Dealing with Those Pesky Sewing Patterns: Organizing Solution

This is Part 4 of my How I Organized My Entire House for $0.00 (Really!) series.
Part 1 (Intro) is here.
Part 2 (Simple Rules to Create Organization that Sustains Itself Plus Master Bath Organization) is here.
Part 3 (Inexpensive Organizing) is here.

Did you think I abandoned my organizing project? Oh no, I have not. I have only stared into the abyss that is my craft room, and it is not a short thing. It is a long, multi-part thing.

I started with my sewing patterns, which is what this post is about. I recently started crafting for a great company again, you know, on a professional basis, and that means lots of time in the craft room. And that place is scary. We don't have a garage, so storage is a rare and precious commodity at our house. Stuff that has no where to go ends up in the craft room. If a kid comes to me to ask where something goes, it's usually phrased this way, "Where does this go? The craft room?"

David has started calling it "the junk drawer." I know another crafter who calls hers "the room of requirement."

I have slowly started to change this. It was a major milestone when I could reach the closet--which by the way, is right next to the door.

I've also started changing my habits. I don't craft the same way I used to. I put things away as I go. It's a novel concept, I know, and more about how I made it easier to do later, but it does make my brain more clear. I spend a lot less time looking for the scissors (or other craft tool) that are somewhere on my table and clean-up afterward is so much easier.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the patterns.

I picked up a huge box of retro patterns at a garage sale a few Saturdays ago, and nearly doubled my pattern collection in one go. I desperately needed a way to look at what I had and also find what I had.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Inexpensive Organizing

This is Part 3 of my How I Organized My Entire House for $0.00 (Really!) series.
Part 1 (Intro) is here.
Part 2 (Simple Rules to Create Organization that Sustains Itself Plus Master Bath Organization) is here.

Some things I've learned for organizing on the cheap:

1. Organizing is about your life, not about how much money you spend (obvious, but it took me a little while to learn. I love pretty, fresh school supplies, um, I think I've mentioned my love of pretty containers, I love pretty interior design--all that generally costs money--even though I try to manage to spend as little money as possible). I used to want it to be pretty and perfect or not at all. It doesn't work that way. It can be pretty later. Right now, it just needs to be organized. In fact, it's better to see if what you come up with works, then buy whatever pretty things to put it in. That way you're not investing a money in a system that won't work for you in the long run anyway.
2. Don't get caught up trying to create the perfect system. Very related to #1. Trying to make the perfect system generally has the effect of making me want to spend $. No system is perfect, but there are systems that work. Like I've said before, if you see a problem, think about how to fix it. Sometimes it's as easy as providing a trash can in the right spot, grouping the right things together, or moving something so that you have easier access. And sometimes it's just accepting that you have to change your habits (hard!).
3. Get rid of stuff. Less to organize! I recently made a goal to get rid of 100 things. This is something I plan to do regularly. Along with that, don't buy new things. I recently read that if you are contemplating buying a (non-perishable) item, put it on a list and wait a designated period of time: two weeks, a month, whatever. If at the end of that time, you still want/need it, buy it.* I find delayed gratification so hard, but it does help a lot with clutter.
4. Use "trash" to organize.** Food comes in great containers. If all you have are oatmeal containers, cardboard boxes from cereal boxes, fruit snacks, peanut butter jars, strawberry baskets, mayonnaise jars, peanut containers, empty spice jars, even boxes of soda, then use those. There are lots of ways to dress them up, if you want.*** Baby wipe containers are also quite amazing--ask friends if you don't buy wipes yourself. I've seen great things done with paper towel rolls--and toilet paper rolls, but that grosses some people out.
5. Use what you have already.**** You've probably bought baskets or plastic containers already. As you organize, you'll find you get rid of things (see #3) or find new systems. A lot of shifting will occur and you can reuse those old containers.
6. To help with costs, go second-hand. Thrift stores and garage sales can be great for finding containers (the flower vase in the picture came from a garage sale). Canning jars are often easy to find and make pretty good storage containers; also, muffin tins. Sites like Craig's list can be great sources for free cardboard boxes people are looking to ditch after they move. This can work great for some things (the free section even has furniture if you are looking for bigger storage solutions--it doesn't have to be pretty--think basement or garage and hide it--and even if it's ugly for a while, if it's free, you won't feel like you wasted money by buying a cheap temporary option). Even cups or bowls you don't use much can make great storage containers.
7. Hit up your friends. Trade around. Find an organizing buddy and see if you might have things they can you use and vice versa. When I told my friend Natalie about my project, she said she might have some things I could use--funnily enough, I just realized she gave me those jars that appear in the picture above! 
8. Another cheap source is the dollar store or bargain stores (although I think this can add up quickly if you're not careful and sometimes you don't get much for your money. Caution.)
9. Make your own storage.***** There are great tutorials out there for sewing your own fabric boxes, and if you use fabric you already have on hand, it doesn't have to be too much out of pocket. Or use the $4 bed sheets from Walmart for the fabric to get a more uniform look. I've even seen sturdy baskets woven out of paper.
10. Make your own cleaning supplies. This isn't really about organization, but it will save you tons of money, and when things are clean, you want to keep them organized. There are a few products that I really love that I still buy, but for tons of things, I make my own. There are dozen of recipes out there, and I will probably do a post on my favorites at some point.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Bamboo Blinds

