Diy Hot drink Station

With the colder weather fast approaching, I thought I would set up a hot drink station. Of course I had to get a little creative with placement since I don't have a lot of counter space. But, since I painted the countertop, I had switched the placement of my toaster oven and coffee maker, which made better use of the space. 

Since the coffee maker is now in a corner where the counter is rarely used, there is an area where a small shelf will fit perfectly. And where do you find a small enough shelf? Dollar tree of course. I used one of the small cabinet risers to create a cute little shelf.

To make a shelf out of the cabinet riser I used foam board and contact paper, also from Dollar Tree.

First I measured the riser and cut a piece of the foam board to fit on top

I also cut out a second piece to fit the under side of the riser

 - I used hot glue to secure the foam board on the riser so it wouldn't move while applying the contact paper

I then measured and cut out two pieces of the contact paper to cover the foam board and any visible pieces of the top part of the shelf riser.

*If you've never worked with contact paper check out my dresser update .

Lastly I repurposed a paper towel holder to use as a mug tree.

To complete the drink station, I added a coffee can (from which I removed the label), a small container with stirrers, and a glass jar underneath for hot cocoa.

I'm on the hunt for a hot cocoa recipe that doesn't call for a load of sugar. Any recommendations? 

How to Organize a Spice Cabinet on a Tiny Budget!

Today, I'm sharing how I organized my spice (and tea) cabinet for under $10! I didn't go out and buy any fancy jars or containers. I simply decluttered (read threw out expired stuff!) and reorganized the space. Again, I am not striving for perfection but improving function. 

Here are the cabinets before...

And here are the items I purchased for organizing.

 - slim baskets

 - under-shelf basket

 -  clear, 3 compartment organizer with lid

 

I sorted the spices by type and amount of use. 

Above the spices I added the under shelf basket to hold extra bags of coffee.

The fourth basket is one I had on hand.

*Tip* Use under-shelf baskets in your pantry (or any shelf with space underneath) to hold foil, plastic wrap, zipper seal bags etc.

I repurposed the tiered shelf riser to organize my teas.

I mainly wanted to minimize packaging. These compartment organizers are the perfect size for teabags. Each section fit about 10 bags. I also labeled the front for the teabags not individually wrapped.

I love that I can use the organizer with or without the lid!

But, since I removed the packaging I decided to cut the expiration date off the boxes and added to the back of each container. 

- I used double sided tape to attach the expiration dates. 

This new setup is perfect in my book!  The tea organizer is my favorite. I can clearly see how much of each tea I have on hand. What is your favorite part?

Budget Under Kitchen Sink Organizing

My kitchen is the first room you enter when you open the front door. So, it's only natural that clutter accumulates here. Not only is there clutter on surfaces (which there aren't a lot of), but in the cabinets as well. And while the clutter is generally kept to a minimum (because it is an open area), I know I can get a few areas tidier. 

To start I'm tackling under the kitchen sink. And, I'll warn you now, it's not pretty! But, this is real life. And until we can update the kitchen this is what I'm working with. 😜

To start, I removed everything that was directly under the sink. The shelf to the left goes into a corner and I only keep trays and large bowls that don't fit anywhere else. I did have some jars and cans I've been keeping to upcycle. Those went into a box in the basement until I can get to those projects.

With a clean slate, I started from the back right corner and worked my way to the left. 

• This shelf riser was previously used in the pantry. It fit perfectly between the water pipe and cabinet wall.

The narrow basket, from Dollar Tree is holding a roll of trash bags. The name brand roll of 45 fits in here like a dream!

And under the shelf riser are things I don't need regularly.

I kept this cleaning caddy (which is actually a shower caddy) in the front because these are my day to day cleaners.

To the left of the shelf riser I added another narrow basket to hold extra cleaners and spray bottles.

In the left hand corner I added a second shelf riser with a shallow basket underneath.

On this riser I have extra dish soap and a couple of spray bottle I use for diy cleaners.

In the basket I'm keeping extra sponges, scrubbers, and extra hand soap.

In the front left I added one more basket (which I had collecting dust in the basement) to keep our water bottles.

