DIY: Bookshelf Made From Crates

After being married for a year and starting our rental business, Matthew and I's humble home has gotten cluttered quite quickly. We have had to get creative with storage.  We bought a dozen wooden crates from Michael's, half of which were bought with a 50% off coupon (SCORE!) and picked up some stain and Home Depot. And that's it! because the crates are stackable, we didn't need to attach them to one another.  Let's take a look.

Make sure to wipe down the crates before staining to remove any dust or residue. Working in sections, apply the stain and let sit for about a minute, then with a rag, wipe off excess stain.  Feel free to leave the stain on longer for a darker finish.

Here is a look at the before and after.

 Once I stained all of the crates and allowed them to dry, I played around with the layout and liked this way the best, with half of the crates standing vertically and the other half laying horizontally. 

 Matt built a stand for the crates so we could add other things below, like our vintage trunk that holds all of our props for the photo booth. We also have our more delicate props (masks, glasses, etc.) sitting on top of our new crate bookshelf (next to the TV).

Then the fun part was organizing all of our things into the crates.  Not only do they have specific place where they now belong, but they look beautiful on display!

No more craft supplies overflowing onto the floor, or extra sewing fabric turing into a heap of unfolded mess when I was looking for a particular style.  No more disorganization! YAY! :]

<3 Saleena   

Linked to: Trendy Tree House, Katies Nesting Spot, Thrifty101, House of Hepworths, Momnivores-dilemma, Creations by Kara, I gotta create,

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Oatmeal Muffins

Summer is winding down and soon it will be time for the kiddos to go back to school and get back to the hustle and bustle of life. These little treats are perfect for those mornings that you don't have quite enough time to make a heathy breakfast for you or your little ones.

Ingredients

§  2 eggs

§  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

§  2 cups applesauce, unsweetened

§  1 banana, mashed

§  1/2 cup honey

§  5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats

§  1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

§  3 teaspoon baking powder

§  1 teaspoon salt

§  2 3/4 cups milk

§  Optional toppings: raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips, blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.

 Add in oats, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.

 Finally pour in milk and combine.

 Spray a 12 and 6 capacity muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.

Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups. If using toppings add them onto the tops of muffins. 

 If using fresh or frozen fruit, drop it right into the batter.

 Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags. The night before you eat them, pop them in the refrigerator to thaw and then in the morning, microwave for 30 seconds before eating.

Yum! Next time I make theses, I'm going to add blueberries :]

<3 Saleena 

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DIY: Container Makeover Tutorial

Hello Everyone!

So so sorry it has taken me ages to post again.  I have fallen victim of summeritus - when one fully embraces the freedom of responsibly summer brings! I'm sure I am not the only one...right? ;] Hanging out with kids all day and getting hooked on a new TV series hasn't helped either.  Needless to say, blogging hasn't been a priority, but I DO miss it, a lot. Even though I haven't been connected to the blogging world recently, I sure have stayed up to date on Pinterest, which means I have lots of DIY ideas I would love to try and post.  The tutorial I am going to show here, I didn't find on Pinterest, though.  I can take all the credit of my creative genius this time...which is a rare occasion if I'm honest, Haha! 

So, materials include:

Plain Plastic Container

Fabric (I chose two contrasting patterns)

Lace

Scissors 

Mod Podge

 Step 1: Lather up the container with Mod Podge, working in sections at a time.

Step 2: Lay the fabric over the Mod Podge and press out any bubbles.  On corners that are particularly difficult, spread Mod Podge on top of the fabric as well.

 Step 3: Cut out the fabric trim and lace, and Mod Podge those on as well.  And you're done!  

Now you have a cute container! 

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Linked to: One Artsy Mama, At the Picket Fence, Shabby Nest, The Girl Creative, Home Stories A to Z, Craft-o-maniac, I Heart Naptime, 

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