Reader Space: A Pretty & Practical Girl's Closet

Hello Lovers!  Happy Wednesday!

One thing we don't see too much of around here is girly girl spaces.  Most likely because this mom of three is a mom to all boys.  I try to bring in my girly touches here and there through holiday decor {that just might stick around longer than it should}, and bright blossoms.  But when it comes to organizing for little lady friends, I haven't had many opportunities to do that, or share that.

That's why Reader Spaces are so awesome!  Because I get to live vicariously through you.  And get to share spaces that I wouldn't normally get to work on or do here in my own home.

Ursula, from Home Made by Carmona, organized her seven year old daughter's closet.  And she did it on a budget and with some creative thinking to ensure that it is super simple for her daughter to maintain going forward.

I had to know....

What is the main function of the space?

"Besides being a place that my 7-year-old stashes her stuff when told to clean her room, this closet space needs to have the highest function on the lowest possible budget.  I have high expectations for her closet; I expect it to rat her out when she uses it as a toy box, hold up when she turns it into a secret fort, store all her in-season and out of season clothing, and for the love of organization.... stay relatively clean! *chuckle*  Good luck to me, right?"

Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"When training a child who has no apparent inclination to organize, I've discovered that simplicity is key!  By dividing things into just a few categories, she can easily find what she needs to keep it tidy.  I only require 3 things of her; put away her hanging or folded clothes in their proper categories {labeled drawers and clothing tags help}, put her shoes back in her closet when done, and no hiding toys in the closet.  To help her follow those rules, I use two small tricks:

1. I make sure clothing is easily within her reach, and everything has a clearly marked place so there is no guessing.
2. I separate her frequently used items {shoes, scarves, clothing, even purses} from her out-of-season items, so she has less to handle and won't be overwhelmed.   Out-of-season, and special event items are stored up high."

What items did you find were essential when organizing the space, and why?

"My two favorite must-haves when organizing a closet, or any child-friendly space for that matter, is canvas bins and hooks!  It just makes tidy do-able!  Who can't toss something on a hook or in a bin?  Not to say it doesn't require some training... for the first three weeks I was constantly saying, "No kiddo, not on the floor, just toss it on the hook instead".  Believe me when I say it is SO worth it in the end!"

What did you do to go the extra mile and "Make it Pretty"?

"Just because we opt to create a functional space doesn't mean it can't be cute!  My munchkin looooves all things pink and princessy, so in keeping with her room design, I created closet tags, drawer labels, and even bin labels to all have a hit of her favorite pink color!  Plus cute curly fonts help.... and as I always do on my blog, I'm sharing!  You can download my printouts for my clothing tags, and three different drawer cover labels on my blog here!"

What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

"I'm a frugal gal... I mean, I'm a really frugal gal.  I "snuck" this closet into my grocery budget by couponing, DIYing and stalking sales.  Why buy clothing tags and other labels when you can make them free from paint chip swatches and print your own?  I won't bore you here, but I'll try to give you all the DIY and frugal deets in my post, for those who want to know."

How has this project impacted your life for the better?

"Anytime we do more with our decor, such as make an effort to streamline our spaces, and bring habits of order to our lives, we will be impacted for the better.  In this case, I know I am helping my darling daughter learn the importance of cleanliness, and the reward of tidy practices."

Gah, I can barely stand the cuteness!  But as sweet and pretty as it all is, I can't get over how functional, tidy and simple it is.  Ursula provided some really fantastic ideas here, for creating a low budget organized closet, that is fit for a princesss!  But just because it's a girl's space, doesn't mean that all of her great ideas can't be adapted for a boy's closet just the same.  I would just suggest picking a new color scheme.... although, real men do where pink!

A special thanks to Ursula for stopping by today with her sweet as pie closet!  You can check out her blog here.

Who else out there loves to blend the closet with the rest of the room?  Me Me Me!  How about your favorite frugal tips for organizing a kid's closet?

 ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!

Reader Space: A Mini-Mudroom Makeover

Spaces like today's always make me warm and happy inside, because someone made something magical happen, out of a very ordinary space.

Anu wrote and shared her recent mini-mudroom makeover, and the instant perma-grin took over and I begged her to let me share it!  I feel like I need to do my part in spreading the perma-grin fever.

Anu started out with a typical entry closet/nook and decided to make it lovely and beautiful and functional.  Here is what she had to say about the project:


What is the main function of the space?

