Saturday 29 September 2012

A home for my "Bits 'n Bobs"

Hello GORGEOUS people!!! I do hope your all doing marvelously?!
I'm awfully excited by the fact that I've reached the 1000 subscribers mark. I remember not long ago when there were just 12 of you faithfully following my crafty endeavours!
A MASSIVE thank you to each end every one of you! You encourage me daily with your lovely comments, it really means the world to me :-)

Over the past few weeks I've been having a major sort out of my apartment. I've been ruthless to say the least! I've taken many many bags full of clothing and household bits and bobs to the local charity shops. I've given the apartment a fresh coat of paint, old pictures have come down and new pictures are going up.
I've even sorted out my yarn collection!!! I filled box upon box with yarn I'd been stashing. I sent some of the yarn to a couple of ladies I'd messaged through facebook and the rest went to charities that make clothing and blankets for people in need. I now only have the yarn from my current WIP blanket and a couple of spools that I bought at the yarn factory sale earlier in the year. I am virtually stash free...and it feels good!

Even though I've sorted everything out, there are still some things that clutter up the place. Little things that are needed, but don't really have a home. With that in mind I decided to use some of the old boxes I'd saved from Christmas, plus a treasure chest (4 euros from the craft store) as new and fancy storage boxes.




I'd seen some gorgeous gift boxes in a local store. They were covered in vintage fabric and looked really quaint. The problem was they were VERY pricey! Solution: I decided that I'd make my own version with some of the vintage style fabric I had at home, plus a couple of extra pieces I bought in the city.
Here's the fabric I decided to use for my 'bits 'n bobs' box makeover:





What do you think? I'm loving this style of fabric, I find it very 'dolls house'. Super cute and a little kitschy.

With my fabric at hand, a nice milky coffee and my favourite tunes playing, I got to work on my boxes.
I simply spread a nice thick layer of hobby glue on the surface of the box and then covered the boxes with the fabric. It felt a little like I was wrapping Christmas presents.
I really had a lovely afternoon creating a lot crafty chaos and singing along to my music.





Here's what I came up with:

I'm really happy with how they turned out!!! Something pretty to hide ugly bits and pieces in.
I was so happy in fact, that I decided to also cover the boxes that I keep all of my "boring' papers in. Not so boring any more!!!






My newly decorated boxes are going on my bookshelf. Organised and pretty, Who'd have thought?!





An inexpensive makeover and it really works wonders to hide clutter in a fun way. Why not give it a try? Maybe buy some fabric and go a little crazy in your office area? I'm sure many of your husbands/ partners would love that!!! :-)

Have a fun filled weekend!!
Matt xxx
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41 comments:

  1. Really clever and nice!! my compliments!!
    happy weekend, xxx Alessandra

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  2. Wow! I love these! Such a good idea! I will definitely try this! Thanks for sharing, love your blog :)

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  3. They look wonderful! You seem to have managed the corners very neatly too!AriadnefromGreece!

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  4. Matt, the boxes turned out awesomely stylish!great thought to use fabrics to decorate them. have a great weekend in your renewed apartment:)

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  5. Verty smart, and how do you know I am surrounded by so much mess?! I covered an old wooden box that my great aunt gave me when I was about 15, with all her embroidery thrads in, muddled, I still have it and still untangle a piece of thread every now and then. I lined the inside using cereal box card, a very thin foam and then tightly wrapping and gluing the fabric over after sewing pockets onto it. Fiona

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  6. Nice to read so many enthusiastic things! Love the boxes and the fabric! You did a great job! Cleaning up after breaking up sounds familiar! Well done. Gives space in you're head and house! Have a nice weekend!

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  7. Love those boxes Matt, I'm busy saving washing tablet boxes which fit perfectly into one of my crafting drawers when I have enough I shall be covering them in some jolly fabrics! Enjoy your weekend.

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  8. cute..cute..cute! love the boxes but more I love your style of photographs, bye bye from the Netherlands

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  9. I love what you have done to make things individual and your own. Well done. I am encouraged to get out of my rut and do something. Thank you.

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  10. Hi Matt, My friend Tracy was one of the ladies you gifted yarn to. What a nice man you are. I thought that was such a nice thing. I am so happy that you seem to have perked up. Everyone out here in cyberland loves you. I always look forward to seeing your creations. Starting over stash free sounds fun too. Yay for Matt. XOXO

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  11. Those boxes are soooo beautiful! I love the fabric, it is just perfect!
    Reorganising the house. It is something I also should do. I have lots of things I don't use anymore. Good idea to bring it to charity organisations. I'll keep that in mind. But my yarn stash stays here. All those lovely blankets and shawls I have in mind, I'm really planning on making them some day...

    Love, Liz.

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  12. Very pretty :) Thanks for the idea - too bad the fabric market was last weekend so now IÄve gotta wait for the next one...

    Do you know any charity places in Hamburg where I can give part of my stash to? I have sorted out lots of it, but don't know what to do with it. Donating it to charity is a good idea indeed!

