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Organizing Your Craft Space and Keeping It Organized: 7 Tips

- February 7, 2013 | by April -

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1. Determine functionality.

Is it a closet that you’re only using for craft supply storage? Is it a room that you’ll be creating in each day? Do you need open space to move around from one area to another? Do you want the space to inspire your next gallery-worthy painting?

Getting clear on this is the first step to organizing a space that works for you and your home.

2. Make a plan.

For my craft studio, my husband and I took a lot of time planning things out—measuring, figuring out where to put shelves and what types of shelves to use, and deciding what we still needed to buy.

At one point, we knew we had enough storage containers but family members kept trying to give us more or tell us where we could buy more. If we had kept collecting them, they’d just be clutter at this point.

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3. Make the tools you use the most easily accessible.

I use paper cutters, paintbrushes, my sewing kit and all my writing instruments {markers, colored pencils, regular pencils, gel pens, etc} on a regular basis. While planning, I ensured that all of these things are very easy for me to access. I don’t use empty scrapbooks, pillow forms, wood beads, or clay as often, so those things {along with many others} are stored in my trunks.

4. Have at least one container for miscellaneous stuff.

I have three canvas “drawers” for miscellaneous things in my craft studio. That’s where I store stuff like wooden picture frames and a couple clipboards I want to decorate at some point, gloves I’m going to embellish, a clear reusable cup I want to paint, etc. Because this stuff doesn’t look as nice displayed, I put them away in “drawers” so they don’t clutter up the space.

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5. Keep related items together.

Put all your paint in a big glass bowl. Stack all your ribbon on a small shelf. Put all your Sharpie markers in mason jars. This not only helps when you you’re looking for that hot pink Sharpie—but it’s also aesthetically pleasing.

6. Pick up at the end of each project.

I have to admit that this is a hard one for me. I hate cleaning up after a craft project, but my space looks much nicer when it’s tidy. If you spend five minutes picking up at the end of each project {or when you pause for the day}, things won’t pile up and keeping your space organized will be a cinch.

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7. Keep craft project containers in other rooms.

Just because I have a lovely craft studio doesn’t mean that I don’t knit in the living room while watching television. That’s why my husband and I are on the lookout for a cute container to sit on the shelf on the end table in the living room. At the end of the evening, all I have to do is put the project back into the container, and everything looks organized.

Any rooms that you craft in should have one of these, so you can tidy up quickly without having to put everything back in it’s “right” place while working on a project.

Want to see my newly decorated/organized craft studio? Here’s part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4. Enjoy!

5 Comments · Filed Under: Creativity, Home Decor

Craft Studio Tour: Part 4

- February 3, 2013 | by April -

This is the last post in the craft studio series. I hope you’ve been inspired by them. If you didn’t see part 1, part 2, or part 3, you can catch up by clicking on the ones you missed. Now, I’m revealing the “workspace” which is code for my table and chair.

I’m head-over-heels in love with this space. Even though it’s about one-third of the space I had in our last house, I’ve put a lot of thought into exactly how I wanted it to look. During this series, a lovely reader, Sage, asked for tips on keeping a craft room organized, so look out for that this coming week.

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The table is just a plain work table from Walmart. I covered it with a vintage sheet that I found on Etsy. The chair is a vintage captain’s chair that we picked up at a local antique shop. My husband primed it and spray painted it with gold spray paint. Then, I painted part of it with the mint color that I used for the faceplates and outlet covers. I added some embellishments that create a feeling of inspiration for me.

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I bought the lace curtains on Amazon, and my husband gave me the clock for Christmas.

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And, of course, I bought fresh flowers to add a little more loveliness. Shouldn’t it be a rule that all newly decorated rooms include fresh flowers? I think so.

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So, there you have it. My new craft studio. I plan on spending lots of time in here.

10 Comments · Filed Under: Creativity, Home Decor, Home Project

Craft Studio Tour: Part 3

- February 2, 2013 | by April -

Okay, you guys–if you haven’t seen part 1 or part 2, check them out first. This post is part three {and shows you how I turned the closet into a craft storage center that I love}…and the suspense continues because there is a part four coming tomorrow. And, that will be the last of it! Promise!

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2 Comments · Filed Under: Creativity, Home Decor, Home Project

Craft Studio Tour: Part 2

- February 1, 2013 | by April -

Did you see part 1 yesterday? If not, check it out here. I only shared one wall/area yesterday, so here’s another. And, yes there will be a part three. How’s that for suspense?

