Monday Motivation - Transforming Ugly Storage

I was motivated by a comment on my first Monday Motivation post about ugly storage solutions.  Often times innovative and cheap free storage solutions are pretty ugly.  I have a super ugly free storage solution for my cat food in my kitchen - a rinsed out empty litter bin. 

I decided to go with the simplest and fastest solution available to me today.  I took some of the spray paint I recently got and spray painted the bin straw flower   yellow.  It took four coats of spray paint to cover the bin, but the end result is OK for now.  I may try to add a pattern to it with the left over colors of paint from my canvas project when I have time.

The bottom line is that for $3.87 I was able to make it look like a cute yellow container versus a old litter container.

Tip for Tuesday ~ Project Planning Part I

Projects go a whole lot smoother if you take the time to plan the project.  It helps if you have a plan in mind.  The first thing I do is make a list of all the projects I  (1) need to do and (2) want to do.
My list right now looks something like this:

1. Finish girl's night gift exchange gifts
2. Alter mom's cruise dress (20 min)
3. Line Christopher's blanket (1-2 hour)
4. Start hat and Scarf for Sam
5. Neck/Ear Warmer for Tricia
6. Bathroom Redo
7. Ben's Man cave (several projects)
8. Cake testing for Lauren's cake ceremony/1 year anniversary cakes
9. Cake for Ken's b-day (January 27th)

I try to keep in mind if any of my projects have a deadline, if they do they move to the top of the list.  I use a dry erase calender that I use to write out everything I need to do marking the deadline days for any projects with deadlines.  I then make an estimate of how long it is going to take me to do each project.  For things like crochet projects or lining blankets I have a good idea how long it takes me to complete because I do those more frequently.  I also know that the cake decorations I can do in one evening and that making frosting the cake and placing the decorations will take an evening as well.  

For things that I have never done before I first do Internet research to get an idea how to do the project.  If I know anyone who has done anything similar I ask them how long it took them to do the project.  Tip: When you estimate time for a project always take a third of the time you think it will take you and add that to the total time estimate.  It always takes longer than you think!

Once you have your list of projects, time it will take you to complete the projects, and your deadlines you have - you can lay out the times on your calendar.  For example:

1) I marked deadline items on my calendar 

2) I add my to do list for each deadlined project onto the calendar in one color.

3) I add the other projects that I think I have time to work on in the "in between" times on the calendar with another color.

4) I add in breaks and time's I won't have time to work on anything in another color.

This is how I do my overall project planning.  For individual project planning check back in for Project Planing Part II. 

Desk Rant

Style of Desk I wanted - not actual desk.
{Image Credit: www.holmesian.net }

I have been putting money aside for 4 months saving up for this really cool antique, drop-top desk I wanted.  I arranged with the owner of the antique store to set it aside for me and arranged to pick it up yesterday.  I got my dad to take time out of his very busy day to drive me over to the Eastern Shore an hour away to go pick up the desk in his truck.

We had a wonderful time chatting and looking at the view from the truck windows.  We finally got there and at first we poked around outside and looked at all the stuff that was stashed all over the store.  We went inside and the owner started clearing off the desk to get it ready to load into the truck.  He cleared paths and made sure there was enough room to get through the store with the desk.  He chatted with my dad about various items he had in the shop and talked about how slow sales were lately.

Then before we took it out of the store he uttered these words, "Well, lets get the financials straight and taken care of before we do this."  For some reason the way he said it struck me as odd.  Then we went up to the cash register together and he said, "Oh, I lost the tag off of it.  Do you remember what it said?" When I told him what the tag had said he told me that he thought the desk was $52 more than what the tag was for.  I couldn't believe that he was trying to raise the price on me as I stood there to pay.  I told him that I was an auditor and one thing I remember is numbers.  He wouldn't budge so my dad and I walked away and left the store with no desk.

So after wasting two hours of my one day off I said good bye to my dad, apologized for wasting his time, and headed home.  I was almost home when my phone rang with a number I was unfamiliar with.  I answered with my hands free and it was the owner calling to tell me he found the tag and he was wrong and I was right about the price.  I have been a repeat customer with him for a while now and I really hope he realizes that his antics and attitude not only lost him a large sale today, but also future sales.

