Free Stylin'

How to Build a Basic Shelf

March 4, 2013 by beth 2 Comments

Hey Y’all! I hope you had a great weekend! In my last post, I showed you how my train wreck of a hall closet got an organization intervention. It was such a disaster! One of the most helpful changes in the closet is in the form of some shelves that go up the wall, maximizing the space in there.

As promised, today I’ll show you how I built those basic shelves. I’ve seen them a million times in my life but never really knew exactly how to build some myself. They seem pretty straight forward, and I had a basic idea of what to do, but I learned a few things along the way that may be helpful if you decide to build some, too.

First, you need shelves and brackets. I considered going to a hardware store and asking them to cut some shelves for me, but then Allison reminded me that Ikea has precut shelves and brackets. I weighed all of my options – time, price, degree of difficulty, painting vs. not having to paint, etc and decided to go with the Ikea shelves. Plus I got the chance to go to Ikea, which is always a good day for me.

Each shelf cost $2, and the brackets were 50 cents a piece. So, for $9, I had shelves that were already cut and painted. Super easy!!

And I highly recommend having a clean space to work in. You’ll be sitting on the floor for awhile, and it is so much easier to scootch around if your closet is already decrapified.

Next you’ll need to decide how you want your brackets to stay securely in the wall. If you have a stud finder, and want to put screws into the studs, then you can go that route. I do not have a stud finder, so I went with Option B (which is a little easier, in my opinion!): drywall anchors.

I found mine at the hardware store, and they cost between $5 and $6 a package. There were 25 anchors and screws in the box, and I used 12, so I still have some left over for another project. When choosing the amount of weight you want the anchors to hold think about what you are placing on your shelves. I chose 50 lbs anchors because I knew our shelves would be holding things like gloves and hats and exercise bands. But the anchors go up in weight if you need them to hold heavier items.

Something to take into consideration…each anchor holds 50 lbs IF it is flush against the wall. The amount actually goes down the farther out the wall you go. So, because I was using shelves – which are away from the wall a foot or two – the weight these anchors can each hold is a little under 50 lbs. Luckily I have 4 anchors per shelf, and they aren’t holding terribly heavy things.

The anchors are easy to screw into the wall. The instructions on the box are simple, and I used a Phillips screw driver and a little muscle to get them secure.

When choosing my placement of the shelves, I just thought about what was being stored where. The bottom shelf is 18 inches above the floor because I needed extra space to store things underneath. The remaining two shelves are about a foot apart.

I measured the wall to find the middle, then marked it. Then I marked 18 inches up from the floor, and that is where I placed the bottom shelf. I used a level to keep things straight.

My cute Pickle was home sick, but he still wanted to try screwing in a few brackets.

I found it easiest to work on one shelf at a time. So, after screwing in the brackets, it was time to turn to the shelves. Using the same method I used to build The Hubs’s desk, pilot holes were drilled into the bottom of the shelves before they were screwed to the brackets.

Each shelf was placed on the brackets and then screwed in underneath. At first I tried using a drill, but I found that I got a much tighter result with a regular screwdriver.

After the bottom shelf was finished and level, I measured one foot up and began the process all over again. I think it took me about an hour or so? to build three shelves.

Even though this isn’t some huge DIY project, I still feel so empowered when I make something myself. Especially when it benefits our family in some way. And yeah, we rent, so I don’t think I’ll be taking these shelves down when we move, but I’m pretty sure the next family that lives here will be grateful for some storage, too. And for about $15, I’m pretty happy with the results.

Have you ever built some shelves for a little extra storage? Where did you put them? Do you have any other tips for building them? Ever tried drywall anchors before? What kind are your favorite?

Hope you have a great day! We are celebrating Pickles’ 9th birthday. Can’t believe that sweet boy is 9 already!! I’m off to buy some cupcakes.

I’m linking up:

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Organizing the Closet Under the Stairs {7 Easy Steps to Organizing Chaos}

March 1, 2013 by beth 12 Comments

K, so I’m in that stage where I’m done being pregnant but not quite ready for this little man to be here just yet because I feel like I have so much to do. That’s probably why I keep doing so many organization posts! There are a couple of spots in our home that are driving me crazy, and before we bring one more person (and all that comes with him!) into this little family, we need to declutter and edit out and overall decrapify.

