Very Trix-y

I like to think my decorating style is like the tortoise from "The Tortoise and the Hare". It seems like it is taking forever to do some of these projects, but slow and steady wins the race!

This little project was inspired by Kimba from her "good enough" mudroom. I really love chalkboard stuff, and I thought these chalkboard tags could help us organize our little mud-space. I could have bought pre-made chalkboard tags at Joanne's for about $1.50/3, which would have been a steal. BUT I found a cheaper, greener option on another blog.

I cut these tags out of cereal boxes. I think I used that receipt as a template. Then I used chalkboard paint on the glossy side of the cereal box. Otherwise it'll soak in too much and curl it. They still curled, but straightened out as they dried.

You know the drill: two coats of chalkboard paint, let it cure for 24 hours and then cover the surface it with chalk and erase before using it.

Then I used some scrapbook paper to cover up the non-glossy side of the tags. I attached the tags to some baskets I got at a rummage sale for $.25 each with some jute twine.

Sorry for the awful lighting. I think the baskets will be great for mittens and hats this winter. Also, there will be a lower shelf to put them on eventually. :0) Pretty good looking cereal boxes, eh?

How to squeeze in a mudroom

More progress on our stairwell! What I haven't told you is that we are going to turn it into a mini-mudroom. We used to have a row of hooks in our butler's pantry to hang coats, but it really wasn't a convenient place. I have also been starting to see the top of our stairs as wasted space recently. It's just a little corner, but those are precious square feet! When you have a small home, you have to find those places and figure out how to make them functional. It's right next to the door, so I decided it makes a lot more sense to put the mudroom area there.

I had admired this take on the mudroom awhile back, but we didn't have a closet I could use for that. At least not anywhere NEAR the door. I definitely wanted a seat in our mudroom but didn't know how I could work it in. Here's what I came up with and what we have so far:

I took the hooks off the IKEA hook rack we bought for our butler's pantry, and screwed them into the boards that were already on the wall, and then Mr. Wonderful helped me cut the board for the seat and fitted it with some extra boards on the bottom to raise it up off the cords that run under it. I covered the board with some repurposed quilt batting and fabric and used our new staple gun (thanks, K!) to staple the fabric down. Just a little seat for putting your shoes on. Because it is in the corner, it doesn't block your way down the stairs at all. There are a few more things to do before I want to be done with this space, but I'm excited about the progress!

Cost: hooks--$6 (five are repurposed, two are new from HD)

paint--free (leftover)

seat--free (leftover wood, batting and fabric. We were gifted a staple gun, though I did have to buy staples for it)

I would love to use some bead board, but I'm not sure how that would work. It definitely needs some more color, maybe a pillow for the seat, but I'm excited about how it is going so far.

AND I'm linking to DIY Day (The Finale! :0( ) ETA: I'm linking up to the Lettered Cottage!