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After celebrating Christmas and a birthday . . .
all in a weeks time, the clutter and mess was really starting to get to me. I try to tell my husband and children that if the house is clean I am a much more pleasant person to be around. But the toys and mess left from December was too much for any of us.
After some time in the wood shop and sewing room, we have managed to put things back in order – for now.
Let me explain the method to our madness.
It started by sewing a whole slew of these pick-a-boo bags. Genius idea found at make it perfect.
I knew I wasn’t going to have much time before we all went crazy, so I made mine using a slightly quicker method. Rather than sewing a contrasting strip for the casing on the top I used a basic drawstring method. Also, I used ribbon for the drawstring rather than cutting and sewing my own.
I was spitting one of these babies out every 20 minutes – when my serger cooperated any way. I was also a good girl because I used fabric from my stash and resisted the huge urge to spend more money and go buy all coordinating fabric. Christmas has a way of making me want to be a little more frugal.
These bags are great for helping tame the little toy mess. And for now, the kids are pretty good at keeping them cleaned up too.
I’m trying to drill into their little heads that they can only get one out at a time.
After they were sewn, the bags needed a home.
So I sent hubs out to build me some crates. 4 to be exact. They cost only 6 dollars in wood which I thought was great.
There is one for the living room, and one by each girlies bed. Some day I will paint or stain them, but I am being indecisive for now. We are trying to sell our house so I don’t want to decide on anything drastic yet.
I made the girls go through all their toys with me and what didn’t fit in bags or these boxes went to the donate pile. We had 4 garbage size bags to donate. It feels almost as good as loosing weight.
Feels great to be organized.
Hi, I stumbled across your blog via pinterest (can't even remember what the original pin was) and have been enjoying looking through all the wonderful eye candy here! I love those crates…they look like they are the perfect size for coralling toys. Did your husband use plans from somewhere? I'm going to suggest that my hubby makes a couple.:) Thanks!<br /><br />Cindy
Love your organizational things…and the baby doll in the crate…the real one…is precious.<br /><br />Kimmie<br />mama to 8<br />one homemade and 7 adopted
Yay, for organization…I need to take a cue from you. Love those dolls, too…so cute! =)<br /><a href="http://kristinaclemens.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Kristina J.</a>
Hey great minds think alike! Just whipped some of these up myself!
What a great idea. I have some extra fabric and such, I think I have a weekend project!
I call the weeding you did a "space budget." I find they really help getting me to realize that storing all the stuff costs both time & money. We're not trying to sell our house, which must make this necessary. Good for you!<br /><br />Love the different fabrics on those bags. If I could sew even a little . . . I might just get brave later this year and try to make a few. <br />
Those crates and bags are lovely. What a great organizing team! And kudos for donating so much stuff, that is a refreshing example.
Those bags are a great idea and your husband did a super job on the crates. I like them!
I saw some of those peek-a-boo bags and need to get to the store for some vinyl to make some. Your post as further inspired me.<br /><br />And your picture are delightful! Great projects and great photography to match.
Love it! At Christmas we only had one little girl, two days later our second girlie was born! Already the hubby is complaining about all the toys littering the living room! I'm gonna make him a deal that if he makes a couple of the crates I will be happy to make some of the bags (also using my scrap-stash) and then the mess will be a bit more contained! <br />Love the fact that your
totally impressed. That's a lot of bags! Our problem is getting the girls to put the stuff away, they are so good at pulling it all out :)<br />You're moving??