Pantry Revamp Part One

One of the many projects I have in the works right now is my pantry. I would love to say, it is done and here is the reveal of all my hard work. However it is not finished. I have made a big step in my life and that is slowing down, being patient and taking my time with some of my projects. The pantry is an area, that as many of you know, can require a great deal of cash for all those handy dandy canisters or containers for food. I have set out determined not to spend even close to a great deal of money, so taking my time with the completion of my pantry is my only option.
Here is one of my thrifty finds for food storage. Why spend money on an empty plastic container when I could get one filled with crackers my kiddos eat?

 Funny story about these crackers...
So as you see these are Winnie The Pooh crackers AKA in our family Pooh crackers. I was in a store one day and asked my daughter, "would you like to have some Pooh crackers?" The lady passing by shot a look at me and said, "gross!" I had to explain myself that they are Winnie The Pooh, not what she was thinking I was offering my child. From that point on, I make it a point to say his proper and full name.
Any how here is what these containers have been transformed into after a  nice warm soapy soak in the sink.

Hint: If you are patient the label just peals right off after a good long soak. If you are impatient as I was for some most of them then this is what you will need to do

SCRUB!!!

To get rid of the sticky residue from the glue I used a product called Goo Gone. 

The lids to the crackers formerly were blue so they had an encounter with spray paint.

Here are what these cracker containers have been transformed into.

For the labels you will need:
Black Burlap
Twine
A Sewing Machine
White Thread
White Paint
A Thin Paint Brush
Needle with a wide eye
Scotch Tape

How I did it:
Cut two pieces of burlap to the size you desire. Sew them together with white thread using a Zig Zag stitch. With your paint brush and paint hand paint your words. You could use a stencil, I wanted a country store feel for mine not manufactured so I choose to paint free hand. Then I cut my twine to the length where I wanted my labels to hang, leaving extra for the knots to be tied. At one end of my twine I wrapped a small piece of scotch tape. This allows the twine to thread through the needle easier. I then stuck the twine through  my burlap label creating a loop that will hang around the plastic container like a necklace. Tie knots in the ends of your twine and viola you are done!

Having labels that are easy to change  if the contents change is a great addition to these containers. Nothing permanent here! I love the versatility and flexibility of these signs. Another hint: You could have different words on the opposite side of the label.

So there you have it, one of my thrifty transformations for my pantry make over. Soon  the whole pantry will be revealed. But for now, I hope you were inspired to be creative with what you have or what you could use for pantry organization.

Pin It Now!

A Messy Situation

Warning this post is not suitable for perfect homemakers with perfect kids. The images you are about to see may be disturbing to most moms. 

 Welcome to our unfinished basement. Our basement that has been once, twice... now three times organized and has taken on different purposes (see post here). Our basement that used to be a home to some of our friends (see post here ) as they were saving money for an apartment. With them lived two cats... cats that later I discovered I am BIG time allergic to. Leaving me unable to venture down into my basement the whole nine months of my pregnancy for possibility of a horrible Asthma attack. After our friends moved out I decided to turn the basement into a playroom. Brilliant idea... except all this happened days after finding out I was expecting and then realizing I could not go down there. So as I said, I had not been down there in a long while but, obviously someone was going down into the basement... because this is NOT how I left it.
I put my mom detective skills to use and I found those responsible for this messy situation.

Their sentence... two days of clean up and a lecture first from mom and then from dad. They said they were really sorry for what they had done. Even the part when they ripped apart a Styrofoam cooler into tiny, tiny little pieces. You can see evidence of that in photo one and two.

 I love plastic bis! I have toys sorted by kind or by what is fun to pair together in play. I came up with this system many years ago and it works really well. It helps a child play with a toy the way intended as well as keep them from getting overwhelmed by so many toys all at once. Also trading out the bins is like Christmas all over again. I used Word and printed out labels using different fonts. I then used packing tape to attach the labels I made with printer paper. The tape completely covers the paper keeping it protected.

 I now store the bins behind a gate to remind the kids of our house rule. One toy out at a time. To get a new bin of toys everything must be cleaned up first.

A tidy play space helps encourage imagination! Not to mention keeps a child out of trouble with the authorities!

Parties I am linking to:

At The Picket Fence
The Shabby Nest
My Repurposed Life
Designer Garden      
Tatertots and Jello
Just A Girl Blog
Remodelaholic
Stuff and Nonsense
French Country Cottage
The Charm of Home
Serenity Now

 Organizing Made Fun
Home Savvy
Between Naps on the Porch
The DIY Home Sweet Home Project
Organize With Sandy

Pin It Now!

A Family Homeschool Classroom

Our homeschool classroom has moved... again! Here is where we moved from Click here... A Classy Classroom.

The bedroom we had our classroom in is now being transformed into just that, a bedroom. My next best location, the family room. I had my reservations with having a classroom in the main part of the house, but with a baby on the way, it seems to be the best place for it. School can keep going on even while baby has a need for me to attend to.
Here is the beginning of our new classroom as we know it. I still have a few details to attend to, but for now it is working out just great.




It is so wonderful having a chalk board!
The kids love drawing on it! I love that they also use it to practice what they learned that day in school. From math problems to handwriting, a chalk board is a great tool!I placed a stool at the chalkboard for the extra "short" students in our family.




Another great tool is the framed burlap board (pictured to the right of the chalk board) to display flannel board pieces.





.

Underneath my apple cabinet (pictured there next to the large computer cabinet) I have a Finished Work Box. My kids love getting to stamp their pages for a job well done before placing their completed work in the box.
 

Here is a look inside my classroom closet. On the wall I used picture hanging wire to display art work. The pages are hung using clothespins.

 The closet not only stores all my supplies, it serves as a learning center as well.








The Dry Erase board is a tool I use. From a list of the day's plans, the weeks Bible verse, vocabulary words, to quick thoughts... I love it! Anything I write on the chalk board most likely will be colored over or erased by one of my sweet darlings. This Dry Erase board is safe from little hands!

To save on space, I store my books in plastic bins. I select books each week and place them in a separate basket for easy access for my kids.

The basket is also easy for the kids to place books back where they belong.

Another very loved tool in our classroom is our easel! I placed a child size chair in front of it and my kids love standing or sitting while they draw. Whether we are doing school or the kids are just enjoying the classroom, having a place where learning and creativity never ends is fabulous!

Family room meet classroom is working out MARVELOUS! I truly think this is our best location yet!

Pin It Now!