Luckily later that night I was able to snag a few pieces to make this adorable and easy fabric banner. It was one of the projects for our craft night but I wasn’t able to make it then so I took a few minutes and made it today.

I chose fabric patterns in my favorite colors and also to match my living room.

Then I folded them in half and used my pinking shears to cut them into a pennant shape.

I think I need more of this fabric for pillows. What do you think?

Attach the pennants to the ribbon by folding over the ribbon and clipping in place with clothespins.

It is the perfect addition to my mantel and added the color I needed there. Are you ready to grab some scrap fabric and make an easy fabric banner now?

I thought I should share my April mantel before I change it out for different look.

I stuck with a lot of the same things from the Easter mantel changing out  a few and adding a few. Probably my favorite color combo ever is green and white. It just feels fresh and clean to me.

My number 1 tip on designing a mantel is layering. Even on a narrow shelf you can layer by using things such as shutters, frames, mirrors, books. My mantel is 7″ deep and yet I’m still able to fit the shutters, a couple frames, and a vase in front.

Another thing is texture. Texture makes it interesting and not flat, just like the layering.

Varying heights of items add interest too.

Another example of layering, texture, and varying height.

I’m going to be adding a little more color to the May mantel. Since I love changing my mantel so often I might change it every month this year.

Do you change your mantel often or only for the big holidays?

I love using old windows as decor in my home. They make the perfect backdrop for all sort of decorating ideas and can be all you need to fill up a wall. I love the texture and history they add to any space. The more layers of chippy paint they have the better and my favorites are the ones that have latches still attached.

See what I mean about the cool latches and chippy paint?

I added vinyl to this window in my boys bathroom. I love the size of the window and it fits perfectly on the wall over the toilet.

I started by using my Cricut to cut out the words in white contact paper and green vinyl.

Then I used a ruler to space out the words. I wasn’t too exact on the letters but they turned out really well.

It’s perfect as bathroom decor and a friendly reminder to the boys.

Here are a few more ideas I’ve used when decorating my windows.

As you can tell I love to change the look of the windows often. It’s easy to change them for any season, holiday, or whenever the mood strikes.

I first wrote this post on Organized Kids Rooms about a year ago.
I was looking through my most popular pins and it kept popping up so I thought I’d share it again.

One of the first things I do to organize my kids’ rooms is ask for their help.
If they have a say in where things are going to be stored,
they are more likely to put them back when they are finished with them.

I use a lot of vertical space in Emilee’s room since she’s a teen and can reach almost anything in her closet.
The top shelf hold things she doesn’t use often.
I have plans of lining the crates with fabric (one of those things I still need to get around too).
I use portable shelving units, which makes it easy to rearrange the closet if needs be.

You can never have too many labels, especially when it come to organizing kids.
They don’t have to be fancy or extravagant, just labeled so they know where things go.

There’s not always a lot of flat surface space so I contain and hang some of my kids’ things.
I spray painted the buckets black and added vinyl lettering.
The label doesn’t always have to reflect what’s inside the container.

Emilee has a lot of bags and hats so I made her a place to hang them.
I found an old door header and added some fun, colorful, mismatched knobs.
It’s one of my favorite pieces in her room.

Things might not always look perfect, but they’re always hung up and can be found easily.
I bought this hook for only .50 cents at a thrift store.
Being organized doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

I’m pretty sure these fabric baskets are my new favorite thing.
I love how they keep everything divided which makes it easier to find what they need.
Drawer space can be tight so purging and containing are important.

Zach loves these chalkboard labels because he can change them up whenever he needs too.
I made them using chipboard and chalkboard spray paint.

Zach has the smallest room in the house so we try to utilize as much space as possible
by storing bins under the bed and benches.
He can also use the bench to play with his Magnetics and Legos and even display his creations.

Zach’s room is too small for a dresser but he has a really large closet
so I use the portable shelving units again to store his clothes and books.
This is 4 units all together for a total cost of only $44.
When you have something this tall make sure to secure it to the wall.

He has a rod that his hang up clothes go on, but I also added these hooks to his closet for other items like;
belts, hats, pajamas, jackets, sports bags, ties, etc.
I used casing secured to the wall with liquid nails and a nail gun then just added inexpensive hooks.
My kids are way more likely to hang things up if they can just hang them on a hook.

Ammon has a small closet which is used to it’s fullest.
Shelving Units, bins, drawers, hooks, bags and a locker with shelving, all make more usable space.

One of my favorite things to do is use the back of a door for added storage.
This over-the-door shoe organizer has been on Ammon’s door for over 6 years.
It’s held up really well and we’ve even changed the labels a few times to adjust to his needs.
Action figures and trading cards seem to be the top priority right now.

All kids have little small treasures they cherish and can’t seem to part with.
My kids are no exception. Ammon has a treasure chest to hold his in.
Since it will only hold a certain amount, he has to purge often.

I made a place from Ammon to play and pretend.
We made a bunk bed into a loft bed by taking out the bottom bunk and adding some supports.
Then I sewed a paint drop cloth and hung it on a closet rod hooked under the bed.
He loves his “fort” and even sleeps in it sometimes.

Ammon loves his creative space.
A table, buckets full of supplies, a cork board and a place to hang all his masterpieces.

Since Ammon’s room has been taken over with Legos, we’ve made a few adjustments to his creative space.
I added shelves for his completed Lego creations.
He still uses the table for art and creative projects but he also uses it to build Legos.
I will be changing the table up soon (more on that to come later).

Some Legos are stored in buckets inside a drawer, some are in a carrier case
and others are in baggies filed by project.