And finally, the space left in the front was a perfect fit for my girls' school lunch boxes. It is easy to reach, and makes our school lunch prep easy on everyone.

All in all, I only spent $4 on a few baskets and a shelf riser to take this space from cluttered to functional. When it comes to organizing, it doesn't have to be pretty and perfect, it just has to function for your needs. I hope this inspires you to take control of a cluttered space!

No Sew Table Runner

This no sew table runner is soo easy to make you could make one in every color! Not that you need one in every color, but you'll see what I mean. Because this is made using placemats from Dollar Tree, you could change this out seasonally by using different colors or patterns. Or, you could easily add details with ribbon or other embellishments. The best part? It only costs $3!

Here is how mine came out...

To make this no sew runner, all you need are placemats and hot glue. And any embellishments you want to add.

Before starting I measured the length of my table. I used three placemats.

To put the runner together:

- fold over the seam on the end of one placemat

- glue the seam onto another mat while overlapping by about 1 1/2 inches

- turn over and glue the over hang

- seal the gaps created by the overlap

Repeat these steps to add the third placemat. The folded seams will be on top, creating a tiered look. 

You could stop here and have a nice simple table runner. But, I had to take it a step further to match my color scheme.

I added tassels using twine:

- cut a bunch of strips of twine about 2 inches long

- wrap the twine around hand (or any flat object the desired length of your tassel

- using one the strips, tie on to one end and create a knot

- cut the other end open to create strands

- using another small strip, tie around the strands about 1/2 inch below the top knot to create a loop

I attached the tassels using hot glue.

And here is the final result.

This was my first time making tassels, and I'm loving them! What do you think? Until next time, thanks and God Bless!

Living Simply, 

Mindy✿

How to make a Simple Fall Centerpiece

I know everyone is all goo-goo ga-ga over the Fall season coming but, I wouldn’t mind a little more summer! I am in New England. And us New Englanders know that summer only lasts about four weeks! I’m exaggerating of course, but that’s how it feels. It seems like by the time the temperature gets into the 80’s it starts dropping again.

Ok, now that I’m done complaining, I’ll tell you a few things do like about Fall. First of all, pumpkin flavored everything! I’m talking muffins, breads, coffee. Oh, and I can’t forget about apple picking, apple pie, and apple butter. Yummy! I’m getting hungry now. Most of all I love fall décor. I just love the color pallet, with all the earthy tones. And I love how you can find things in neutral color schemes to match any décor.

So, this week I’m sharing my Simple Fall centerpiece.

To start I’ll show you the supplies. You’ll see in the end I added to what is shown, but mainly for embellishment.

Step 1: painted the pizza pan using chalk paint

-This one small container of paint goes a long way. I’ve used this for several projects and it's only about half empty. 

Step 2: removed backing and all hardware from each frame, then put the glass back in and glued in each corner to secure

-I only used a tiny dot of hot glue in each corner so it wouldn’t show through the glass

Step 3: I added one of these activity sheets to each glass with double sided tape

-This paper combined with the brown frame just screamed fall, but as you'll see I end up removing the paper.

Step 4: created a lantern by gluing the frames together

*Tip – to make the lantern square alternate attaching each frame, one to the back side and one to the side (if that doesn’t make sense I hope it’s clear in the pictures)

Step 5: added embellishments using flowers I had, and the pumpkins

-I painted the pumpkin stems and spray painted the orange gourd

-I made this floral arrangement by securing with floral wire then floral tape.

I decided afterward to add ribbon to the lantern, to cover the seam where each frame is glued together.

And after I had it all set up I decided to remove the paper because I thought it detracted from the look I was going for. But, I’ll show you both setups. Let me know which one you like better.

Every thing pictured here is from Dollar Tree

-Clockwise from top left- with activity sheets, without sheets, close-up of candle holder, candle lit

For this project, I technically only spent $6 for the frames, pizza pan, and candle. Everything else I had at home from previous use or from other projects I am working on. How cute is that candle with the leaf print!?

I hope this inspires you to come up with some simple fall décor. I would love to know how you're decorating for fall! Thanks, and God Bless!

Living Simply,

Mindy✿