Home Office: Details, Details

For all three of you who might still be the least bit interested in reading about my office project, I thought I'd finish up this little series of posts with details on all the, well, details. From containers to organization to personal touches, this post has it all!

Simple glass canisters and printed tags store pre-cut ribbons and keep them easily accessible.

I've had this old bookcase for at least 15 years, but it keeps hanging on...and it provides the perfect amount of storage for my sewing and business products. To the left of the bookcase, I have all my ribbons and fabric stored in a fashion that I am FINALLY happy with. Check out this post for details on the ribbon storage.

I wanted my fabric to be stored so that it was accessible and easy to sort through. Here's how I did it: I painted a couple of old VHS tape organizers black to match the ribbon storage. I folded a bazillion pieces of card stock (well, not really a bazillion, but several hundred!) in half and cut off about half an inch from the long side. I folded the fabric, long ways, over the card stock and secured it with a little pin. It was oh, so easy and now, when need something for a project, I feel like I'm shopping in my own little fabric store! (I got the idea for this project here.)

This little magnet strip actually won't be used for magnets at all. Instead, I'll use it as a place to organize any upcoming orders. The little "keep calm and sew stuff" art was created on my computer, thank you Microsoft Publisher.

This wire basket came from IKEA a long time ago and it's the perfect size for file folders. The problem with it is that the bar it's supposed to hang on requires some crazy anchors and bolts when you hang it on the wall. In order to make it accessible from my sewing table, I opened the table (the top unfolds) laid a piece of ribbon across the crack, closed the table, tied the ribbon to the basket and VOILA!

Magnetic picture frames filled with homemade labels (thank you again, Publisher!) adorn the front of the filing cabinet.

I REALLY wish I had a before picture of this closet. There was an INSANE amount of crap in there. I finally decided that the craft projects I'd been holding on to since college were probably not going to get done and that it was ok to throw them out. I like that everything is neat and tidy and has it's own little space.

I can't possibly end without showing off some more homemade artwork. Before, the stuff on the walls of my office was totally random and most of it didn't even reflect who we are or what we wanted from the space. Now, everything is cohesive and unified and it's all stuff I really really like. In addition to a cheap-o clock from Wal-Mart, some framed pictures of some of my favorite people and a Mod Podged "G" (for our last name), there are 3 pictures from my favorite musical of all time, Wicked. I cut up an old Wicked calendar to get pictures from 3 of my favorite scenes in the entire show. Wicked is such an amazing tale of friendship and loving people because of what's on the inside. These pictures remind me of that wonderful message every day.

I hope you've enjoyed exploring my home office project! I'm loving every minute to crafting and working and playing in this new space!

-Sarai

Fancy-fied Box

Here's another project for my (hopefully soon) office re-do! I'm getting rid of this HUGE desk and moving to a table. I'll be using a portable drawer system under the table for sroage, but needed to find something for those big bulky items (3 hole punch, tape dispenser, stapler, label maker, etc.) that were taking up too much space. I had organized my mom's office a few years ago and we stored all of those items in a nice basket on her desktop for easy access. I decided I'd try a similar approach. I've seen some really pretty boxes at the Hobby Lobby that would work perfectly, but since I don't live near a Hobby Lobby and didn't want to spend money on this, I had to improvise. Since I like the idea of having all those things tucked away in a box, I went shopping around the house and I found this...


Now, before you think that I've completely lost my mind (I know I'm pretty close most times!) stick with me for a few more minutes! I AM aware that that's a shoe box. I can also promise you that the theme of my new office will not be "Nike"!! I decided that this box could be exactly what I was looking for!

All it took was some glossy black craft paint, some scrap paper, a pretty image downloaded and printed on regular printer paper, Mod Podge and a fun little velvety "S" from my craft closet to turn that boring box into this...

It was simple and cheap (read: FREE!) and will be perfect for my desktop! And it's the perfect size for all those bulky office supplies. I've got my 3 hole punch, tape, stapler, label maker and some address labels ready for easy access!

This project got me thinking (scary, I know!), and this project could easily be modified for Christmas or Birthday gifts! So, don't throw out those shoe boxes! Paint 'em, Mod Podge 'em or decorate 'em for FREE!! That's a price I can live with!

-Sarai

A Little Mod Podge Never Hurt Anyone

For years now, I've know the power of Mod Podge. However, in recent days, I've rediscovered just how magnificent a product this is. In case you're not familiar with this greatness, Mod Podge is a white (that dries clear) glue based liquid. You can use is it to adhere paper and fabric and ribbon and all kinds of other things.

I'll insert a brief pause in my "I Love Mod Podge" rant and give you a little background for this particular post. I'm in the middle of a brainstorm concerning a complete home office overhaul. Currently, the room is so full of mis-matched furniture and accessories and would make any interior decorator vomit. And don't even get me started on the piles of stuff in here. I think I've decided on a black and white theme (if you know me, you know this isn't shocking in the least!) with either soft grey or light coffee colored walls. And I'll probably use lots of lime green accents. So, as I'm slowly shifting my brain from current office to new and much prettier office, I'm constantly thinking of ways to store and organize and paint and sew the things I already have so that they'll coordinate when (hopefully one day soon!) the overhaul takes place.

And back to the Mod Podge...This is one of more simple projects I've done so far. I know that in the grand scheme of the world, or even the room, it doesn't make a big difference. But, it did make for a excitingly creative afternoon that would have been otherwise boring. My mom gave me this little notebook, as she is also cleaning out her office, a few weeks ago. Honestly, my first thought was "I might use that" but then it got put in one of the many office piles and was forgotten about. A few days ago, it caught my eye as I entered the office and I thought "Mod Podge"!!! It started out like this:

Practical: YES Pretty: NO

I covered the whole outside of the book with white card stock. I just folded the corners much like a Christmas present.

Still pretty boring, huh?

Then, I added some coordinating black and white papers and some bright green ribbon and turned it into this:

That's pretty enough to make anyone want to organize their software CDs!!

The moral of the story is this:
Mod Podge is your friend!

Need some more Mod Podge inspiration? Check out this blog which is dedicated entirely to Mod Podge-ing anything and everything!

-Sarai