Easy Wire Shelving Storage Hack

There is a wonderful little area in our new apartment, separated a bit from the rest of the open layout, with vaulted ceilings and a skylight that we are using as an office. It has an extra little nook with some shelving. I've placed a separate desk here and am dubbing it my own craft cubby. It is such a wonderful creative corner for me already, and the added bonus of the shelving means that I am able to store absolutely all of my supplies in this one small area. Finding decent amounts of storage in apartment living isn't always easy to come by, and while I am very grateful for the (ample) amount of storage this place provides — wire shelving isn't always the most fun to work with. Especially when what you are wanting to store is things that can easily fall through those spaces; like books, notebooks, and craft supplies. I made some obvious choices to make my craft organization easier, utilizing bins, baskets, and boxes (that I already had) that can easily be pulled down when needed. I also came up with the simplest solution for keeping my notebooks in place up there, too.

I quickly discovered that I didn't want to just lay them flat to prevent fall-through. While stacking them horizontally would have been the easiest answer to the problem, it took up much more space than having them vertical, and I couldn't justify that. It also would be a bit of a pain when I wanted to pull one of them down to use. I then determined that putting something below them would work well, but I also needed to secure them (still without taking up space that could be used for storage)—because the bin beside would be removed often (as it also stores things).

The result of all of these needs is the simplest engineered storage solution you can imagine. Simple, and does it's job perfectly.



I simply threaded some sturdy string (I used red hemp) through the wires to creates a barrier to hold up the notebooks. To do this, begin by tying a tight knot on the top shelf. Then thread the string through the bottom shelve and again through the top, tightening and spacing it evenly as you go. You can continue all the way to the end, or at least halfway, and tie another knot to secure it all. Tie the ends up, too. Next, I cut a piece of cardboard to fit the space and slid it in between the wall and the string. Easy Peasy. Now my notebooks stack together (side by side) nicely and stay up securely at all times. And I am happy and organized.

Do you have any creative storage ideas? Share them with me in the comments.

I'll be back soon with DIYs and peeks at my new place!

xx Emorie

Planner and Sketch Book Restyle

I know we've talked about my anxiety before. And I may have also mentioned briefly, though without naming, some of my obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) tendencies. It is strange, really, because sometimes some of these obsessive traits sometimes help combat the anxiety a bit. Over the years I have developed a few habits that help me with both; keeping planners is number one on that list.

Planners allow me to map out specific goals and see them tangibly. It is really just another outlet for me to try and maintain some order within my schedule. Lately, I even go so far as to roughly map out blog posts/ideas. Planners are a little old fashioned, I know. When I told Will I wanted a new planner he said he would get me his favorite app; now that is lovely, but I still rather enjoy the pen and paper approach. I picked up a new plain planner last week and decided to spruce it up and add a touch of my personality. While I was at it, I gave my sketch book a mini-makeover as well.

Aren't they cute? I love how these turned out! The simple graphic is right up my alley. I've included the "do things" and "make things" graphics I created and used below, if you'd like to use them for yourself. Simply click the links to download the files, upload the images to your computer, and then crop them to fit your planner/sketch book as needed before printing.

- do things image download
- make things image download

To create a planner and/or sketch book similar to mine, you will need: a sketch book and/or planner you want to decorate; the printed graphics included in this post; a variety of scrapbook paper; any accents you may want, like ribbon; mod podge (I made my own! Did you know that mod podge is pretty much just watered down glue? Just mix 2 parts glue to 1 part water); a foam brush; a coluzzle tool and a circle stencil, or something round to trace; and scissors.

For the planner: Using a coluzzle tool, cut around the do-things graphic using a circle stencil (or any shape you'd prefer). Tracing around a bowl and then cutting with scissors works great, too. Then, place the cut graphic on a piece of contrasting scrapbook paper and using a foam brush, adhere it with a very thin layer of mod podge. Trace a circle now on the scrapbook paper and cut again, creating a border. Mod podge this onto the front cover of your planner. If desired, decorate the back cover as well. I simply chose a different paper, with similar colors but a contrasting pattern, from the one I used on the front cover. Use mod podge to secure this as well.

For the sketch book: Select some scrapbook paper for the front cover. I chose a paper that was similar in color to the original cover, as I new some of it would still be visible near the binding. Keep that in mind. Adhere the paper to the cover by mod podging the back and then pressing the paper firmly down on the cover. The paper I used was from a paper pad, so I overlapped 4 different pieces to cover the entire thing, and trimmed any excess. As much as possible, bring the edges of the paper around to the inside of the cover by folding it over the edges. Over time, this will help with general wear and tear. If you'd like, add some accents, such as ribbon, in a contrasting color (I did this primarily to cover the lines from having to use multiple pieces of paper to cover the cover). Finish by attaching the printed graphic "make things" with mod podge. Place under a stack of books, to prevent warping, and allow to dry thoroughly.

If you do this project, be sure to share your creative creations with me. Have fun making and doing things! :)

DIY Dishwasher Magnet

I have a very simple DIY for you today. Because something was bothering me. Yea problem solving!

I tend to be the one to unload the dishwasher, being as I am the person who is home the most. Which is fine. But every so often there will be a time when I don't know if the dishwasher was ever started. You know, you open the dishwasher up, it's stuffed, and maybe the dishes are clean? But you decide to go for it and put them away and half way through one is really grimy and stinky and you realize they weren't clean. And then you have to remember which were the ones you just put away so you can actually wash them and and and...

I made a magnet! Because our lovely dishwasher's "clean" light is always on. And I just like to know, you know? See how I made this simple magnet for the dishwasher, that tells you whether to load dishes or unload dishes, below:

How to make a dishwasher indicator magnet:

1. What you'll need: Mod Podge, a paint brush, scissors, adhesive magnetic strips, scrapbook paper, a printed image/text to indicate if the dishes are dirty or clean -- I've included the chalkboard inspired image I made below for you to print and use. 
2. Cut out your image, leaving a small border if preferred.
3. Adhere the cut image to the scrapbook paper with a thin layer of Mod Podge or glue. Allow to dry. Once dry and in place, apply a very thin layer of Mod Podge over the top of your image. 
4. Again, allow the Mod Podge to dry completely. The layers of Mod Podge may cause the paper to curl or warp slightly. Set under something heavy, like a stack of books, for an hour or longer to flatten. If your adhesive magnets are on a roll, they may be curved as well, and can be flattened also.
5. Once flattened, cut to desired size.
6. Attach adhesive magnets on to the back, and it is ready to place on your dishwasher.

*If you have the means to laminate your magnet, I would recommend doing so. I do not, so Mod Podge will work for now.

Feel free to use the following image (500 x 313 px):

^just right click and save^

Now, of course, here's to hoping the magnet actually gets flipped as it should.