"Our space acts like a "real" mudroom, only on a much smaller scale.  Our tiny closet/stair landing corrals outdoor gear and boots, dog feeding/walking supplies and laundry items {e.g., clothespins, drying rack, etc...}"

Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"I find that having a bin for each boy and dog helps keep their hats/mitts/leash easily accessible and saves us a lot of time getting out the door.  Using colourful labels makes putting the items away all the more fun.  My boys are still very little, but my 2 year-old is learning to recognize which bin is his.  The colourful, personalized labels are great motivation for him when learning to put his things away."

What items did you find were essential when organizing the space, and why?

"Having a place for everything is key to keeping things organized.  The labeled bins and baskets keep small items easily accessible and in their places.  The floating bench also helps free up floor space so that I have a spot for the dog food and bowls."

What did you do to go the extra mile and "make it pretty"?

"I love all things handmade and tried to incorporate my interests into the space.  I blanket-stitched the tops of the baskets, sewed a pillow cover and made my own monogram and coat hooks.  I chose bright colours and finishes similar to those found in our kitchen which is next to our new mini mudroom.  I found adding colour really brightened up a previously drab corner."

What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

"Almost everything in the space is handmade and/or DIY.  I designed the floating bench and my husband built it.  The art consists of two plates I already owned and a monogram that we cut out from the leftover bench material.  The coat hooks were also a DIY project made from wooden cabinet knobs.  To stay on a budget for the items we did buy, we shopped outlet and salvage shops {e.g., the light fixture came from a Habitat for Humanity Restore}."

How has this project impacted your life for the better?

"I am so glad I now have a place for all the baby/toddler/dog gear.  The rest of our house is very thankful to be a little less cluttered!  Finishing this space has also given me the motivation to organize other spaces in our house."


Ready to see the shining before and afters?

There are a few things that Anu mentioned that really resonated with me.

• First, the obvious; "A place for everything".  It is so important when planning a space to account for how it is used each day, and design a solution for all of the items within that space.  That way, it is simple to maintain the newly finished zone.
• "Using colourful labels makes putting the items away all the more fun."  I couldn't agree more.  Something about going the extra mile to make labels pleasing, doesn't make the putting away part seem like such a chore.  
• "The floating bench also helps free up floor space."  Benches and shelves are great space savers.  I love that she was able to give the floor some function, and add a place to sit or set things down as they are coming and going.
• "Finishing this space has also given me the motivation to organize other spaces in our house."  People ask me sometimes what drives me, and Anu nailed it.  Something about the satisfaction about finishing an awesome projects, keeps me excited to do it again!  So happy that Anu walked away with that same feeling!

I also adore that so much love, time and handmade items went into this space.  That is what makes it truly special.  All of the little details work together to make for a pretty magical mini-mudroom.  You can find all of the details in her original post here.

 ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!

Reader Space: A Dolla Makes You Holla!

We all know storage can get expensive, if we let it.  Sometimes we get crafty and make our own.  Sometimes we scour thrift stores.  And sometimes, we head to the Dolla Store!  Holla!

I am going to give new meaning to the phrase, as I don't believe the original meaning is all that appropriate.  Dolla store ya'll!

I know dollar store storage isn't something new.  But it is still fun to see incredible transformations done on a dollar store budget.  That is where the darling Stacey, from A Sort Of Fairytale, comes to play.

And just in time for the bathroom and linen monthly challenge.  Check out her new linen closet!  No way you can look and not smile.

I had to know....

What is the main function of the space?  

"It is our linen closet which holds towels and toiletries.  Oddly enough there are no linens in there... no room."


Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"Containers, baskets and labels.  The containers and baskets keep it all organized and clutter free, and the labels help family members put things back in the right places."

What items did you find essential when organizing the space and why?

"Baskets and containers were essential to keeping like items together and to create a sense of cohesiveness."

What did you do to go the extra mile and "make it pretty"?

"I added labels tied on with ribbon, made sure the baskets and containers were pretty to look at as well as the cleaning supplies and containers."

What items did you DIY to stay on budget?

"Everything came from the Dollar Store, so it was all very affordable, no DIY needed. :)"

How has this project impacted your life for the better?

"It is still organized months later and it helps me so much to see what we have on hand in an organized manner, both mentally and financially!"


So simple.  So right.  Organization at it's finest here.  Goes to show what some dollar store baskets and labels can do.  But wait, you haven't seen the before picture yet, the transformation is quite incredible!

One thing that Stacey didn't mention, but I noticed right away, is that she also made use of the back of the door.  That is prime real estate for storage but often times overlooked.  Ditto to the floor.  It's is like a free shelf, and free is always fab!  You can find all of the details on her blog here.

Stacey sure made organizing look simple, inexpensive and fun!  The before and after is one to admire and shows that organizing doesn't have to be daunting or overwhelming.  In fact, quite the opposite!

What was the best storage item you picked up at a dolla store?  Did it make you holla?

 ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!