Today’s special area: the closet under the stairs. It is a total train wreck.

It’s one of those places where you open the door, if you dare, throw something in, and run away. The holidays and cold weather haven’t helped its cause, either. I keep all of our wrapping paper and gift bags in there, and now the whole floor is a disaster from the digging and searching for the perfect bag or bow. Our coats have multiplied and had babies. But for some reason they want to keep falling off their hangers.

And, the light bulb burned out.

Basically, I hate it.

Time to finally take the bull by the horns and get to making this storage area functional again.

When something isn’t working for me, I take a day or two to figure out what that is before I try to reorganize so I can avoid the problem next time. There is a real lack of storage in our home in the first place, and what we have isn’t being maximized. The hall closet would only get messy again if I didn’t address that.

One of the main problems in there is that everything can just get thrown in on the floor. We needed to go up in our storage – like up the walls. (Ever notice how Ikea does that in small spaces? They use the vertical space for storage, too.) So, I took a cue from Ikea and decided to build up.

Cleaning out the closet was going to be overwhelming for sure, so I took the following small, manageable steps to make sure I didn’t freak out and back out of the project:

Pre Step 1: Replace the light bulb.

1. Gather all the organizational supplies you’ll need: bags (for donation), trash bag, baskets and containers, and new shelves.

(Here’s an aside tip: See the tall, red box? It’s from Target. During the after Christmas sales, I snagged it from an employee. It is meant for wrapping paper, and they were just breaking the boxes down once they didn’t need them anymore. ASK for stuff like this. Usually it’s just getting thrown out. Usually, they say yes. And, usually it’s FREE.)

2. Put on some good music.

3. Pull out one item at a time and decide right then and there if it’s keep, donate, or throw away.

4. If it’s a keep, put it in a pile with other like items (sports equipment, gift bags, coats, etc.). One or two of my piles were for objects that belonged in another room in the house (like the garage or playroom). I even named a pile, “Ask The Hubs what the crap is this thing for?”

Yes, it WILL look worse before it gets better.

5. When you start to get overwhelmed, take a breath. Stop for a second. Focus on the item that is overwhelming you. Why are you feeling that way? Break this one object down into small, manageable steps, too. For example, I found a backpack FULL of stuff. I didn’t feel like going through it all. Ugh. So I opened the smallest pocket and began there. Luckily I had a trash bag ready, and each item in the backpack was put in a pile – kids’ room, playroom, garbage, recycle bin. Once I finished the smallest pocket, I opened the medium pocket, etc. One small step at a time. Pretty soon the whole back pack was cleaned out.

6. Once you’ve gone through the entire space, now it’s time to tackle the piles. The same way you tackled the closet: one small step at a time. Comb through everything again and make sure you want to keep it. My younger sister was sweet enough to go through all my gift bags and bows an toss out the ugly or smashed ones.

7. Put the items you are keeping in containers, boxes, or bins. Keeping these things all together gives them an assigned spot and makes it easier for everyone to put it back where it belongs. I even covered a regular box with some cute remnant fabric from Ikea and hot glue to make things look a little nicer.

It was at this spot that I stopped and built the shelves. The boards and brackets are from Ikea and cost me $9. Have you ever built shelves like this? I had never. If you would like to learn how to build your own shelves like mine, cuz it’s easier than you think!, I’ll give you a play by play in my next post.

Once the shelves were built, and everything going back into the closet was weeded out, straightened, and put in a box or bin, it was a piece of cake to put back inside.

I hung the bags full of bows and gift tags up on tiny nails so they can’t get squished.

I put our weights up on the strongest shelf, out of the way of little hands.

Can you believe coats even fit in here now? And they are on hangers. It’s the craziest thing, I know!

So now the closet under the stairs is a functional, usable storage space. And taking simple steps to help me from getting overwhelmed made this a project that was much quicker, and less painful, than I thought it would be.

Oh, and I only killed two spiders.

What spot in your home needs an intervention ASAP? Which area are you trying to avoid organizing? Anyone else have a crazy under the stairs mess like mine?

