There always seems to be fifteen minute projects. You know, the ones that you put off, even though you know it'll only take fifteen minutes, but sometimes the thought of pulling out all the supplies associated with that task are so daunting or messy that you cringe at the thought of tackling the fifteen minute project. (Maybe that's just me.)
Well, like most fifteen minute challenges and my ever shortening attention span, once I get started on a project, I can't seem to stop (chasing rabbits and all) so I start to jump from one task to the next. Speaking of rabbits and jumping, I better get started telling you what I did or we'll be hopping down more trails.
Project 1. Sew a dog bed
Over a year ago, I purchased Her Majesty a bed so she would have a new spot to sleep on when we moved into the new (to us) house. Many washes later, the bed is starting to show some wear, so after looking at beds in the pet store, I had a eureka moment and said, "Self, I can sew Her Majesty a new bed!" Mind you, I have not successfully sewed a thing in over ten years. The last time I attempted to sew a pouf, I spent thirty minutes tracing and cutting the pattern and five hours yelling dirty words at the sewing machine. And believe me, those were not come hither dirty words either. Come to think of it, the pattern is still in my "to do" pile.
Using some scrap fabric and stuffing, as well as the internet as my guide, I managed to piece together a dog bed using no dirty words! Amazing! And the best part, after the project was complete I tossed the new bed on the floor until I got a chance to remove her old bed and Her Majesty wasted no time trying it out. I think she likes it better than her old bed. :)
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| Proof that our house is chaotic and in need of some organizing. :) Her Majesty's old bed is in the foreground and is affectionately termed "The Cupcake Bed". She is sleeping on the new bed. |
I am so glad for the hardwoods in this house. It shows everything, but it is also so easy to clean. Instead of the disposable swiffer covers, I have been using old washcloths and microfiber cloths to clean the floor. I had seen some homemade swiffer covers on Pinterest and with the boost of confidence I received from sewing the dog bed, I thought I would tackle this one as well. So I grabbed an old washcloth and stuck it in the sewing machine. Jammed. Took the fabric out, cut the loops of knotted string, removed the bobbin, replaced the bobbin, and inserted the fabric to start again. Jammed. Two hours and many knotted threads and jammed sewing machine later, I decided to sleep on it. The following morning, I rethreaded the sewing machine, placed the fabric on the plate, and like magic it worked! I have not tried tossing it in the washing machine yet, we will see how it holds up.
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| Woohoo! My second successful sewing project - a swiffer cover! |
In the renovated bathroom, there is only one cabinet to hold necessities and after using this bathroom for a year, it had gotten unruly. So now that I was on a "I-conquered-two-projects-on-the-sewing-machine" high, I thought I would tackle a few organization tasks. When I start on these projects, I am usually too excited to remember to take before pictures. Just imagine that there were towels toppling over, bottles of lotion, conditioner, etc. filling up one of the drawers and the extra TP drawer was empty- oops. To organize the towels, I put all of the washcloths in a basket. Those things always seem to help topple the pile of towels. (I've got plans to hang them from the door, but that will be a future project.) In the top drawer, I grabbed a couple baskets we had lying about and sorted and filled them with lotions and soaps. In the bottom drawer, I tossed in some TP and leftover roll of paper towels for wiping down the sink. And voila, the bathroom cabinet is now ready for guests!
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| A restocked and organized bathroom cabinet! |
I really enjoy baking and my relatives have gifted me with an assortment of baking utensils which I store in one drawer in the kitchen. Unfortunately, this drawer began receiving overflow from the junk drawer which is right beside it. So, in fifteen minutes, I put everything in the baking drawer on the countertop, removed items that did not belong in the drawer, sorted the utensils into groups, grabbed some trays, and reintroduced the utensils into the drawer. Here's what I have in there now:
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| The organized baking drawer |
I think the junk drawer is one of those things that everyone has, but does not want to admit they have it. I mean who wants to admit that they have a designated drawer (or for some, a closet - I'll just come out and say it. We have both.) where they stash and dash. Okay, so say it with me, I have a junk drawer and it can be a problem. But not for long! Our junk drawer is beside the baking drawer and had gotten so bad that trying to open the drawer had become a source of entertainment in our house. So, like the baking drawer, I put everything on the counter, tossed items, sorted items, grabbed some trays, and put some things back. At least for now we can say the junk drawer has some semblance of order and opening the drawer is easier. We'll see how long that lasts. :)
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| The organized junk drawer |
You're an overachiever. I especially like the Swiffer cover. Can't wait to see what else you come up with. Jo @ Let's Face the Music
ReplyDeleteHi Jo! Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the encouragement!
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