Bulletin Board Makeover

I have been using this bulletin board in my son's room for several years now and it was due for a makeover. I was originally planning on using linen and I also considered using burlap, but I finally decided on a neutral colour outdoor fabric. I selected this fabric because it will hold up to daily use and will resist the sunlight from the nearby window.

Before I started covering the bulletin board, I braided three lengths of jute (remaining from the lampshade makeover project) and created a braided trim for around the edge of the board. I also sewed the edge of my fabric with my serger to prevent fraying and to give it a finished look. I then collected the rest of my supplies (as shown above) and a scissors was also needed (not shown).

The first step was to centre the bulletin board under the fabric and flatten it with my hands.

I then placed the first staple top centre, and placed additional staples on both sides of the initial staple. I continued working on alternate sides. The staples were placed approximately 1 1/2 inches apart and I flattened the fabric as I worked. I also stapled the fabric on the back of the board for a neat, tight finish.

The final touch was to hot glue the jute braiding around the inside edge of the board. I knotted one end to secure and glued the other end underneath this point. My son Matt wanted to help with the project, so he did some of the gluing.

The finished bulletin board still needs to be mounted on the wall or maybe it works well where it is right now. I think it looks a lot better than it did before. What do you think?

Home Organization Challenge: Kids Bedroom

Creating a fun but functional space for children can be a challenge in so many ways. The main objective for me was to make the room easy to clean up, but have it reflect the personalities of my two boys. As with most kids rooms it serves multiple functions, and I wanted to make the best use of the space available.

Having my eldest son involved in the process was crucial. I feel that by doing so it gives him a sense of responsibility and teaches him valuable organization skills. He loves to draw, enjoys reading and he will probably tell you that he cannot live without his computer. He can be a bit dramatic and was initially clinging to his old desk, which I have replaced with an older wooden desk that offers a larger work surface and drawers for storage.

The "new" desk also works a lot better with the other furniture and is the same height as his old keyboard shelf. I purchased the desk about ten years ago at a vintage store, so it looks a bit shabby, but I personally like the worn look and the departure away from so much red. Over the past few days my son has grown fonder of his new desk, but I have promised to hold on to his old desk a bit longer just in case he really decides he cannot live without it . . . the DRAMA. The lamp seen on the desk got a lampshade makeover in November and I have a few other pieces that I am working on for the room, which I will feature in a later post.

Before

I have to say that I absolutely hate plastic blinds. The windows currently have blinds that came with the house and I have plans to remove them in the spring. I was hoping they would grow on me, but they have not. To clean these major dust collectors, I use the brush attachment on my vacuum. I have found that this helps a lot with the dust and can be followed by a cloth.

This past week I replaced the curtains with some lighter coloured cotton curtain panels that I found at IKEA. The previous curtains were too dark for the room, which is already a dark blue colour. The room is clean and well organized, but there is still more to be done. I have several changes I will like to make and I look forward to the room looking a lot brighter when I am finished.

Before

Organizing my son's video games and tons of trading card games was the most time consuming part of getting the room in order. He also has bins of Lego and way too many Beyblades. I took the Lego to the basement, where the little pieces will be out of reach for my youngest son and I stored the countless Beyblade parts and stadiums on a shelf in the wardrobe. I also placed the game systems in plastic bins and labeled them.

The bedroom closet doors were removed at the beginning of last summer and replaced with an IKEA PAX wardrobe that I had in my sewing studio. The wardrobe makes it easier for my son to help organize and access his clothes. I added a pullout drawer, a wire basket, and an easy to reach clothing rod; which has been a valuable change and saves us time in the morning when getting him ready for school. The wardrobe also holds the linen for the room, which helps to keep things organized.

My son has several posters that he will like to display and I am thinking of a practical solution for putting them up without tacks and sticky tapes. A bunk bed is also a future consideration.

Tips!

1. Design a space with kid's needs in mind
2. Define zones
3. De-clutter the space about four times a year
4. Designate a home for everything
5. Create floor space where possible
6. Consider putting the dresser in the closet to create more floor space
7. Get kids involved in the process
8. Rotate toys
9. Organize school materials as they come in
10. Make organizing a fun routine

Week 7 - Home Office

To Do List:

• Sort and purge items into four categories; shred, file, trash and other room
• Shred unwanted documents
• Organize paperwork and label files
• Organize shelves
• Clean light fixtures
• Dust shelves
• Wipe desk
• Clean windows
• Sweep, vacuum or mop floor

The main objective this week is to create a functional workspace that is free of clutter.

Thanks for following this Home Organization Challenge, we have six more weeks to go and I hope that you will share your organization tips here and on the Facebook page. You can also invited to join us on Pinterest.

Organizing Fabric

Organizing your fabric can be quite the task. I have found that a good way to approach the process is to start by identify what type of projects you will like to work on. I start by separating my fabric based on home decorating projects, clothing, quilting, etc. I also teach sewing classes, so I further subdivide my fabric based on the type of projects I plan on doing with my students. For example, cotton prints that are suitable for aprons are all placed together, while flannels for pyjama projects are also grouped together.

Much of what I found on the internet seem to focus on quilters and many of the links I found showed how to organize smaller pieces of fabric. But what do you do if you have different types of textiles with varying weights and other differences that make them difficult to group together in neat little draws or bins? The challenge I had was organizing different types of fabric, and simply folding and stacking did not seem to work very well.

Whenever possible I try to get fabric that is on the bolt. However, if you are purchasing smaller lengths of fabric or the fabric store will rather not part with the cardboard, folding can be your only option. To organize my fabric I created my own fabric boards that are 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches for smaller quantities of fabric and larger boards that are 7 1/2 inches x 24 inches for longer pieces of fabric. Usable scraps are placed in plastic bins and are separated and labeled according to fabric type. I made my fabric boards from white plastic corrugated signboard that I purchased at the art store. The boards were available in two sizes 24 inches x 32 inches and 31 1/2 inches x 47 1/2 inches.

Here is how I made my fabric boards:

Materials

• Sheet of plastic corrugated sign board
• Ruler
• Utility knife
• Pencil
• Eraser

Instructions

1. Create a template out of cardboard or paper for the size board you will like to make
2. Decided on the placement of by boards to get the most out of the material
3. Use a pencil to draw your lines
4. Use the ruler to guide your cuts
5. Trim any excess material
6. Fold your fabric on boards

8.5" x 11" Cardboard Template.

Pencil lines outlining six individual 8.5" x 11" boards.

A ruler helps to guide your cut.

Folded fabric!

Fits nicely in my IKEA Billy Bookcase.

The material I used works well for light to medium weight fabric. For heavier weight fabric, I fold and store on shelves or in plastic bins. I prefer to use plastic containers vs. cardboard boxes, because I have found that they last longer and protect better against moisture or dampness.

Depending on how much fabric you have to organize, here are a few links that might be helpful:

Sew Many Ways - Organizing Fabric Filing Update

Craft Buds - How to Sort and Organize Fabric Scraps

Craftaholics Anonymous - Ideas for Storing Fabric

I will be back soon with more tips on how to organize fabric. However, I will love to hear about how you organize your fabric and any tips and tricks you may have.