Porcelain Canister Rehab: Freebie Find into Crafty Orgnaizers

I recently acquired a set of four porcelain canisters as part of a Freecycle run to score a kiddie papasan chair for Avi and a cool bulletin board with a crown-molding-style shelf for my office space.  The canisters were just part of the take: usually you have to pick up the whole lot o' giveaway stuff and sort out what you don't want later..that's just part of the exchange for getting the cool stuff!

But we already have a set of kitchen canisters (for flour, sugar, coffee, tea, and cookies).  These were actually part of a very large set of  pre-1970's USA-made Pfalzgraff stoneware in near perfect condition scored at a yard sale for $50, which we later looked up and valued on ReplaceIt.com for more than $800!! <-- just another reason to check out thrifty sources for stuff before running out and buying new!!  But I digress.

Unlike the Pfalzgraff set, however, these canisters looked really dated--in a large floral motif that looked like an old lady outfit.  So since they were free, I decided to see how easy (or hard) it would be to give them a facelift and bring them back into this decade.

Help me! I'm ugly!

Since they are porcelain and  stamped on the bottom, I did look them up online just to make sure they weren't secretly worth something.  They weren't.

Knowing they weren't valuable, and that they were FREE gave me the freedom to experiment, because at worst, if I totally screwed up, we weren't out anything.  That's a good position in which to find yourself!

So using just materials I had on hand, I set about to make these otherwise destined-for-Goodwill canisters into something useful for me.  It wasn't too hard though it did draw out over the course of a day because of the drying time in between coats, but the premise is simple.  Watch their transformation, and get ideas for that next thrifty find of yours!

Step One:  PRIME.  Since the porcelain glaze is shiny, the canisters needed primed with something in order to be re-painted.  I'm sure there are better substances one could have used to accomplish this, but since I only intended to use supplies I already had, I turned to a giant tub of economy Gesso (free from another Freecycle run!) and figured since you prime canvas with this gluey basic white paint, it couldn't hurt.  So I slapped a couple coats of Gesso on the canisters, letting them dry in between coats.

Step Two:  PAINT.  I consulted my drawer o' random bottles of acrylic craft paint, and chose, as best I could, four colors that looked good together.  I ended up going with bright jewel tones.  Once primer is dry, paint one coat, let dry, paint another coat, and so on.  It ended up taking THREE coats to fully cover up the flower print for the yellow and red, and TWO coats for the darker crocus and turquoise.

I used DecoArt's one-step crackle on top of the final layer of paint.  I must say I was pretty disappointed by the underwhelming crackle effect.  That might have just been the product of it being a one-step so there wasn't the second-coat in contrasting color to really pop the effect.  They do look mildly distressed up close, but no so you would notice from afar.  It did act as a sealant glaze though, so they went from matte to glossy, which I liked.

Step Three: DETAIL.  I wanted the canisters to have something special on them since the crackle turned out insufficient as a decorative effect.  I decided to use chalkboard paint so I could make re-usable "labels" on the front, to write the contents of the containers, which could be changed and re-labeled with ease.  I used masking tape to frame out a rectangle, and then painted it in with the chalkboard paint.  Do be sure the paint is 100% dry or you will peel it off when you remove the tape.  As it was, I did end up chipping some of the crackled pieces off whilst removing the tape, which I just touched up with a small brush.




It is recommended to use at least two coats of the chalkboard paint, allowing to dry in between coats.  Then once dry, being VERY careful to remove the tape, I pulled it off, touched up any little chips, and let dry again.

Then I used regular black paint to make some additional details, to make the design pop a bit, and help reduce any still-evident shadows of the darkest            
                                                                                    flowers underneath.

The finished set, ready to conceal all my little craft orphans!

Tutorial: Recycled Cereal Box into Hanging File Tote

As part of my goal to de-clutter our desk-area work station, I found myself in need of some type of "pending" receptacle to hold things like appointment and event reminders, bills that need paid, and other things that need attention or filed in their permanent place within the week.

I've mentioned before that I keep quite a stock of would-be household "trash" on hand for recycled arts & crafts projects, including cereal boxes.  I just scored a pretty blue framed pin-board with a built-in shelf from FreeCycle.  I thought having a little hanging file directly underneath in a complementary color scheme would be great, and because the desk-space real estate is too precious to be spared, moving organizational tools to the wall really makes sense here.

--->  FreeCycle is a recycling Yahoo group on which members post things they'd like to get rid of that are still perfectly usable and other members can get those things for free if they want them.  It's like Craigslist "free" section, but without as many spammers and no-show-ers.  The goal is to get things out of the hands of people who don't want them and into the hands of those that do instead of those things ending up in the landfill and others buying new. Visit www.FreeCycle.org to find your city.