Alas, today is my first day back at college. Which means, my very fun summer is over. Sad face. But, I have the very small number of only 12 credits left. I have debated, made my mind up and changed it back so many times this summer over the question of whether to go full time this semester and finish already or to finish up gently and go half time this year. I'm STILL not sure. I've been going to college for 10 years on and off and I want to be done! However, if I go half time, less stress, I could maybe get a part time job from home, I can defer my student loans a little longer. On the other hand, I could be done in time for Christmas and graduating would be the very best Christmas present in the entire history of the world. It seems surreal that I could actually have a college degree.

On the other hand, going half time would leave me free to do other things, like admire my bamboo blinds and make really horrible videos featuring them. I think the voice over isn't too bad, but the visuals leave much to be desired. But, shaky, dark video aside, I still saved a ton of money.

Humm, maybe the pictures weren't too bad after all. Here are the pictures:

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

The Pinterest Challenge--A Floor Lamp Make-Over

A little bit ago, Sherry from Young House Love got together with a few of her friends and issued a Pinterest challenge, the idea being to actually use Pinterest to inspire you to make something, and not just to glamour you like a time-sucking vampire with the pretty colors. Oooooo, pretty colors.

Surprisingly, I actually have used Pinterest a few times to inspire real-life projects. How is it that so many projects do not end up on the blog??? My sister and I spent a whole day once doing naughty things to t-shirts (like cutting them up and then not even sewing proper hems on them!) inspired by Pinterest projects. I guess most of those ended up belonging to Melissa, which is why they didn't show up here.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

A Pretty for My Living Room

The living room of my house was the first I designed in my head. I lost sleep over the thing! I did sketches! I spent hours virtual shopping. I've researched couches and searched and searched for the perfect one. I even posted a mood board of sorts before we even bought our house--you can find it here. I've since changed my mind about the couch. About 30 times.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Let's Thrift!

I came across this iPhone wallpaper and fell in love!

Let's Thrift

Dang, so cute! One of those things that when I see it, I really, really wish I had designed it. I may not have designed it, but I certainly have been doing as it suggests lately. I've been picking up little treasures at garage sales, antique stores and thrift stores everywhere. (Saver's in a favorite.)

The other day I looked down at my outfit and realized my shoes, pants and shirt were from thrift stores, my bracelet was costume jewelry from an antique store and I'd made my scarf. Maybe I need to start taking photos of my outfits occasionally and sharing.

Because I have soooo much fashion sense (that was dripping with sarcasm). But, I have had some fun trying to be more playful and daring lately.

Anyway, this post is all about what I've bought lately. Some of these still need some major makeovers. Some of them are pretty as they are right now.

This green vase was $5 at the nearby antique mall. I adore its shape! It's now hanging out on my kitchen shelves.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Project Progress: Kitchen Update Week 9

I know. I can't believe I'm still working on the kitchen. It seems like such a huge project. And I'm sorry to report that things at our house have not stopped breaking. One of the boys broke my tripod, which puts a wrench into the whole blogging thing, since I use it nearly daily to take pictures. I won't mention which boy it was, because he felt really bad about breaking it. So, that will have to be replaced soon too.

Luckily, it's not nearly as bad as replacing a dishwasher, which we have now done! So, yay, new dishwasher! It does great. Except, there is a leak under the sink in the line that goes to the dishwasher. So the water to the dishwasher has to be turned off until David can get to fixing the leak, and turned on when I want to do a load of dishes. Yeah, not too great.

David will fix it soon. David will fix it soon. David will fix it soon.

The home ownership gods are laughing at our rather eventful initiation passage.

Anyway, I finally went out and bought the primer, spray paint and clear vinyl I needed to recover my chairs. We got these chairs from an ad on KSL. For some reason, in Utah, KSL is the place where all the ads get put. It's a local news station. You can find some things on Craig's List, but KSL is where everyone goes. Anyway, we saw these chairs for $8 a pieces and bought 8 of them. I knew I could make them amazing.

