memo board Archives - Pretty Handy Girl

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Family Organization Center Door

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

It’s hard to stay organized when you are a DIY blogger, Mom, wife, cook, cleaner, taxi driver, and a student (taking evening classes for the general contractor exam.) I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve dropped a few balls in this massive juggling act. But, I strive to improve and part of that effort involved hanging a Family Organization Center Door next to the refrigerator. Did you know there was such a thing? Ha, me either until I saw this half window door at our local Habitat ReStore.

A vision of a place to plan meals, keep track of chores and keep reminders became clear in my head when I first saw it. Want to see how I took this old door and turned it into a family organization center? Hang around for a few minutes to find out.

Materials:
(contains some affiliate links)

Optional:

Instructions:

After finding a door for your organization center, you may need to trim down the sides to fit your space. I had to trim an inch off each side of my door to fit on the side of our refrigerator cabinet. Use a circular saw to trim the door. Using a Kreg Rip Cut will help keep the saw straight.

For extra stability, you may want to add a caster on the bottom of the door (opposite the hinge side). This is not necessary, but will add extra support.

Cut scraps of coax cable to fit into the tops of the windows. Read more

February 23, 2015/12 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

bedroom, cabinet, Decorating, Furniture, Home & Auto Maintenance, Kids Room, lockers, memo board, organizational tips, storage

Securing an IKEA LILLÅNGEN Mirrored Cabinet to the Wall (with an outlet cutout)

Wall-mounted IKEA LILLÅNGEN Mirrored Cabinet turned Stuffed Animal Storage | Pretty Handy Girl

Have you ever shopped the “As Is” section at IKEA? There are some deals to be found there! Like this IKEA LILLÅNGEN Mirrored Cabinet. The cabinet had a small bent piece at the bottom and was therefore marked down to $60 from $100! Score! I easily bent the metal back in place with pliers once I got home. Then I decided to use it as a wall-mounted mirror locker for my son’s stuffed animals. Hang out for a few minutes and I’ll show you how to safely mount this cabinet AND move an outlet into the cabinet.

Handy Boy #2 had a narrow spot between his closet and reading nook that I knew would be perfect for this cabinet. The idea was to give him some storage for his ever multiplying stuffed animals. (They are seriously like rabbits! It never ends. I might need to look into a forced sterilization program.) Knowing my son and his antics (have I told you how he can climb his way around the room without setting foot on the floor. It’s amazing, albeit scary to watch. I’ll have to video him sometime.) I knew that I needed to secure this locker to the wall. But, there was an outlet in my way. And this is the outlet that gives power to the copper wall sconce in his reading nook. Therefore, I had to have access to the outlet. Plus, when he gets older he could charge his electronics in the locker.

(I should note that I neglected to buy the optional base for this cabinet. Instead, I built a quick one using 2×4’s and 1×4’s.)

Materials:

Drill
Quilting pin
Measuring tape
Pencil
Outlet extender
Multi-purpose tool
Toothpaste
Screwdriver

Instructions:

First I located the stud in the center of the wall. Locating studs is easy by using a quilting pin. Read more

May 26, 2014/3 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

accessories, art, arts and craft, Chalk marker, Chalkboard paint, Crafts, decor, drill, Gift Ideas, gifts, memo board, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Trash to Treasure, Très Frugal, Upcycling

Easy Wooden Chalkboard Sign {Countdown to Christmas Idea}

Easy Wooden Chalkboard Sign | Pretty Handy Girl

Do you keep scraps of wood and say to yourself, “I might need that for something someday.” Well, today is your someday! Grab a scrap (or ask Lowe’s for their scraps) and create this super easy wooden chalkboard sign.

When you’re done, you can turn it into a sign that displays your favorite quote; a plaque welcoming friends; or you could create a fun Christmas Countdown sign!

Materials:

Scrap wood (3/4″ thickness works the best)
Chalkboard spray paint
Painter’s Tape
Red paint (I used Miss Mustard Seed Tricycle Milk Paint)
White paint pen
Chalk
Pencil
Eye hooks
Drill
Drill bit slightly smaller than the eye bolts
Ribbon
Pencil
Safety glasses

Instructions: Read more

November 17, 2013/6 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

accessories, decor, Hanging plates, Home & Auto Maintenance, memo board, Tutorial

Hang Wall Decor Straight Every Time with a Simple Laser Level

Have you ever had the frustrating experience of hanging something on the wall only to notice afterward that it wasn’t straight? Yah, this happens to me all the time. So – let’s talk about how easy it is to Hang Wall Decor Straight Every Time.

Recently my wife wanted to hang a cork/dry erase board in our laundry room so that we can keep track of the kid’s activities. When tackling small projects like this one I always think, “How can I make this easier than it looks?”.

Well, fortunately my memory isn’t shot yet. I remembered that I received a pen laser level for my birthday and it would be perfect for getting the cork/dry erase board straight and level. If you’re going to hang a heavy mirror, tons of pictures, or several pieces of wall art I highly suggest getting something like this level because you’ll save precious time, countless re-hangings and eliminate the agony most of us experience during this process.

The Bosch pen laser level I have costs $35 on Amazon but any similar product will suffice.

Here are the additional supplies you need for this 20 minute project: Read more

August 28, 2013/10 Comments/by Jeff Patterson

adfree, arts and craft, Chalk marker, Chalkboard paint, DIY, magnet, memo board, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, priming, Safety Gear

Chalkboard Calendar for the Refrigerator

You may remember when we created our Summer calendar and bucket list. The boys really responded well to being able to see what was coming up on the calendar. And I enjoyed not having to pull up my Google Calendar on the computer whenever I was put on the spot for a play date. So, continuing to use a calendar in the kitchen was a no brainer. But, creating new calendars on poster board each month — although fun — seemed a bit tedious.

In a sheer stroke of genius ~~suggested by Pretty Handsome Guy~~ I decided to paint a chalkboard calendar on our fridge: Read more

August 29, 2012/14 Comments/by Brittany Bailey