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How to Make Homemade Yogurt

February 25, 2013 by beth 4 Comments

K, so I want to introduce you to two of my awesome friends, Angie and Doug. Angie and I have known each other since our sophomore year in high school. We were both the new kids at school, and we hit it off right away. (Don’t worry, Ang, I won’t put any incriminating high school pics of us on here!)

My cute friends have three adorable boys (Yay for three boys!) and a sweet new little angel daughter. Angie has been one of Free Stylin’s biggest supporters from day one. She often leaves me sweet comments or texts about my posts that make me feel like a million bucks. And when I’m slow on blogging, she is the cheerleader behind getting me back on my feet. I love this girl.

The other day Angie posted a picture of some homemade yogurt she had made on Facebook, and it seriously looked SO easy (and freakin’ cheap) to make. I begged her to share her recipe on Free Stylin’, and she and Doug were kind enough to write up a post AND add some pictures. (P.S. While you read, check out their kitchen. They redid most of it themselves, and it is amazing! LOVE the back splash!)

Take it away, Angikins!

How to Make Homemade Yogurt

Making homemade yogurt is easy and delicious. You only need two ingredients!

Gallon on whole milk
1 6-8oz container of plain or vanilla yogurt
4-5 quart mason jars with lids and rings

First wash your jars, lids and rings. Because we aren’t sealing these, it isn’t important to use new lids. I just use old lids and keep reusing them.

Pour the whole gallon of milk into a crock pot.

Heat until the milk reaches 185-190 degrees. (This took me about 3 hours on high heat. After 2 & 1/2 hours I checked the milk every 10 minutes or so.)

Once the milk is heated to 185-190 degrees, set the crock into the sink and fill with cold water about half way to the height of the crock. (I am assuming that like me you are using a crock pot with a removable crock so that when you do this you don’t short out your unit.)

Leave in the water until the milk cools to 120 degrees. (Watch closely, this only took me about 10 minutes.)

Heat your oven to the lowest setting. Remove the crock from the sink. Add one small container of yogurt. (If this is your second batch, you can use a cup of yogurt that you made last time.) Stir the yogurt in well so that all the yogurt cultures are distributed. If you like vanilla flavored yogurt, add 1/2 – 1 cup of sugar and 1 – 2 tablespoons of vanilla. Stir well.

Ladle the milk into the mason jars. (If you have wide mouth jars, use them over the regular size. It will be easier to get the yogurt out once it’s made.) Put the lids and bands on the jars.

Turn off the oven and turn on the oven light. Place the jars in the oven with the light on for 3 hours.

Remove the jars and place in the fridge for 8 hours or over night.

In the morning you’ll have delicious yogurt. We serve ours with fresh fruit or jam. YUMMY!!!

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Oh my gosh, doesn’t that look so easy and SO delicious? And for the price of a gallon of milk and one small yogurt container, you can get a ton of yogurt. Awesome! What’s your favorite yogurt flavor? What would you add to your yogurt? I bet this recipe would be so good with blueberries or raspberries. Can’t wait to make my own batch!

Thanks so much, Ang! You’re the best!

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How to Build a Wooden Mail Organizer

February 22, 2013 by beth 4 Comments

K, so The Hubs and I are notorious for getting the mail, looking through it, putting it on the kitchen island, and then letting it sit. Everyday. Until the end of forever. It’s super annoying to me (and probably him, too…I’d ask him if our kids would let us talk to each other every now and then). I get overwhelmed by clutter, and mail is a serious culprit.

I’ve finally had enough. After browsing through Pinterest, organization catalogs, and a few magazines, I’ve come up with a pretty solution that I think will do the trick.

The Wooden Mail Organizer

Here’s what you need to make one, too:

*3 wooden brackets (I found mine at Home Depot for about $2.50 each)

* a piece of scrap board (mine is about 13 inches square)

*spray paint in the color of your choice

*wood glue

*finishing nails

*hammer

A little back story on the scrap board…While I was roaming Home Depot for the wooden brackets, I knew I needed a board for a foundation. I went to the lumber section, and they have an area for already cut pieces of wood. These pieces are sold for 70% off the original price because they are not their original size. I found a long board that was about the height I wanted and asked if I could have it cut down (it was too wide). Because my piece was a cut of a cut, he couldn’t charge me anything. FREE baby!