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  13. Recently I lined some boxes with fabric too, and I love them. Yours are wonderfuk!!! Very cool fabrics

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  14. What a great and beautiful idea! I think everything that is boring and ugly in the house should be covered with some sort of crafty fiber. Thanks for the inspiration.
    Hugs and love!

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  15. Did you say stash free?!!! Wahhhh! I just shudder at the thought. I would love a clean and tidy living space though...I need to make a little connection there! xxx

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  16. Hi Matt! Welcome back! Your creative projects give me the well needed kick in my math mind to keep things light and flowing in my own little world. Fabulous boxes! And I agree, your corners are phenomenal! (How did you do that?)

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  17. Hi Matt.
    Looks really good!
    I am working on a treasure chest just like that one, but it's going to be a... well treasure chest =)
    I have stained it with coffee and distressed the corners, it just needs varnish now. I will have to get another one for my threads!

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  18. Your storage boxes look fabulous! AND you can recover them as your taste in colors and patterns change which is always fun. You're a brave soul - I definitely would not be courageous enough to kick my stash to the curb and start over - I don't care what they say, I'm taking it all with me. Great job making everything your own space - life gets easier with time as the pain gets a little further in the past, and I'm glad to read that work is helping by keeping you busy. Always love the inspirations I get when I read your newest blog writings so don't get too busy for us!

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  19. Beautiful!!! You've just stopped me from tossing out some shoe-boxes that would work well for this project.

    I also love that you're started afresh. A cleansing of sorts! Awesome job!!!

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  20. What a great idea to have such a big sort out. Its a good way to energise I think. I love the fabric; I always like 'doll's house' patterns. You are very brave to get rid of your stash - I am not sure ican be parted from mine!! Lily. xxx

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  21. Hi Matt

    Only just found your blog - it's fabulous!

    Love your crafty projects and can't wait to read more.

    Claire

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  22. Ficou ótimo, Matt! Lindos organizadores!
    Esta idéia é realmente maravilhosa!

    Abraços,
    Fabiana.

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  23. Those boxes look fantastic, such a lift of colour AND they are useful!!
    Excellent Matt ☺☺ My stash is growing......

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  24. Hii Matt.... I love your blog.
    My english not good,
    I hope next year little better than more understand.
    And you job its Beautiful....
    I`m from Turkey.... bye byee

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  25. I love this idea. It's stashbusty too for those of us with tons of fabric scraps and fat quarters we can't find a quilt for. :)

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  26. Hi Matt,

    I think it is quite courages to pick up your life and make your appartment your own again! It's a step! and you have made it with creative goodness!!!
    I think it really turned out beautifully!!!
    I will be busy next week, i am sure of it,.. to the local fabric's market and off i go,...thank you!

    Hedwig

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  27. Hi Matt! Wow, I just love what you did with those boxes, so attractive! Reminds me of the vintage hat boxes in the olden days. I need to try to organize my stuff too.. it's rather a disaster in my "office". ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  28. Out with the old and in with the new ♥ Nice job on recovering the boxes. I have to organise a fabric decoupage session with my crafting ladies, I plan to cover some old bits of wooden furniture that I've pick up at op shops(charity shops) I might suggest to any of the ladies who are stuck for a project that a simple box could be the answer! Nice one Matt. ♥

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  29. what a makeover! the boxes look gorgeous!

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  30. I really liked your blog, appreciate the great information...Thanks sell my apartment

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  31. brilliant! you're always so inspiring. :)

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  32. They look fab!

    Stash free - blimey, I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say I'm in awe!

    Finally - an excuse to buy some fat-quarters that always look so tempting!

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  33. Your boxes look great Matt I love them. Wow stash free I'm impressed. Have a great week Joanna xx

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  34. Oh I love the boxes, playing with fabric is awesome! I wish I had the willpower to destash my craft room, it's just too overwhelming! Happy crafting to you! Kelli..

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  35. Pati from lOndon2 October 2012 at 17:03

    Matt, glad to see that you seem in much better spirits than in your previous post. Once again, you've done something gorgeous!! You are very inspirational!! Love from London, Pati x

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  36. Hello dear Matt, So good to see that you are cheerful and creative again. could not resist the urge to do some of these boxes myself and here is my attempt at adding some color and life into my home!

    http://diapermum.blogspot.hk/2012/10/for-love-of-fabric.html

    Keep smiling, keep crafting!

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  37. Wow, they look absolutely gorgeous! You really have an eye for colour and design. I'm feeling all inspired now - and I'm scanning the house for things that need covering!

    Have a fab weekend.
    Leah

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  38. Of course, being stash free just means you now need to get more yarn. Oh come on, you know you want to! Maybe I just need you to so I can have a virtual yarn spree ;) I always love your pictures - they are so bright and colorful!

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  39. This looks great!! Just read your other post, I am SO sorry about you and D :'( but I am sure you will be wonderfully happy again. And congratulations on your new dancing part, that's MASSIVE! I also think you need some new yarn. Go on, you knów you want to!!
    Have a fab weekend,
    Esther.

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  40. Oh please come down to South Africa - there's a whole study/home office awaiting! While you fly, I'll get boxes and fabric and coffee and what not, and then we can sort the clutter :-)

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