Wine Tags

We're always trying new wines and taking recommendations, but it's not always easy to remember why we bought a bottle or what we're suppose to serve it with. After labeling some bottles with post-its, I decided to make actual wine labels to keep myself organized and add a little flare to our wine rack.

The tags are easy and inexpensive to make.  All you need is black 'Chalkboard' paper tags, a white gel pen, and rubber bands.

Use the white gel pen to write whatever you like, then loop a rubber band through so they can easily slide on the neck of the bottle.  You can write on both sides of the tag to have more options to label the bottles.

Here is how the tags look in the wine rack in our new cupboards; subtle yet informative.

Most bottles are labeled with the food they should be paired with, but I labeled some 'Friday Night' or 'Tuesday Night' which is my code for 'cheap bottles' and 'nice bottles'.

When I decorate I always try to add small details that personalize our home and set it apart.  I think that these wine tags have been a great way to add some personalization to our new kitchen!

Cuttlebug Folder Reference Ring

It's so hard to remember what Cuttlebug folders I own, so one night at Craft club I decided to make a reference ring with samples of each folder. 

I simply cut white paper to size and embossed a sheet for each folder.  I folded a piece of washi tape over the top and punched a hole through it so I could put the sheets together on a ring.  I used a ring so it would be easy to add more as I buy more folders.

The tape not only kept the hole from tearing, but I used different colors for different size folders (regular, extra large, tags, and borders).

I store the ring all of my folders and sometimes put it in my purse when I'm shopping so I don't buy duplicates!  There are some folders that I hardly ever grabbed, but when I saw how the patterned looked embossed they were some of my favorites!

DIY Bottles for Glass Door Shower

Last year we remodeled our main floor bathroom, which we also use as the master. It's a fairly small bathroom so we wanted to install a glass shower door to make the room appear larger, and to make it have more of a 'Spa' feel.  My biggest concern was not what tile to install, but what do with out shampoo bottles since they'd now be visible to the world.  

Here is an example of the products we had in our bath.  No way was I having green and orange packaging in my new spa bath!

I looked all over for solutions but they simply don't exist. I couldn't believe it! I'm thankful I'm crafty because I don't know what non-crafters with glass shower doors do!

My goal was to make consistent white packaging for all of my products.  I was limited by the height of the shelf in my shower, but soon found these Fiji water bottles that fit.  They also came in different sizes that I could use for facewash, etc.  A couple coats of white spray paint and some pumps from Aveda was all it took to transform water bottles into our new shower set!

I ordered ceramic labels from Etsy, custom made for the specific products I use.  I found these bottles at AxMan Surplus for my bath bubbles and salts.


Here is how the bottles look in our new bathroom! I'm so glad to have it free of mis-matched orange and green bottles!

Organizing with Bankers Boxes

We are very lucky to have a walk-in closet in our guest bedroom, which we've re-named the 'party closet' because it stores all of my party gear.  The space is great except every time I would get something out I found myself having to re-organize the entire closet, which is the last thing I wanted to do on top of cleaning up a party. I decided there was a better way to organize it to make everything more accessible.

Here is a before picture of the closet.  Although it looks really messy and unorganized it really wasn't.  I had actually set everything neatly on shelves.  The issue was that everything was a different size making it hard to neatly line-up and stack.

In order to make everything a consistent size, I used bankers boxes to store all of the random goods. At first it seemed like a waste of space since larger awkward items left a lot of dead space in the box, but everything ended up fitting into the closet better when in boxes, and looked much more organized.

I created labels for the boxes by running card stock through the printer.  Not only does it make it easy to find what I'm looking for, but it no longer looks like a bunch of files stacked in the closet.  Storing our party items this way has also been great for lending out party items since everything is wrapped-up inside and already boxed.

Due to the gained space I was able to move all of my tablecloths from hangers to a spare shelf:

Before                                   After

Up-dated Craft Storage with Casters

In preparation for changing our 'blonde' floors to 'espresso',  I've been trying to go around the house and change any of our espresso furniture that might blend in by either setting on a light colored rug or swapping out for something lighter.  I really like the espresso shelf I have in my craft room and the storage it provides.  Rather than swapping it out or painting it, I decided to add silver coasters to the bottom to lift it off of the 'soon-to-be-dark' floors.

Here are some before pictures of the shelf sitting directly on the floor:

 

I bought 6 of these casters at Home Depot for $5.48 a piece, so the total cost to up-date was about $35.

 

Hubbs screwed them into the bottom of the shelf for me, and here it is now! It was an easy up-date and added a bit of industrial detail to the shelf.  Best of all, we're ready for the dark floors I've been wanting!

