organizational tips Archives - Page 8 of 11

Painted Vanity Nightstand | Pretty Handy Girl

In the quest to makeover our master bedroom and save money, I’ve been painting several pieces of furniture to coordinate with the new bed I built.

One of the pieces I painted was this small desk that doubles as a nightstand. Our bedroom isn’t very large and our master bathroom is even smaller than what can be described as a “master” anything! Doing my hair and makeup in our bathroom isn’t a viable option, especially when both Pretty Handsome Guy and I wake up at the same time. When I saw this little desk at a local thrift store, I grabbed it. Especially because she was only $20!

She had lots of age, but not much character.

However, she was the perfect size and had just enough storage for a makeup vanity.

With a light sanding, primer and a coat of Benjamin Moore Advance paint, she is now showing her more glamorous side. Read more

July 25, 2014/15 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

arts and craft, Contributor, Crafts, decor, DIY, Home Decor, organizational tips, Tutorial

Perpetual Menu Board

We were recently in North Carolina visiting with Matt’s family. While we were there I took the time to visit an old dear friend of mine. This girl has known me for years! In fact I just realized it’s been 21 years since I first met her. Needless to say it’s important to catch up with friends like this whenever you get a chance. While visiting her, I noticed she had an adorable menu board in her kitchen where she keeps track of all of her meals for the month. Since “What’s for dinner?” is one of Matt’s favorite things to ask me, I knew I had to make one of these menu boards.

Materials:

12×12 Frame
Clear Plastic Calendar Page
Scrapbook Paper
Magnets
Dry Erase Marker(s)
Printer Paper or Card Stock
Printer
Laminator or contact paper
Sheet Metal
Magnetic Paint
Tin Snips
Safety Glasses
Gloves

Instructions:

Start by measuring the inside of the frame. (In my case that measurement was 12″ by 12″.) Using a marker, mark a dot 12″ down from the edge onto your sheet metal. Repeat this on the opposite side.

Use a straight edge (or carpenters square) lined up on the dots and draw a line. This will be where you make your cut.

Creating the Galvanized Storage Bench and Lid

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Materials for the Galvanized Storage Tub and Lid:

Galvanized Tub (5 gallon or larger)
1/2″ plywood
2″ x 2″ lumber (cut to 2 – 8″ and 2 – 4″ sizes)
Upholstery foam
Spray adhesive
Old t-shirt (optional)
Furry fabric (or cheap throw blanket)
Staple gun
3/8″ staples
Sharpie marker
Jig saw
Clamp
Eye protection
Sander with 80 grit & 220 grit sandpaper
Electric carving knife
Drill with drill bits
Philips head bit
2″ wood screws

Instructions:

Turn the galvanized tub upside down on the plywood. Use the sharpie to mark approximately 1/2 – 1″ out from the edge of the tub. Read more

January 6, 2014/7 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

book, Decor Adventures, Home & Auto Maintenance, organizational tips

How to Organize Home Manuals

Happy 2014! I hope you are still enjoying a wonderful holiday season and are excited to see what we have in store for you here at Pretty Handy Girl. It is going to be an amazing year! Since you might be recovering from the fun last night at a festive celebration, I’m going to make today’s project very easy for you. Easy but productive.

A new year always makes us want to be more organized and this project will start you off on the right foot in that department. Today you are going to organize all those manuals you have floating around the house. You know the ones you can never find when you need to? But have been meaning to organize? Check that item off the To-Do list, here is how to!

There are a few options for getting home paperwork in order, but I’m a binder kind of girl. I tend to organize all of my must-find items in binders, that way I can move them around from room to room if I need to, and I can re-organize the items inside, plus binders can hide a great mess but look so pretty doing so.

Supplies

All those pesky, unusually-sized, random manuals, warranties, instructions and information for things around your home
A binder {or two if you have a lot of manuals}
Dividers with a label option – Can be cut up file folders, purchased dividers or card stock paper
Clear plastic sheet protectors
Hole punch {optional}

Instructions: Read more

January 1, 2014/19 Comments/by Decor Adventures