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$20 diy painted drop cloth curtains

I’m still on the journey to finishing up my son’s room. He has really been on me lately to finish his room and I totally understand, because his sister’s has been done for sometime now and he is feeling some kind of way.

Now that the walls and stripes have been painted, drapes are up next. I shared my inspiration for dropcloth curtains awhile back while I was trying to decide on a curtain option that would go with the industrial chic look that he wants.

To make sure that I would like the look initially I  purchased one dropcloth from Home Depot for $10 and used the leftover paint from his stripes. After I hung the first one, he liked it so I went back and got three more dropcloths.

Here is what you need to create these super easy no sew drop cloth curtains. This is what I used to create 4 panels

DIY no sew drop cloth curtain

 

Supplies

  • 4 6×9 Painters Dropcloth
  • Level
  • Painter’s Tape
  • 2 pints of paint
  • Tape Measure
  • Small paint roller and pan (my set  came from Dollar Tree)

DIY no sew drop cloth curtain

 

DIY no sew drop cloth curtain

Directions

  • First determine how large you want your stripe and measure using your tape.
  • Start painter’s tape at the height you desire. Use the level to make sure you keep the tape line straight as you work across the dropcloth
  • Once everything has been taped off, go back and smooth down the bottom of the tape where it meets the dropcloth to help minimize paint bleed into the areas you do not want painted
  • Now paint, give the roller a little pressure to ensure a good coat.
  • Right after you finish painting pull off the tape
  • PLEASE make sure you put something underneath as the paint will bleed through. We will be replacing the outdoor carpet in our sunroom so I didn’t care but please keep this in mind.

DIY no sew drop cloth curtain

Once you get ready to hang you can alter the length by folding the top and securing with curtain rod ring clips. I still have to adjust the lengths of the panels and steam them so this is a very preliminary look at them. I have two more panels to hang and start hanging a few of his pictures. I’ll be back with that update hopefully before the month is out.

Here’s a peek from the hallway at the before and after.

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Kid command center
Featured Home Living

kid command center

I’ve tripped over one too many shoes and haphazardly dropped bookbags in my day. Too many.

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve taken the stance of making the functional needs of my  home pretty, so I decided to create a kid command center in Addison’s room in an attempt to corral ALL of her things into her space. My son’s room is up next.

Ever since I took Addi’s name hook down to make room for her vintage desk her drop the book bag wherever I feel  game was extra strong.  After nearly face planting the foyer floor after getting my foot hooked in her book bag strap the need to get her used to hanging her book bag on it’s “home” again got real.

I found a cushioned board at Hobby Lobby on clearance right after Christmas and wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it. It sat for a few weeks and then it hit me that I would create a little command center for her.

It finally dawned on me that this blank area would be the perfect place to set up a command center for her book bag and a place for me to hang her artwork and other pertinent school paperwork thus keeping it out of my kitchen!

kid command center

I set about hanging the cushioned board on the wall. Not sure if that is the proper term but it is like a giant pin cushion. If you have a more accurate description please share.

kid command center

When hanging things I take a piece of painters tape and place it over the hooks and put a hole where the hooks are to denote where to put the nails when I go to hang it on the wall. I then make sure the tape is level prior to hanging

kid command center

Kid command center

Now she has a place to hang her book bag again. My goal  for the “cushioned board” is to order photos I’ve taken of her on Instagram and place them there with gold thumbtacks along with her artwork. I’ll be back with that update. Until then she’s decided to post up her vision board.

Kid command center

Kid command center

Do you have a dedicated space for your child {ren} to dump their things? If not, get them one, it makes a difference one non face plant at a time.

Trust. Me.

Kitchen Organization | DIY Coffee Station
Featured Home Organization

kitchen organization | coffee station

Coffee please.

Every. Morning.

I have not always been a coffee drinker but the magic of ground coffee beans mixed with hot water, sugar and creamer no longer eludes me. I am it’s biggest fan.

Kitchen Coffee Station

“but first coffee” printable found here

As with anything, my coffee space was a mess. The cabinet that houses my mugs is still a mess. I have figured one of the keys to creating a beautiful home is coming up with organized and aesthetically pleasing ways to solve your most pressing issues.

Cause you know fumbling for coffee essentials in the morning is not what I am about…anymore.

