DIY Jewelry Station

As we were prepping for Baby B, one of the main things I tried to do was get organized.  I figured (and I was right) that once the little man got here, our house would be overrun with baby supplies and so getting a handle on my own clutter was essential.  One main area of craziness in our bedroom was the little table where I kept my jewelry.  Pieces tended to accumulate as I randomly tossed stuff on the table when I was done wearing it.  This led to tangled necklaces, lost earrings, and forgotten bracelets.  So I decided to create a way to display my jewelry on the wall.  This solved several problems: my table is now jewelry free (and cluttered instead with pacifiers and burp cloths), I can see all my jewelry, and everything stays untangled and in its proper place.  Here is what the whole thing looks like all together:

The main pieces I created were these fabric covered cork boards.  I found the squares at Target and used fabric I already had to cover them (attached it with simple fabric glue).  Then I used silver push pins to hold my pieces and staggered them at different lengths.  I love that the effect is both pretty and functional.  I actually wear these pieces more often because I can see what I have.

To add some interest to the space, I hung this watercolor print of one of our wedding photos that my mom gave to me.

My newly made-over dresser got in on the action too.  It holds my jewelry box, some decorative bottles, and my DIY jewelry tray (where most of my earrings live).  It also currently holds the box with my wedding rings in it, since my fingers are still too swollen to wear them (boo).

Here is just the upper portion of the display:

I completed this organizational project a couple of months ago, but these pictures are from yesterday so that tells you that this system is working!  I cut down on the clutter and created a pretty area in our room all at the same time!

Quick and Easy Side Table Update

Hello dear readers!  Life has been going relatively well now that our new addition is here.  Sleep is a little hard to come by, but of course, that is to be expected.  I haven't had a lot of time for new projects, but I do still have some projects from a couple of months ago to share with you.  I worked on this side table at the same time as my dresser makeover, so it was super quick and easy.

This old side table has been with me since my first apartment.  I painted it black when I got it so the paint was old, dingy and chipped.  It came with a glass top, so I had some green fabric underneath to give some color to the table.  When I changed the color scheme in the living room, I left the fabric (mainly because I was lazy) and it definitely was not working.

So I cleared off the table and threw away the fabric and the glass.  I sanded and primed the table first.

Then I gave it two coats of Thundercloud metallic paint from the Martha Stewart line.  It was a fast paint job and I really like the updated look of the table.  It goes with the new living room lamp much better now!

Click here for detailed instructions on how to paint furniture.  If you want to make the coasters pictured on the end table, the tutorial is here.