If you happen to be driving through Easton, MD on your way to Royal Oak down by way of Royal Oak Road and see a very large antique place with storage on either side of the road....keep driving.

Budget v. Binge - Yarn

I have two modes when purchasing yarn for projects: budget or binge.  Usually binging wins out and I end up with way more yarn than what I need.  I end up buying too much because I but it online.  One of my favorite resources for all things yarn is http://www.knitting-warehouse.com/.  When I get on the website to order the color and quantity I need for a new project I end up getting distracted by all the other colors available.  I think to myself, "Well, that's a really pretty color and I can always use that in another project."

Well, now I have ended up with 6 bins overflowing with various yarn - some colors I have never used.  So I still end up binging, but I have made myself practice discipline when it comes to new projects. 

Are there situations where it is actually good to binge?  The answer is yes.  I am constantly re-ordering my neutrals.  White, Cream, Tan, Camel, Light Brown fly out of my bins faster than anything in my hobby room.  I also make baby blankets so colors like the softest shade blues, greens, purples, pinks, and yellow are good to have on hand in larger quantities. Crochet is one of my most participated in hobbies so I do dedicate more of my hobby spending money and organization space to yarn.  I still order my neutrals and baby blanket colors online when I am running low and order large quantities of them.  I have been mid-project and lost steam to finish it because I needed more of a color.  However, I have started practicing budget when it comes to special projects and non-typical colors. 

One thing that really undermines my budget mentality is when I go to the store, they don't have the yarn I need, and I have to go online to order it.  My binge temptation is always online, but yours may be when you go in the store and see all the lovely colors and types of yarn.  Know your weaknesses and try to use avoidance as a method of dealing with it.  If you can be disciplined online then don't drive to the store or stay away from the yarn section when you are there for something else.  If online shopping makes it too easy for you to order en mas then drag yourself out to get supplies for the project that you are starting.  (Project planning helps with sticking to your budget - post on this topic coming next week.)  

When to budget - when your spending money is tight.  To help budget:

1. Plan out your project.
2. Look at your inventory - can you adjust your plan to use something you already have?
3. Shop around - don't just go to Michael's: look for prices online (don't forget to add shipping into the price/skein), think Walmart, and use coupons (http://www.michaels.com/ always has 40% coupons).
4. Only buy what you need.

When to Binge - when all three of the following are making the perfect storm:

1. When you have extra cash on hand.
2. When you have a need for yarn (some of you standard colors are low/gone in your inventory)
3. There is a sale on yarn.

So, keep in mind that planning, budgeting and discipline help eliminate overspending, overflowing mess, and unnecessary inventory.

Project Pictures - Finished Hobby Room

My new Ikea Storage

My brother re-purposes the old shelves to clean his room up.

Finally have room for my dress form in my hobby room.  

(You can see all the mess I still have to sort through on the side)

Monday Motivation

On New Year's Eve I was over our friends house and saw a shelving unit in her children's playroom that made me go ooooooohhhhhh! I was immediately inspired to organize my room of shame. The shelving system was from Ikea and although it was designed to be storage for children it is perfect for my craft room.  Then the next day I got this article in my email  Better Homes and Gardens - tips for organization room by room.  While the rooms didn't include an office, craft, or hobby room alot of the tips are applicable. 



TROFAST storage (credit http://www.ikea.com/)

 So now thoroughly motivated, I dragged poor Ben (husband of 5 years) out and then spent hours and hours in Ikea. I will say that I had some extra cash so I was able to get 5 of the shelving units which gave me 5 shelves and 27 bins worth of storage for a cool $313.  Now if you have to purchase organization that is not to bad as far as cost goes.  By the by.... the other storage I had in the room which didn't hold all my things that well and I had slowly purchased on what I thought what was the cheap over the years actually had cost me  $518.21!!!  Not to name names, but this system was from a large chain with a distinct red circular logo.  (Lest you think me wasteful it is bring re-purposed in other room closets for storage.  Now that I added it up and know how much in total it cost it's getting used until it falls apart.)