So a family-sized empty box of Kix became the backbone of this easy one-hour-or-less project.  These are so simple and functional and could be used as pending, "to-do" or "to-file" totes, or in the entryway to store permission slips or other kids' paperwork that needs attention, or as a "take me with you" tote to hold things like small library books, coupons or other things you want to be sure to take with you the next morning.  It's lightweight and yet rather durable. And you can't beat the price!  FREE with things on hand.

Step 1-remove side panel.

You'll need:
A cereal box of the desired size
5 sheets of 12 X 12 scrapbook paper
pencil, scissors, glue, ruler
ribbon
hole punch

Make It:

1.  Carefully cut one side panel from the cereal box, starting at the open top and down to the formed end.  Do not pull open the glued bottom end, and be as  to cut on the edges as possible, you'll want to use this piece later and you don't want your opening jagged.  Then hot-glue the top (opened) flap of the cereal box closed.

Step 2- wrap paper around each side.

2.  Select two pieces of 12 X 12 paper for the sides panels.  Since the box was greater than 12-inches wide I needed some overlap onto the front/rear panels because one sheet wouldn't be wide enough to cover the box.  Wrapping the paper around the side takes care of the gap problem.  Holding the paper flush with the bottom edge, wrap around the side corners until about even on the front/back.  Crease the folds by running your fingers over the box edges.  Extend the crease to the edge of the paper as these will be cut-lines next step.  Carefully glue down the paper in place.  I used hot-glue for the whole project, but regular paper glue would work too, just give yourself ample time between steps to let it dry.




 3.  Cut the extending paper down the creases,



and fold over into the box, gluing in place.








4.  Repeat on both sides.

Box at end of step 4

Front and rear panel in place.

5.  Now take the sheet of paper that will be the front panel, center it, line it up with the bottom of the box and glue it in place.  Fold the overhang into the box and glue down. Repeat in back.

6.  If you would like to cover the side panel that will be the bottom of your tote, use the side panel cut in step 1 to trace onto another sheet.  You can skip this if the bottom will not be seen, but keep in mind even if you hang it eye-level or lower, when you sit down, you might still see the bottom.

Trace cut side to make bottom paper cover.

Measure and mark.

7.  Measure where you would like the handles to be and mark them in pencil on the front and back panels.  Make sure to use the same measurements.  For this box I used 4-inches from the side edges and 1-inch from the top edge.

8.  Punch holes where you marked using hole or rotary punch.

Punch

9.  Cut two pieces of ribbon the same length.  Decide how long you want it to hang first to plan how long your pieces should be.  I used 24-inches.  Tie a double knot large enough so it won't go through the punched holes from step 8 at the end of one piece of ribbon.  Feed it from the inside of the box through the hole to the outside, then back into the inside in the other hole.  Tie another knot.  Repeat on the rear panel.  Trim ribbon ends to look nice.  Use pinking sheers if fraying is a problem.

10.  Now you can hang your organizer!  You can print a label for it simply on Word, or use a label from my template HERE.  Just change the text to be whatever you need by downloading a copy.

Enoy!

Get Organized (Part Three): Health & Fitness Planning

Most of us have New Years resolutions that involve some sort of fitness goals.  I just had a baby this Thanksgiving, so I can definitely relate (2 C-sections = no ab muscles! Ow!).  You probably (or should) know by now there aren't any quick fixes, and the best advice is still: Eat Well, Move More.

I'm going to focus my fitness efforts on manageable, incremental goals. Nobody does well with a goal statement like: I'm going to weigh as much as I did in 12th grade! It's grandiose and so far in the distance it's doomed to fail.  But little goals like "I'm going to do at least 30-minutes of fitness-related physical activity 4 days a week" for the first month is totally doable.

It takes 30 days to break a bad habit (or so they say) so claiming you're going to "not eat any junk food ever" is probably not going to work for you but "every time I want junk food I'm going to drink a glass of water first" is a pretty simple starting point that will help reduce snack calorie intake.

There are resources ad nauseam about what to do to improve your eating habits and how/when/where to workout, so I'm not going to delve into all that here.  But the most common advice that I've had some success with includes:

Drink more water (both because your body needs it, and because science suggests our thirst mechanism is so weak now that we often mistake thirst for nonspecific hunger, so drinking water will reduce your snack cravings)

Write it down (writing down what you eat puts you face to face with your bad decisions later, so it holds you accountable)

Move More (it's frigid cold in Ohio winters, so taking a walk in the park is not always doable, especially with a newborn.  Even if it's low-impact indoor activity-- yoga, stability ball, calisthenics, etc. something is better than nothing even if you can't go to the gym or get as good a workout as you'd like, so don't use that as an excuse to skip physical activity altogether).

So my weekly planner incorporates those tidbits of healthy habit building.  There is a spot to tally your water intake and vitamins (girls, you need more calcium than you think, and B-vitamins help with those winter blahs!),  to write what you ate for meals and snacks (or use it as a menu planner), and to record your physical activity.  There's also a spot to write your weekly goal as a reminder, and to make notes that might be useful as you conquer bad habits (like "I always want a cookie after I have to yell at my daughter!").