Yeah, that's green metal and bright orange vinyl. Picture in our old basement apartment.

When we got there, the lady selling them said they were related to the people who ran the Provo Leatherby's, which sadly closed a while back, and that is where all the chairs came from. We loved Leatherby's. They still have a few Utah locations open. Anyway, when we were living in Provo while I was pregnant with Griffin, we used to walk to Leatherby's several times a month and eat there. They have good food and the most amazing ice cream EVER.

Once, I went to a Two Peas in a Bucket Utah gathering and we met at Leatherby's and I totally did a caramel "shot" which means I drank straight caramel out of a cup. It was yummy.

Anyway, it's pretty awesome that these were the chairs from Leatherby's.

So I took off the seats.

Lightly sanded the metal. Primed it.

Then David sprayed the charcoal metallic finish on for me, because we are discovering I'm not very patient with the spray paint when it comes to a big project like this.

Then I recovered the seat cushions. Added clear vinyl because have you met my kids? Well, probably not, but you've heard about them. They are not neat and tidy children and I want my seats to last more than 10 minutes.

I cannot even describe the process I went through to pick out this fabric. I could write a full-length novel on it. It would be the most boring novel ever, even worse then Ulysses by James Joyce, but maybe read by more people, and it could rival it in length. Anyway, when I found this fabric, I liked it a lot and thought it might work, so I called David to come check it out, and he liked it, so I bought it, and now I love it and can't image anything else. It's Modern Meadow by Joel Dewberry for Westminster Fibers.

Then I put the seat covers back on.

And I had one chair finished.

Only seven more chairs to go!

Linking Up Here:

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Some Awesome Garage Sale Finds

In the past few weeks, I've lucked out and hit some amazing yard sales. Stars must have aligned or something. You know, if stars cared about yard sales. Which I don't think they do. Probably too busy with things that really matter, like crops and tides (just kidding, I know that's the moon) and stuff.

It's a nice thing that I've been finding some cool things at garage sales, because other things around me continue to break. I was just saying this on Facebook:

Count of things that have broken since we've moved: AC, dishwasher, laptop (luckily it's the hinges, so it works, just won't close anymore), David's car (it's the alternator, won't even turn on now), and all the tires on the van. It's like living in a farce. :D Maybe I'll get to meet Adam Sandler or Will Farrell.

Yeah, since then, our toaster oven is toast.

'S ok. It will all be ok. We're just going to go through and replace them one by one. Hopefully STUFF WILL STOP BREAKING. Do you hear me, stuff? Knock it off. It's not funny anymore. I can laugh it off for a while, but a little piece of my sense of humor died when my sourdough bread refused to toast at lunch yesterday! IT DIED.

Anyway, onto my cool, cool stuff. I guess if I didn't buy all this stuff, I could have afforded a new toaster oven. I must stop going to yard sales for a few weeks. Duly noted, self.

Ok, first off, we got some toys for the kids. We'd been looking for a Fisher Price garage for a while. It would have been fun to find a really old one, but for $3 this will do:

We did find this adorable washer/dryer set. Maybe it will stop Aubrey from going into the laundry room and hitting the cancel button on our real set?

When we were in Logan, my aunt and uncle were going to hold a yard sale in a few weeks, and they had this globe they gave to us when David said he liked it. I think it belonged to my step-grandpa and it's from the 60s, which is bad for accuracy, but fun to look at. It will match my living room really nicely.

Then, we found this shelf for $5. I'm so excited, because it will worked perfectly in my basement family room. It needs a little makeover if you ask me. The lightly silver spray painted uneven sheen isn't working, and neither is the yellow. So, big plans for this beauty. It's pretty big, probably 5' across.

Also, picked up with shelf for 75 cents. It needs a makeover bad too, but I think it will end up darling.

Also snatched up this little dish for $2 (it had a $10 tag on the bottom). It's a whole lot more French than I usually go, but I love the filigree on the top, and that's the beauty of eclectic. I can just buy what speaks to me.

A whole stack of frames for 25 cents each, and there are some 11X14" frames in there! Sweet!

I also grabbed a cute little farmhouse stool for $2 that needs a makeover and somehow escaped pictures, and the old insulators in this photo, both for $2.50.

And my very favorite find of the both days? This post-war fan.

It was probably manufactured in the late 40s/early 50s. It's got a definite art deco vibe going on. Also picked up for $5. Magic price lately.

I was delighted to get it home and plug it in and find out that it still works. It's super quiet and blows out a decent amount of air.

Of course, there is a serious lack of finger guards here, so I doubt we are going to be using it or even leaving it plugged in at all. It needs some cleaning too, but I looked on up on ebay and the starting price for a similar one was $60. Not too shabby.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.