When we moved to our new house, I was thrilled to finally have a laundry room that wasn't in a basement. Unfortunately, it was completely utilitarian and boring. It also lacked some functionality. It had a shelf that ran the entire length of the room, which was often too high for me to reach and didn't take advantage of the 10 foot height of the room at all. And let's face it, white on white on white on white is boring! So with not too much money and a little creativity, I changed my boring laundry room into something that was cheerful and comfy. Plus, it is pretty much where I spend most of my time so I may as well make it enjoyable, right?
Before: Builder white walls, less than functional shelf, cold tile floor. See how difficult it was for me to keep this place organized? Everything got shoved to the back of the shelf and then I'd need to get a stool to reach what I needed.
Boring hamper that didn't hide anything at all. Not that I don't love having our dirty underwear on display, but I wanted to go a different route!
Another shot of the main area of the room. It was just a dumping ground for anything that didn't have a home. Plus there was nowhere for me to put all the dog's stuff. Sitting on top of the dryer wasn't good, a three year old can feed the dog enough treats to make her puke. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...
After: I chose a fresh green color for the walls because I wanted the white of the cabinets and appliances to pop. The cabinets are from Ikea. Ikea is a great option for affordable cabinets. These two were $175 apiece and offer a much better way to store all my laundry and cleaning stuff that that old shelf did! Now all those things are organized and hidden from view. I also added the fun 'Laundry' letters from Hobby Lobby, an antique toy washing machine that belonged to my grandmother when she was a child, and a basket for all those lonely socks.
Here's the area above the sink. I put up a little shelf ($15 from Lowes) and put all the dog treats up high out of the reach of little hands. I also added a soap container I already had and a huge clothespin that I made in 8th grade shop class. Eventually there will also be a small drying rack from Ballard Designs, but it's backordered until February. Sigh...
And finally I replaced the old hamper with this one from Home Decorator's Collection. I had seen dozens of these for well in excess of $150, but this one was only $49. It hides all the dirty underwear, and because it's smaller it forces me to keep up on the laundry. I also added a throw rug to keep my feet warm on those cold tile floors.
So there you have it! A quick laundry room re-do. I also plan to add a countertop above the washer and dryer for a folding space, but haven't gotten to it yet. For now I'm done, and don't completely hate doing laundry anymore!
(Oh and for the record, that shelf will find a new home in the garage where it can store coolers and toys and be much more appreciated. Waste not want not!)
This was so simple to do, and I love the way that it turned out. I found this idea on pinterest here and decided that it would be a great ornament to add to a bottle of wine for our neighbors. I used music clip art instead of a book page and in about 15 minutes created this little add on to add a personal touch to a simple gift.
I love this quote and just had to have it in my house somewhere! I printed it out on my computer on card stock, distressed the edges, matted it, and framed it in an old frame that I did a really quick paint and distress job on. I can change the quote any time I want to and I think it adds a bit of whimsy to the house!
I LOVE this fringe ruler, it makes the whole process so much easier. I don't remember how much I paid for it, but you can get them at places like JoAnn's. Just line up the edge of the fabric with the length of the fringe you want to cut. I do 3 inches.
Then start tying your fringe in knots. I would suggest some music at this point, it helps the process move along. Make sure that you don't get the fringe mixed up or you may miss one. That's why I suggest laying the whole thing out and not moving it. Also, the sides will stretch when you tie them. I haven't figured out a way around this...
By removing the corner you get a nice finished look. I would suggest music.
And in about an hour you have a nice finished cozy blanket. Here's hoping that my kiddos will love their presents!
All in all a fun Monday morning. Hopefully this will become an annual tradition!
...add a little rice, stitch the opening closed, and when microwaved for 30 seconds or so these little hand warmers will keep your fingers toasty warm when slipped into your pockets on a cold day! 
I trimmed my definition to the size I wanted and got busy adding the decorative fabric. Although I have no pictures, I just basically cut four strips of fabric 3" wide and stitched them to the edges, pressing the seams open and flat when I was done. Easy peasy! Then I decided that 3" was too much, so I trimmed it down to 1".
I lined the pillow with some warm and natural batting so that my stuffing wouldn't be lumpy and came up with an adorable pillow that works great with the ones we already have! If I had it to do over again, I probably would have just used the osnaberg and omitted the accent fabric, this is cute but I like the simplicity of the plain fabric. Who knows, maybe I'll get another one done this year yet, but until then this one works just fine!
Boring hamper that didn't hide anything at all. Not that I don't love having our dirty underwear on display, but I wanted to go a different route!
Another shot of the main area of the room. It was just a dumping ground for anything that didn't have a home. Plus there was nowhere for me to put all the dog's stuff. Sitting on top of the dryer wasn't good, a three year old can feed the dog enough treats to make her puke. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...
After: I chose a fresh green color for the walls because I wanted the white of the cabinets and appliances to pop. The cabinets are from Ikea. Ikea is a great option for affordable cabinets. These two were $175 apiece and offer a much better way to store all my laundry and cleaning stuff that that old shelf did! Now all those things are organized and hidden from view. I also added the fun 'Laundry' letters from Hobby Lobby, an antique toy washing machine that belonged to my grandmother when she was a child, and a basket for all those lonely socks.
So there you have it! A quick laundry room re-do. I also plan to add a countertop above the washer and dryer for a folding space, but haven't gotten to it yet. For now I'm done, and don't completely hate doing laundry anymore!