Step one: Figure out where you want your brackets to go. On the back of your scrap wood, draw the outline of your bracket. (You will need this later!)

Step two: Use the wood glue to glue the brackets to the board.

Step three: Spray paint the entire piece. You will need to spray multiple coats, especially if your paint doesn’t already have a primer in it. Allow the glue and paint to dry completely.

Step four: Turn the piece upside down and reinforce the foundation using finishing nails. This is where your bracket outlines will come in handy. Make sure you hammer within the lines so the nail goes straight up into the bracket.

Step five: Add your mail. (But don’t forget to sort through it occasionally….)

If you’d like to personalize the organizer, you can paint a monogram in each mail slot. Or, using a vinyl letter machine, each person’s name could be added to the front with vinyl.

This project is very quick (apart from the paint drying time). And the price is awesome, too!

I spent $8 total:

brackets: 3 @ 2.50 a piece + tax

scrap piece: free

paint: already owned

wood glue: already owned

finishing nails: already owned

I’m super excited to get part of my kitchen island back! No more piles, no more, “Honey, where’s the …bill?” or, “Is this today’s mail?”

Now on to tackling more clutter in the house…starting with the closet under the stairs. (I’m pretty sure I’m going to find Harry Potter living in there it’s so crazy!) Wish me luck!

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A Simple Laundry Schedule

February 20, 2013 by beth 1 Comment

(This is a post I recently wrote for i Dream of Clean)

K, so raise your hand if laundry is your favorite chore. No? Yeah, me either. There are so many steps, it takes awhile to get through the entire process. And that’s just for one load. (I am SO glad I have a washer and dryer to do most of the work though. I have no idea how my great grandmothers washed everything by hand back in the day!!)

I think one of the most difficult parts about laundry, for me, is the follow through. Although sorting the clothes and transferring them from the washer to the dryer isn’t hard, I don’t like to fold. At. All. And then putting it away? Eww. The Hubs tries to be sweet and help, but our communication can be totally off sometimes, and I’ll walk in to the laundry room to find clothes in both the washer and dryer that I didn’t even know were there. And now both loads have to be rewashed.

I try to make laundry fun for my boys. They like to help sort and put things in the washer and dryer. But they’re just like their mama…putting away is their least favorite. I tried combining everyone’s clothes to wash and dry one load a day, but asking my cute kidlets to put their clothes away everyday seemed to be a never ending battle.

Super frustrating, right? Please tell me I’m not the only one alone in this!

It came down to either living with eternal piles of laundry on the floor (like I showed you HERE…YIKES!), half finished loads in the washer and dryer, and laundry baskets everywhere (No Thanks!) OR organize my laundry schedule. I’d tried the first. It was NOT working. So a schedule is exactly what I did.

When creating our family laundry schedule, I had one rule. Keep it Simple. If the schedule had a lot of rules and steps, it would not run smoothly, and we’d all give up.

Here is our new plan, and I hope a few of these ideas are ones you could adopt for your family’s laundry schedule.

I have assigned ONE day to each family member. That family member knows which day belongs to them, so they know to have all of their dirty clothes ready to go.

Monday: The Hubs and I wash our color clothes.

Tuesday: I wash little J’s clothes and sheets.

Wednesday: The Hubs and I wash our whites and sheets.

Thursday: Pickle gets his clothes and sheets washed.

Friday: I wash all of the towels and rugs from the week.

Saturday: Blankets and comforters get washed if needed.

This system is working so well for our family because everyone understands their accountability. When Pickle gets home from school on Thursdays, he knows he’ll have a basket of clean clothes waiting for him to put away. The Hubs doesn’t start a load of laundry, without me knowing, because if he needs something, he usually just has a day to wait. While J is home with me, he is still learning to sort and “help” fold, but our loads are SO MUCH SMALLER!! that I don’t get overwhelmed when he makes a few mistakes.

Now we don’t have dirty laundry piling up in baskets.

Now we don’t have clean laundry piling up on the couch.

Now we have clean clothes. And they are actually put away!!

This is how I’ve simplified our laundry schedule. What works for you?

(Want to see how I transformed our ugly laundry room into a pretty, functional space…for only $3? GO HERE!)