This year I’ll be working with Starbucks and I wanted to make sure my space was equipped to neatly store all of the the coffee goodies they will be sending me to try out and share with you and my house guests.

Kitchen Coffee Station

This drawer is just one in a row of four that sits under where the coffee maker is housed. I picked up the clear boxes from Dollar Tree and a total of five fit in the drawer. The ones in the back hold tea bags and hot chocolate. The ones on the side hold k-cups, creamer and stirring straws.

My coffee maker takes ground coffee as well so I made sure to leave space for coffee bags because you know K-cups aren’t always in the budget! (That said, I did find some reasonably priced k cup coffee makers that looked pretty good on a review site I found!)

Kitchen Coffee Station

I also created a space for my drinks on the go that I absolutely love. My favorite is the Starbucks VIA Instant Peppermint Mocha and my fancy Starbucks hot cocoa when I need a quick late afternoon boost of energy. While I am enjoying the Starbucks Holiday Blend, the VIA instant drink is everything, it really has the taste of grabbing a mocha in the store by just adding the mix to hot water. In the summer I’ll switch these on the go drink options out with something more seasonal.  I’m still working through my holiday stash since I’m the only coffee drinker in the house.

Kitchen Coffee Station

 

Kitchen Organization | DIY Coffee Station

Yes, I actually use that coffee and scoop it out with that mini Starbucks cup on mornings where I’m not in a complete rush and choose to make fresh coffee instead. I’m sure the espresso shot cup wasn’t made for scooping coffee but it works for me.

Getting your house organized starts with one little space at a time. I’m happy I took out the time to get my kitchen coffee station in order. It’s functional and makes sense for my habit and because I am smitten with how neat it looks I am more than certain it will stay this way.

I’ll be back once I get the cabinet together that stores my mug collection.

Do you have a coffee station? Does it make your life easier?

I was provided these coffee goodies by Starbucks. All opinions are mine.
DIY Natural Cleaners
DIY Home

diy natural cleaners + free house cleaning printable

I would say a reasonable home goal would be to have your home in a state of daily tidiness that if someone were crazy enough to stop by without calling you wouldn’t have to leave them outside while you frantically threw items into closets and under the sofa.

I’ve finally gotten to a place where my house is well kept on a daily basis but it takes work. I found success when I created an actual cleaning schedule.  After two weeks of following it, and forcing myself to complete each day’s task even when I didn’t feel like it , picking up daily has become so much easier. Feel free to download and print the cleaning shedule and see how it works for you. Don’t be afraid to tweak it to your needs but if you are like me and neatness missed you in the genetics department trust me, a schedule will do you some good.

Now that I am serious about my cleaning I’ve become more conscious of what chemicals are in our cleaning products. Not sure about you but I grew up in a home where Comet was about as American apple pie. As I got older I came across people who used diluted bleach to clean in the kitchen.

If you still use any of these in your kitchen no judgment passed but the more I learn about what chemicals are doing to our bodies and how they are affecting our health….for lack of better words, I just can’t.

For the past few months I’ve been using natural cleaners in my kitchen and while I was skeptical at first these cleaners have been doing a great job and I feel more comfortable using them on surfaces that come in contact with food.

 

The smell of vinegar when cleaning with natural products can be overwhelming. One of my line sisters told me about a lemon scented cleaning vinegar and it does a great job at masking the smell, another option would be to use regular white vinegar and add in essential oils instead.

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When making these I highly suggest you pick up a funnel, it will make your life much easier. You can grab the spray bottles from Dollar Tree and funnels from IKEA.

If you would like to give these DIY natural cleaners a try here are the recipes for my favorite natural cleaners:

All Purpose Cleaner:

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. dish soap

4 TBSP white vinegar

400 ml warm water

Add water first then the remaining ingredients into a spray bottle and shake. If you add the water last the vinegar and baking soda will fizz up and overflow so it is very important to put the water in first.

Granite Cleaner:

1/2 cup rubbing alcohol

8 drops of dish soap

2 cups of warm water

Combine all of the items in a spray bottle and shake well

Glass Cleaner

1/4 c rubbing alcohol

1/4 c white vinegar

1 TBSP cornstarch

2 c warm water

Combine all of the items in a spray bottle and shake well

 

 

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