 

DIY Reminder Tag

My husband often forgets his lunch, not because I'm a bad cook but by accident.  Sometimes he leaves it in the fridge but I usually find it sitting on top of the cabinet in the entryway.  I've actually learned to look for it so I can put it back in the fridge.

We were joking about how often he forgets it and that he needs something in his face to remind him. Being crafty, I went into my gift wrap stash and grabbed an inexpensive chalkboard tag I had purchased from Michaels and was saving for gifting a bottle of wine. Using chalk I wrote 'LUNCH' across the tag and the reminder tag was done!

We keep it on a 3M hook inside of the cabinet in the entryway and put it on the door knob after dinner if there are leftovers.  Since the chalk is easy to wash off, we can use this to remind ourselves about anything before leaving the house.

Gift Wrap Stash 101

Fancy grift wrap stations, closets, even rooms are all over Pinterest and organizing sites.  All I have to say to that is good for them, as I think they're more for show than for function.  Besides my wrapping paper rolls which are neatly organized in the closet as seen here, all of my giftwrapping goods fit into one box like this:

That box sits nicely on the shelf, easily accessible but clutter-free like this:

Although it's great to keep a few items on hand to wrap a last minute gift, I don't see the need to devote a ton of storage space in my house to gift wrap.  I find that I usually purchase packaging to match the theme of my gift or the recipient's interests, so I don't often dig into my stash. Therefore, I'm very intentional with what I buy to keep on hand, so storing it doesn't get out of hand! Here are my tips on what to have:

Basic White and Kraft Paper Gift bags-These are great beacuse they can work for any occasion rather than storing wrap for every life event.  Since I do have an entire room of craft supplies, it's easy to decorate them for any occasion, use colored tissue paper, or tie something fun onto the handles.

Colored Favor Bags- These small bags are inexpensive and don't take up much space.  They are easy to embellish and work great for kids gifts, treats, or simple 'just because' gifts that don't need to be wrapped fancy.

Dollar Store Gift Bags-Dollar stores have some of the most fun gift bags, and the best part is that they don't cost more than the gift!  I also keep bags given to me to re-use, but only if they are still in pristine condition.  I know I won't give them if they're beat-up, so why hang onto them?!? If you go through a major life even such as a wedding or new baby, keep the basic bags and give some of the event specific bags to a friend or co-worker.  Why hang onto 30+ wedding bags?

Bubble Mailer Envelopes-These tend to get used more than actual wrap since I like to mail gifts and treats to friends I don't see often!  They are a pain to run out and get when you need them, so I keep them with my gift wrap stash.

Re-useable Gift Bags-At the same price as traditional gift bags, these re-useable gift bags hold-up well and don't get wrinkled and damaged.  The recipient can re-gift them or use them for everyday errands.  They can also tote heavy gifts, like a couple bottles of wine!

Fun Bows and Embellishments- Dollar stores also have a lot of fun bows that help make gifts look attractive and exciting!  I like to have a few on hand to make things special, but since they take up a bit of space I only stock-up on the ones that are really fun.

Decorative Filler-This is available at the dollar store as well.  I like to use it in place of tissue paper in bags and packages.  Not only is it more fun, but it holds up well for storing, wrapping, and re-using and doesn't get wrinkled and grubby like tissue paper.

Small Boxes and Embellishments-I keep all small boxes, bags, and embellishments in a clear ziplock bag so they don't sink to the bottom of my gift wrap box. If you can't find them you won't use them!

Wrapping Paper Organization

It feels so good to have my wrapping paper organized! I bought a bunch on sale, but it took up so much room in my craft closet that I almost wish I didn't! 

The containers are plastic bag organizers from IKEA, as seen here. They are only $1.99 each so it only cost $6 to organize this! They are meant to hang on the wall, which was originally my plan so I could store something underneath them. However, I like that they're loose so I can take them out to go through them, so I left them unattached to the wall--not a problem since they stand on their own.

Here is the before pic, sort of organized in buckets but not really working: 

Simple Must-Haves: Box of Pens

I purchased an inexpensive box of 50 pens from Target that I keep for showers and parties only.  Not only do I not have to scramble to get enough pens when hosting an event that involves games or writing, but the ink is consistent if writing on something to give the guest of honor.  At the end of each party I just have to collect them, put them back in the box, and they're ready to go for the next event!

Utensil Holder Swap

I was unhappy with my plastic Utensil holder in the kitchen.  It was way too small to hold everything, would tip over and the black plastic looked cheap.  So I moved it to the bathroom and it now holds my hair bushes and hand mirror and works great!

I keep it right inside the door under the cupboard.  It's so easy to toss them in there so they don't sit out on the counter all day like they used to!

I used one of my white ceramic planters from Ikea to serve as my new utensil holder.  It's large enough to hold everything, doesn't tip over, and the shiny white ceramic looks good enough to set out on the counter!