Sunday, September 20, 2009

Death by Papers!

OK, so my kiddos have been back to school for only two weeks and I am already drowning in paperwork! Picture order forms, letters from teacher, school lunch schedules, the list goes on and on. So I decided that instead of a giant pile of papers in my desk, that I can't keep organized, I would redo my mudroom and make it a bit more practical.

The only purchase I made was for 1 package of cork squares from walmart that cost about $5.00. Other than that I just used what I had on hand, or already in there. As you can see it was quite a mess and not organized at all.

I decided that the cork was not very cute so I pulled out some old valance curtains that I made for our other house and reused it to cover the cork. I just hot glued it on and then nailed the squares to the wall.
Sorry for the out of focus pic, but I was in a hurry before the kiddos came home. I wanted it to be a surprise. (Just a note, the sticky squares that come with cork is useless. I use small brads and nail them up so they are more sturdy.)

Tada! I just added the cork squares and reused my existing decorations for an organized are for school bags, keys, and papers. I even scrubbed the floor and walls for a clean look. I moved the small wood table to the corner to free up walking space. It is so much better!



I decluttered the coat rack be removing coats that were not worn, or were too small. I also updated some of the decorations on the shelf for something cute to look at. There is a hook for each of my three kids, so no one can say they can't find their coat. I also added two white baskets(a set of two for $1.14 at walmart) for odds and ends like sunscreen, tape rollers, etc.

Head on over to Metamorphasis Monday for more inspiring ideas!


21 comments:

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Great idea -- I need to do this for my husbands coats and hats too!

Connie said...

That is a great redo on such a small budget. Who says you have to spend a bunch of money in order to organize. You have proven that it can be done. Great job, it looks so much more tidy.

Charlene said...

Great Job on the mud room! And believe me... we've had plenty of mud lately! Just glad to have some rain. Have a great week.

Sedona @ MyDivineDelights said...

Great job! It looks so much more functional! Way to go!!!!

Julie said...

I love the way it turned out...It is so cute...
xoxo
Julie

Beth said...

Great idea!

Anonymous said...

Such a cute job! Love the theme-
Wish I had a mud room- am trying to figure out how to make one in our tiny entry way- maybe 3 x3 then goes either down stairs to basement or up to kitchen- hum- they didn't thing about mud rooms back in the early 1900's i guess!

blessings
mary

Kammy said...

So cute and so organized !
Great job !
Kammy

Sherri said...

It's it amazing how a little organization can make something look so TOTALLY different? Great job! And an awesome 'budget' for the makeover.

Amy @ Keep'n The SunnySide said...

You rocked this Maria.. great job. Organization is key girl!

Sharlotte said...

What a great idea! I love anything for organization. It just makes finding things easier and keeps things tidy and neat. Thanks for sharing.

Martha said...

Great redo! Isn't it nice to get organized!

Susan (Between Naps On The Porch.net) said...

Looks great! Doesn't it feel wonderful to reorganize an area...I love that feeling! Were you children surprised and did they like the changes? :-)
Susan

niartist said...

Fantastic way to organize on a budget, and keep it oh so chic, too! Thanks for sharing! Artie (Niartist) Color Outside the Lines Blog

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Very clever and cute and...most importantly, organized. Great job!

Kristin said...

Excellent.

g.suzie said...

I think it's great, love how organized and neat it looks. Don't you just want to stand back and admire your work for awhile.

Cara@HomespunKitchen said...

Love how it turned out, great job!!!!!!

Blessings,
Cara

Let it Shine said...

This turned out super cute! Great job!

Your family is SO cute.

Alyshia

Anonymous said...

Great Makeover! The bandana print was perfect for the corkboard, and the decorations on the shelf look so nice with what you already had there.

Good luck keeping on top of the paperwork from school! It's not an easy job!

joyh82 said...

Wonderful! Love the makeover and the organization ideas.