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7 Comments · Filed Under: Creativity, Home Decor, Home Project

Craft Studio Tour: Part 1

- January 31, 2013 | by April -

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I’m thrilled to show you my craft studio that’s finally complete. I’ve been working on this room since March of 2012 when we moved into this house, but I got serious about it this month as one of my home projects. I have to split the photos up into different posts, because there are a lot of them. Here’s the first round.

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My parents gave me the circular shelving unit below for Christmas:

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My sweet husband brought the vintage fan home for me, because I wasn’t feeling well and he wanted to cheer me up. I had pointed out the fan to him the day before when I found it listed on Craig’s List. Isn’t he the best?

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I bought the magazine racks off of Amazon and spray painted them white:

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My parents also gave me the trunks for Christmas, and I love using them for craft supply storage. And, my mother-in-law gave me the faux Paris book that I’m also using for storage:

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I hate hiding my prettiest clothes in my closet. I decided to hang my favorite, sparkly dress for inspiration and decoration:

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Soon, you’ll see mint paint I used to spiff up a wooden chair for my craft studio. I used the same color to paint the faceplates and outlet covers:

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Tomorrow, I’ll post part two.

11 Comments · Filed Under: Home Decor, Home Project

101 DIY Home Decor Projects

- January 25, 2013 | by April -

Because my husband and I are tackling 1-2 home projects each month, I’ve been collecting different DIY ideas from around the web. I wanted to share my favorites with you!

1. Mini Luminaries from heartmade:

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2. Dip dyed candles from Martha Stewart

3. Barnyard candleholders from Country Living:

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4. Decoupage Planter from Miniature Rhino

5. Gold leaf cement pots from Ruffled

6. Striped painted vase from I Spy DIY

7. Stained glass vases from Green Wedding Shoes

8. Textured clay vase from Green Wedding Shoes

9. Gold honey bear vase from A Beautiful Mess:

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10. Hanging wine bottle vases from Design*Sponge

11. Glitter vases from The Sweetest Occasion

12. Giant flowers from Green Wedding Shoes

13. Billy button flowers from hooray

14. Wine cork coasters from heartmade:

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15. Polaroid coasters from darkroom and dearly

16. Scrapbook paper coasters from The Cottage Home

17. Chalkboard coasters from The Sweetest Occasion

18. House shaped coasters from Speculaas:

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19. Metallic circle pillow from I Spy DIY

20. Cloud pillow from one more mushroom

21. Horse throw pillows from A Beautiful Mess:

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22. Spotted pillow cases from Say Yes to Hoboken

23. Silhouette stitched pillow from House of Earnest

24. Recycled sweater pillow from Blacksburg Belle:

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25. Stenciled pillow covers from Lowe’s

26. Rosette cluster pillow from Etsy:

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27. Hand painted linen towels from Everyday Occasions

28. Polka dot tea towels from casasugar

29. Fruit printed tea towels from Blacksburg Belle:

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30. Stamped tea towels from Centsational Girl

31. Bunting tablecloth from The Sweetest Occasion

32. Granny circle placemats from The Purl Bee:

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33. Key catch all plate from Brooklyn Limestone

34. Gold paint-dipped, faux porcelaine bowl from curbly

35. Gold leaf paper mache bowls from Kelli Murray:

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36. Magic decals with free printables from The Painted Hive

37. Chalkboard mug from Wit and Whistle

38. “Ceramic” canisters from In the Fun Lane

39. Hand painted mug from Wit and Whistle:

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40. Wall decal from Sincerely, Kinsey

41. Fabric wallpaper from How About Orange

42. Custom stenciled wall from A Beautiful Mess:

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43. Window art from Wit and Whistle

44. Vintage crate from The Country Chic Cottage

45. Storage headboard from Better Homes and Gardens

46. Ombre chair from Design*Sponge

47. Inlay dresser from Jenny Komenda Interiors

48. Library coffee table from Country Living

49. Lace patterned coffe table from A Beautiful Mess:

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50. Pallet bed from Under the Sycamore

51. Herringbone-patterned tabletop from This Old House

52. Industrial side tables from Lowe’s:

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53. Pinwheel table runner from Green Wedding Shoes