His Lego instructions are stored in a binder.
The kids also have other things stored in binders like; art papers, trading cards, pictures.
It makes it easy for them to look through and also find what they need.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour of my kids’ room and how we organize them.
I have to admit things never stay the same. What works today might not work a year from now.
But that’s okay, adjustments have to be made and sometimes there’s a better solution.

The #1 thing in organizing kids rooms is purging.
We like to purge in the Spring and Fall and I include the kids in the process.
They like donating their good toys to someone who will enjoy playing with them.
And they’re making room for new toys which they always look forward too.

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to tour my kids’ organized spaces.

As I was packing for my weekend away at SNAP Conference I pulled out my shoe travel bags and thought there are probably quite a few of you that haven’t seen them before so I decided to share the post again. They’re perfect to help keep your suitcase organized also.

You know those fabric bags sheets come in? Don’t throw them away! Repurpose them! What do you do with your shoes in the suitcase? I’m always worried about them shifting and getting my clothing dirty or I would transport them in grocery bags. It worked but it wasn’t pretty.

I wanted to make them a little prettier so I took some fabric from my stash and cut them into 2″ strips using pinking shears to make ruffles for the bags.

To make the ruffles, just sew down the center of the fabric strip using a long stitch.

Then pull on the top thread to gather the fabric. Pulling from both ends toward the center is the fastest and easiest way to gather without breaking the thread. Thank you 7th grade sewing class, I do remember a few things.

Spread the ruffles as evenly as possible and make it the length needed, then pin it to the flap of the bag.

Sew over the gathered stitch using a regular stitch.

That’s it! I decided to use pom-pom fringe on the draw string bag instead of a fabric ruffle. I sewed it on, but it could also be glued on with fabric glue. This project was totally free using things I already had in my stash. I love that!

When you get home from a trip just throw them in the wash and they’ll be ready to go for your next trip.

Have you repurposed these bags? What did you do with them?

I’ve collected some of my favorite past Spring projects and decorating ideas to share with you all in one place. Do you still have some Spring decorating to do? What about some new projects to work on? Here are 12 Spring ideas to get you started.

Spring Mantel

May Mantel

Spring Wreath

Square Yarn Wreath

Door Decor

Framed Stamped Flowers

Flower Ball

Paper Pinwheels

Paper Pom Flowers

Pop Bottle Centerpiece

Wheat Grass and Paper Flowers

Coke Bottle Flower Vases

I hope the weather is starting to warm up in your area. If not, you can still make it feel like Spring by working on a Spring project.

There are many ways you can umph up a plain spiral notebook, I decided to use washi tape to add just the right amount of pizazz to mine this time.

I started with $1 notebook and 9 rolls of washi tape.

Add the first piece of washi tape on the outside edge of the notebook cover. Continue adding strips of tape until the front is covered. Leave about 1″ on each side to tuck around to the back side.

Tuck the ends around to the inside. They don’t have to be perfect, they’re going to be covered.

Cover the back of the notebook in the same way.

I taped the inside of the notebook going in the opposite direction on the front and the back then I trimmed around the edges to finish it off.

Did you notice I added washi tape to the pen also? I love how it turned out. Will you be making a washi tape notebook soon? I’ll be taking important notes in it next week at a Blogging Conference.

What have you washi-ed lately? Add a link in the comments if you like, so everyone can check it out.

For the whole month of April I have a Spring Cleaning Series going on over on Facebook. I hope you will be able to join me as we get our whole house spotless and ready to enjoy the warmer months. The focus was on Pantries on Thursday so we got them all cleaned, but there were questions about organizing so I thought I would address those here. I have many ideas on pantry organization. I hope you can use some of them in your home.

As with any organizing job it’s best to clear out and empty the whole area first. It will give you a chance to toss expired foods and rearrange your storage so it makes more sense. If you didn’t have a chance to clean your pantry yet, now is the perfect time.

While cleaning the pantry I discovered no amount of scrubbing was going to get the shelves clean again. The original paint was from the builder and not the best, so I decided to repaint the shelves using a better semi-gloss paint. I’ll paint the rest of the pantry next month, after I’m finished with the cleaning series.

If you have an extremely small pantry like I do, adding wire shelves could be the perfect answer. I added shelving on both side walls of the pantry, one to the top shelf and a hanging one on the bottom shelf.

Put the food you use most in the center shelves for easy access. The top shelves hold food I don’t necessarily want the kids to have access too. The 2 top shelves on the right side hold my gluten free food.

I like using containers to hold food items. It makes it easier to see what’s inside and easier to stack and store when they’re about the same size and shape. Keep like items together on the shelves to make it easy to find what you need. I made chalkboard labels a few years ago for the containers so I can change the label whenever the ingredients change.

I don’t have extra space in my pantry but I made space on the side wall for some things I need readily accessible.

Don’t forget the back of the door for more storage space. I used a shoe organizer to store spices and other small items. The clothespins are stamped with the name of what’s in each pocket. It’s hung using Command hooks.

Not bad storage for such a tiny space. Don’t crowd things too much or it will be hard to keep it neat and tidy. Each time you go shopping spend a few minutes straightening while you’re restocking. I’ll be adding more labels to share with you later.

Happy Organizing!

It’s time to start thinking about sprucing up your porch and brightening it up a bit for Spring. I made 2 mats last year out of an old black mat and a new $4 coir mat. Since they are both a little boring my first thought was to add some color by spray painting them.

I used the black scrolly one as a stencil for the other one. The paint color is Blue Hyacinth by Krylon. After 3 light coats I took the top mat off to reveal the bottom one.

I love all the detail and the great texture. This one is for the front door.

And this one is for the back door. I love my spray painted door mat, both of them!

Have you started sprucing up your porch yet?