Just try to keep in mind that how you feel is more important than the numbers (especially if you're developing muscle--it weighs more, think 'how do my jeans fit? instead) and to forgive yourself transgressions (better to have a slice of cheesecake or whatever your downfall than to deprive yourself until you go on a massive brownie bender later), and whatever happens, just get back on track!

Best of luck with your health and fitness goals this year!

Download the FREE PDF for the Weekly Health & Fitness Planner here.

And if you have other areas in your life that could use an organizational spruce-up, check out my free downloadable (and customizable) Weekly Spiritual Planner and my Small Business Planner.

Get Organized (Part Two): Spiritual Planning

It may sound counterintuitive but spiritual planning may be a useful tool to purposefully plan time in one's hectic week for faithful considerations.  One of my goals this year is to develop my knowledge and understanding of the rich history and traditions within my faith, and even though I have a Reform Jewish affiliation which doesn't adhere to Orthodox rituals, I would like to be more aware of what other types of Jews do and believe.  I would also like to be able to read a little Hebrew by the end of the year--which includes learning a new alphabet that is not in English letters but symbols and learn to read right to left, among other challenges.

I've discovered a plethora of online sources to further Jewish learning, from live streaming services and classes via OneShul.org, a decentralized, non-specific Jewish affiliation, layperson led resource, to an immense quantity of audio lectures from Chabad.org, free Podcasts to help learn Hebrew on iTunes library and more.  Specifically writing down which resources I want to check out can help make the difference between just knowing they are there and hoping to "get around" to them and actually utilizing these resources.

I included a place for notes or reflections and a general statement of a monthly goal on my planning worksheet--not so I can tick off my "progress" as in seeing how many classes I can finish, etc., but so that I actually pause to think about what I want to learn and why, and reflect on how it may be incorporated (or not) into my life.  Over time I'll be able to view my previous notes and see how these have changed or recall something particular that stood out for me.

You can download the Word document template for free at the end of this post.  It can be altered to reflect your faith or denomination and its schedule.  Use it not as a "to do" list but as permission to schedule time for your spiritual growth this year.

Download Monthly Spiritual Planner.

See Get Organized (Part One): Business Planning for more free worksheets you can use to organize your small business or professional goals this year.

Quick Recycling Project: Girls' Bathroom Organizers

My 4 year old came home from a couple days away with a long time family friend, where she got to help decorate a mountain of cookies with her honorary big sis, a wonderful teen (yes, they exist) named Autumn.  She also came home with a large stash of girlie jewelry-- a big stack of plastic bangle bracelets, plastic beaded stretchy necklaces, princess lip gloss "watches" and the like, as well as a supply of little girlie hair stuff (to add to our growing collection of little girlie hair stuff).  This presented a minor organizational challenge: where to stash such goodies which are too small to toss in the toy box and too easily strewn around the house. Easy fix: make a pretty container for her to store her collections.

Recycle a cookie tin and a formula (or coffee) can into cute girls' hair and jewelry organizers
with scrapbook paper and spray adhesive, and easy word art labels. 

I just wanted to share this quick project with you--and I mean quick.  I grabbed some goodies from our Potential Craft Stuff tote (I've mentioned before that I save random things that would otherwise be household trash like boxes, tins, paper towel rolls, egg cartons, etc. and in a big plastic storage bin to raid for crafty recycling projects) which included a baby formula can and a cookie tin.  To spruce these up, I consulted the Big Box o' Scrapbook Paper and had Avi help choose some pretty prints.  To be honest, I steered her towards a carefully chosen selection of paper that a) at least somewhat goes with the whimsical garden-themed bathroom of hers, and b) wouldn't make me sad to chop it up (if you are a collector of papers too, you can relate, if not, well you'll have to take my word).

From here it's pretty straight forward:  trace the lid onto the back of the paper, cut, and adhere.  I used Scotch Super 77 spray adhesive, because I was gluing onto metal and because it is quick, bonds to practically anything, and lays down nicely...Super indeed.  I whipped up a label in a Word document and printed it on card stock, cut out, glue down.  I decided I didn't need to cover the sides of the tin as they were a solid color without any markings, but to break up the solid aluminum inside, I traced another circle in a plain sparkly green card stock to lay down in the bottom.  For the little pony tail holders and hair clips, I peeled the label off the formula can, and traced twice it onto another piece of scrapbook paper, sprayed adhesive to one piece, and carefully wrapped it around the can.  Then I used the other piece to line the interior.  I merely changed the word "jewelry" to "hair stuff" on my Word label and reprinted it, then glued this on too.

Total time: 20 minutes for two organizers.  Total cost: nothing--everything was recycled or was on hand. Tis' the season for cookie tins and to go through coffee canisters so set aside yours and turn them into something crafty.