54. Fork and spoon door pulls from Country Living

55. Painted cabinet knobs from Going Home to Roost:

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56. Photo table runner from Ruffled

57. Vintage wooden spool photo holders from Miniature Rhino

58. Embroidered letter art from In the Fun Lane

59. Thrift store frame updated from Blacksburg Belle:

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60. Tape picture frames from Design*Sponge

61. Framed vintage keys from The Thrifty Abode

62. Recycled magazine photo frame from heartmade:

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63. Embellished wood pencil block from Design*Sponge

64. Pencil holder from The Sweetest Occasion

65. Covered mousepad from Going Home to Roost:

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66. Vintage book wallpaper from houzz

67. Scrap pallet plank wall from Poppytalk

68. Kitchen pegboard from A Beautiful Mess:

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69. Jewelry box from Sincerely, Kinsey

70. Book planter from Green Wedding Shoes

71. Switchplates two ways from Blacksburg Belle:

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72. Tea bag shaped letter sachet from Miniature Rhino

73. Anthropologie inspired rug from Sincerely, Kinsey

74. Chevron rug from Jenny Komenda Interiors

75. Boho bunting from Green Wedding Shoes

76. Fabric flower garland from heartmade:

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77. Printed paper garlands from Project Wedding

78. Tissue paper garland from Ruffled

79. Cupcake liner garland from 100 Layer Cake

80. Paint swatch chandelier from Hey Gorgeous Events:

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81. String chandeliers from Ruffled

82. Fabric chandelier from 100 Layer Cake

83. Fabric garland chandelier from A Beautiful Mess:

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84. Decoupaged light from Country Living

85. Woven lamp from Poppytalk

86. Ghost lamps from In the Fun Lane:

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87. Industrial pendant lamp from curbly

88. Copper and branch floor lamp from Design*Sponge:

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89. Modern chalkboard calendar from stylizimo

90. Canvas magnets from The Sweetest Occasion

91. Washi tape magnets from Speculaas

92. Tiny polaroid magnets from Ambrosia Creative

93. Fancy clothespins from Creature Comforts:

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94. Bird house key hooks from Torie Jayne

95. Dip dyed stool from Design Happens

96. Butterfly dome from Sweet Paul

97. Happy hangers from dottie angel

98. Cross stitch desk organizer from Camille Styles:

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99. Ladder display shelves from Pretty Handy Girl

100. Yarn wrapped monograms from evie s.

101. Daily post-it prioritizer {free printable!} from heartmade:

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7 Comments · Filed Under: Creative Tutorials, Creativity, DIY, Home Decor

DIY Pillow from Clearance Top

- January 24, 2013 | by April -

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What do you do when you find a soft, super cute top that isn’t your size on the clearance rack? Turn it into a pillow! When I spotted this sweater top on clearance at Target and felt how buttery soft it was, I instantly decided to make it a pillow for our living room.

You need basic sewing skills for this project.

Supplies: top, sewing machine, cutting mat {if using a rotary cutter}, rotary cutter or scissors, zipper, thread, pillow form, pincushion, pins, fabric chalk, ruler

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Directions:

{Before you start, you should wash and dry the top, so it doesn’t shrink on you when you go to wash it after you’ve sewn it.}

1. Turn the top inside out. Using fabric chalk and a ruler, mark the dimensions of the pillow on the top. I had a 12 x 12 inch pillow form, so I marked 12.25 x 12.25 dimensions on my top. You could make a pattern on computer paper or cardstock if you feel more comfortable with a pattern.

2. Place pins inside the lines you drew, so when you cut the top, the back and front stay together. {See below.}

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3. Using the rotary cutter or scissors, cut out the fabric.

4. Sew in the zipper to one side.

5. Unzip part of the zipper, so you can turn it right side out at the end. Sew around all the other sides with a .25 seam.

6. Turn it right side out.

7. Put the pillow inside your new pillow cover!

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7 Comments · Filed Under: DIY, Home Decor, Sewing

DIY Switchplates: Two Ways

- January 20, 2013 | by April -

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When we moved into our house, I noticed the dingy, cracking switchplates in every room. I knew they had to go, but that would mean replacing a TON of them which would be fine if I liked the plain, inexpensive ones at our local hardware store. But, I like decorative switchplates and outlet covers–like the ones that cost $18 to $24 each at Anthropologie.

