{DIY} Artsy Journal

 

 

 I made a pretty new journal the other day that I have begun taking to class with me. It's just so cute and since it fits in my purse (and coordinates!), I figured why not? I haven't written in it yet, though.

 

 

I grabbed some wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, double sided tape, and scissors, as well as the notebook. The actual composition book, not the movie.

 

 

 

I wrapped the book very simply with the wrapping paper, securing it with the tape along the inside edges. I added a random magazine cutout...not sure where I got the magazine. I cut two strips and a butterfly from the scrapbook paper, and added letter stickers for my initials.

 

I then added a length of ribbon, also attached with tape (yeah, it's not getting roughly handled and I had already burned myself with my hot glue gun that day, so...).

 

Tie it up and you're done! Write in it, or just let it hang out on your desk!

 

 

{DIY} Accent Pieces

 

Hello, everyone! Today, I am sharing with you a couple of accent pieces I worked on recently. I covered up a box and made it into a tray for my sewing table, and I recovered a brick so it would fit in better on my bookcase!

Here is the "tray" before. Just a boring little ipad mini box. For this mini project (no pun intended), I used scrapbook paper, hot glue, scissors, and some tiny clock embellishments. I cut strips of the scrapbook paper and glued the long sides in place. Then I glued on the short end pieces. Any excess paper is folded to the bottom. Then I hot glued on the little clocks -- I though they added a nice touch -- and placed everything back into the new tray!

 

Isn't this better than seeing ugly words on a stark white box?

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Next, I dealt with the brick. This is a very old brick. I used it for a science project back in maybe 3rd or 4th grade. And I'm starting my second year of college in the fall.  So to make it over from the ugly old fabric stuck on it, I grabbed some leftover pillow sham fabric, hot glue, and scissors for the job. I wrapped the brick like a present and instead of taping, I placed beads of hot glue to secure all of it.

When I first pulled the old sunflower fabric off of this brick, I was in shock but not much. The fabric had been on there so long, that the green and yellow from the flowers was dyed into the brick! I couldn't believe it! But I also could. Either way, I'm glad the new fabric is plenty thick enough to hide it easily.

And here is the recovered brick in its new spot. Full disclosure: I took these photos before the walls were painted and the books, brick, and kindle were all moved to the bottom shelf yesterday.  

 

Happy Tuesday!

{Tutorial Tuesday}: CD Organization

I desperately needed some control over my CD/DVDs/video games. It's too much - the cases, the little books, ALL of it. So I picked up a cute little storage box from Staples (under $20 and it came with sleeves!). It holds 80 discs, and I have about 60, so it's a perfect fit for future movies and games - I'm not much of a music CD buyer anymore. I love iTunes and the Amazon Music Store and get most of my music through them now. However, I do still buy movies so I have physical copies to watch.

My station before I got started - the box, all the CDs/DVDs, Martha Stewart labels, and my blue Walmart bag, FULL of cases.

Here is a closeup of the labels I used, available here. (Blue, Pink, Green, Cappuccino)

"I'll Help You Get Organized"

Oh, will you really? I really need to be organized, so keep your promise!!!

Annnnnd here's the mess: laptop for checking CD's that I don't know what's on them or even if they work. Which this lasted for 3 discs, since my laptop is super picky about which discs it chooses to read - I think it's still jealous over me getting an iPad ;-) ; cases out (most on the floor), clipboard so I can sit in my rolling chair to write mini track listings and code labels (for The Sims games); just a MESS.

My mini track listing paper, and the labels for the games codes.

My two guilty pleasures :-) I found the booklets fit easily behind the discs, and the track listings were put in front of those discs, so I can just glance and choose.

My work area after I was finished.

My mess I have to deal with. You can see my nephew's feet as he surveys the mess as well.

But it's done, everything I need to toss is in a big box to go out on recycle/garbage day, so I won't have to see or deal with it anymore.