ideas you might want to check out: 

Great use for old cd's.

Here are those pampers--how cool are these? And pretty too.

Tension rod and show curtain hooks = organized scarves.

Neat labels--chalkboard contact paper. No more messy torn off stickers when you're ready to make a change.

Much neater than mine.

Cute labels.

Not exactly for the closet, but it would definitely clear out some closet space!

Have a great day, and go Get Crafty!
~Sister #3

(Don't forget Sister #1:  the last one online, has to bring the wine!  I beat you to it!)