My husband loves me, but if I told him I wanted to spend a thousand dollars on switchplates, he’d think I had lost my mind. Instead, I got creative. I used all the switchplates and outlet covers in the house. I didn’t buy a single new one. Some, I covered with scrapbook paper like the salt and pepper ones in the kitchen, some I covered in vintage book pages, and others I simply spray painted. The spray paint made them look like new–and the paper-covered ones are so fun. Everyone who comes in our house comments on them.

Want to give the paper-covered switchplates a try?

You’ll need: switchplates/outlet covers, scrapbook paper or book pages, Mod Podge, foam brush, Xacto knife {and extra blades if you’re going to make a lot of them}, and a cutting mat.

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Directions:

1. Clean and dry the switchplates/outlet covers.

2. Cut the paper to a little over the size of the switchplate giving yourself enough paper to fold over the edge and secure in the back.

3. Using the foam brush, coat the front of the switchplate and the back side of the paper with Mod Podge. Place the back side of the paper onto the front of the switchplate. Press the paper down and smooth out any air bubbles. Allow to dry for about 30 minutes. {See below.}

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4. Trim the edges of the paper if needed. Then, using the foam brush coat the sides and back edge of the outlet cover with Mod Podge. Gently fold the paper over and hold it in place for a couple of minutes. Allow to dry for another 30 minutes. {See below.}

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5. Using the Xacto knife, cut out the holes in the outlet cover or switchplate. If needed, use a little bit of Mod Podge to secure any paper around the holes that gets pulled up while cutting the holes.

Here are more examples of other switchplates I covered with paper or spray painted:

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This project takes an afternoon to complete, and it makes a huge difference to the look of a room.

17 Comments · Filed Under: Creative Tutorials, Creativity, DIY, Home Decor

Kitchen Wall: First Home Project Done!

- January 19, 2013 | by April -

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If you watch my weekly videos, you know that one of my goals this year is to complete one home project per month. My husband set a goal of completing two per month which I thought was a little ambitious considering everything else we have going on in our lives…but, this month it’s gonna happen. I’m still working on my craft studio, but it’s coming together. The second project of the month was to finish decorating this wall in our kitchen, and it’s done! Yay!

What I love most about this area of our house is that everything here has a story. The cupcake paintings at the top were created and painted by my talented mother-in-law:

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My mother-in-law also made the mosaic. When I first started dating my husband, my mother-in-law and I would get together every once in a while for crafting dates. She taught me how to knit and started my obsession with making jewelry. I spent lots of time in her house drooling over her decor like the mosaic. I told her that the best present she could ever give me was a mosaic like the one she had. Instead of creating another one, my mother-in-law generously gave me hers for a birthday gift! It’s still one of my favorite things in our home, and it’s something I hope to pass down to my children and have them pass down to theirs:

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The hutch resided in my grandmother’s home for many years. She’s no longer with us, but having this piece of furniture makes me feel connected to her every day.

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When we first moved into our home, I knew I’d have to do something about the ugly, cracking outlet faceplates. There were so many of them in our house that we’d have to replace if buying all new ones, that I got creative about how to spiff them up. Look out for a DIY post on how I made them tomorrow:

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For some unknown reason, I’m captivated by milk glass. I buy milk glass vases at yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores and antique shops:

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Check out this post to see how we created the butter yellow frame for two pictures purchased on Etsy:

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For this past Christmas, I asked my family to give me pretty bowls, plates, and cups for food photography, because I’m sharing a lot more recipes on Blacksburg Belle. My mother-in-law gave me these:

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I made these:

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We filled the rest of the hutch with things we love like our favorite cookbooks {including a vintage cookie cookbook passed down from my mom}, a ceramic strainer given to us by my sister-in-law and vibrant yarn:

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14 Comments · Filed Under: DIY, Home Decor, Home Project

DIY Framing: Easy Home Decor

- January 19, 2013 | by April -

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We’ve had these two pretty photos that I ordered off Etsy for a couple years, but we never put them out. I could never find frames that I loved, and I have a rule about buying things that I only kinda like–I don’t do it.

So, my husband and I came up with the idea of taking a thrift store frame {which cost us 50 cents}, painting it a butter yellow, and placing the two pictures inside. I love how it turned out. It was super easy and inexpensive, and I think we’ll probably do this again for some pictures in the bedroom.

3 Comments · Filed Under: DIY, Home Decor

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