Drawer Storage - jeanettes.typepad.com

 If you do not have the extra money lying around, however, and you already have plastic storage units I would recommend using the bins you already have to save money. Another out of the box, cost-saving storage unit is using bookshelves purchased from yard sales, flea markets, Craig's list, or even better free on http://www.freecycle.org/ and utilizing extra boxes and baskets as the organization bins.  (The dollar store does have small plastic craft organizers and baskets.) 

Does anyone else have any out of the box storage ideas? (Comments and ideas welcome!)

Lesson: "Let it Go"

Have you ever looked at a tarted up, wrinkly old lady in Juniors glittery pink tank top, skinny jeans, and a pair of heels her over bleached hair stiffly framing a botoxed face and thought to yourself...."just let it go already"?  Well, sometimes when it comes to hobbies and craft projects - specifically your own - you are just as blissfully unaware as that old lady. 

Oops...that's not an old lady....other stuff still applies.
(Photo credit: www.vh1.com) 

It is really hard to let projects go.  Every time you pass that half finished thing you think, "I am going to finish that...can't throw that away!"  Well, you need to let it go.  Let that bad boy get into the figurative age appropriate shapeless track suit and let it be comfortable in its sunset years.  
Go through your supplies and projects and organize them into something resembling the following piles:






This will be divided up into multiple postings...one per type of pile


1)  Haven't used in over 2 years.
2)  Less than 25% complete.

3) 50 % done.

4) Almost complete - just some finish work

5) Still in the planning stage

For pile #1:  Any craft that you haven't participated in for 2 years needs have some serious thought given towards it leaving your supply pile.  Ask yourself (and be honest and realistic) Am I going to use this stuff anymore?  If the answer is no - and it should be no if you haven't used something in over 2 years..  find someone to give it to or harvest it for parts. 
P.S. If your answer was yes you can apply to be on the show hoarders here.

For example:  I have a glaring pile of wrinkly old lady cleavage in the form of a paper making supplies, a pile of denim, and yards and yards of fringe.  I haven't used the paper making stuff since before I graduated high school  (over ten years ago).  The denim was when DIY project turning a pair of jeans into a cute funky skirt was popular - seams were split and then promptly shoved in a corner (at least 7 years ago).  And the yards of fringe I ordered for a great deal on eBay and when it came instead of the lovely silvery blue in the picture it was more of a garish royal blue.  (about 5 years ago)

Here's how I dealt with the items.    The pile of denim was irredeemable.  The denim was stained, bleached out. ripped apart, and let's face it the project is never going to happen.  I have long gone all establishment on my former inner-hippie.  I have no reason or inclination to dress in a multi-denim DIY skirt.   So I relegated these particular items into the rubbish bin and called it a day.

The fringe was harder to let go of.  While to most it probably would look like I murdered cousin it and hid him in the bottom shelf of my craft room.  I have an unnatural affinity towards fringe and just seeing that perfectly great pile of it that I had forgotten I even had brought back urges of holding on.  "I could use this for something"  I thought to myself.    And then I remembered why I was doing this to free up space in my room of shame.   So before I could hang on I put it on free cycle.  It isn't bad quality and I had managed to bleach it out to a pleasing bronze-beige color.  If someone else has something they can legitimately use it for then it shouldn't go to waste.

Finally I got to my paper making supplies.  I remembered fondly that I loved making paper.  I would use my mother's blender to make pulp....add in rose petals and lavender to sent the pages.  I used to make it all the time for homemade cards and little love notes.  I thought I should use this again.  (No one ever said letting go was easy!)  Then I remembered that the screens were broken years ago and all I had left of the stuff was what was in this box - bits of cut up construction paper, lavender so old it had no smell any more, and a disreputable moldy looking sponge.  The top of the box was pretty damaged but the base was good.  The stuff and lid joined the denim and I re purposed the base of the box to as a drawer organizer to hold my paints.

So for stuff you haven't used in over two years try to ask yourself the hard questions:
Do I need it?
Am I going to actually use this?
Is it usable?
Can someone else use it? ....and....
Are there things I can use in hobbies I actually still participate in?