New year, New you. DIY

East quick "tutorial" for the New Year (Happy New Year. It is 2015! Full disclosre, I popped the bubbly at 11:50pm.)

Bathroom toiletries are a challenge to wrangle. As a woman there are far more categories alone then there are items for a man. It can be full on war to try and organize your items. In my opinion the items you use to organize your clutter shouldnt be ugly either. I did what any woman of today would do and researched solutions on Pinterest. This is what I came up with as a best option.

To begin this project I used a Sterilite 3 drawer organization system in white. I purchased designers model antique gold spray paint from Michaels Art Supply (using a RetailMeNot 50% off coupon) as well as a matt sealer that I already had.

The first step of your project after locating the piece that you would like to spray would be to clean the surface. Although this part sucks this is going to be in the central part of your process. Next you will want to spray one coat with your gold spray. I actually used to paint the first one was actually a Krylon project paint that specifically said that it worked on plastics. It did not work for me.

What did work for me was designers blank antique gold spray paint it went on very smooth and it ended up being a better product for me. 

I also decided as sideline project to paint a metal bar chair that I had found in the refuse. You may see that in another post- I don't know you might get lucky. :p

Please ignore my icky carpets. This is where the trashcan use to sit. Post on cleaning carpet grime in the works.

Between each coat of paint actually let it dry. I may have used too many coats of paint because what I decided to do was to spray paint one layer of gold and then do a Mathe layer. Followed by a layer of gold...etc. I will say that I am happy with it. I attempted to paint the wheels but it looked like crap so I used acetone to remove the paint. I al ready see a bit of wear on the drawer track. 

we'll see over time what happens with those overall I am happy with my product.

Christmas DIY: Twine wrapped bottle

I like wine. As a result I have some pretty interesting bottles around the apartment. I usually accumulate a few with plans to "do something" with them. I go on Pinterest for ideas, don't find any I like and eventually I get tired of looking at them (and feeling like a hoarder) and they make their way to the recycling bin. Well, I'm happy to say I have finally found a project that I love! This is very easy to do and I may do a few more! I would count this project as a "win" but I also want to share some tips with you to make it an even better success for you.

For this project you will need:
Twine
Glue gun
Glue sticks (lots-if you think you have enough get more)
Glass bottle
Berries from floral department
Time

TIP: The first tip I have is on the Twine. Aside from the bottle (and time) I was able to get all my supplies from the dollar store. I purchased a 3 pack of twine from the hardware section and while it served the purpose- I paid for my frugalness in time. The Twine I picked up was very thin and sometimes had rough sections in it. I would suggest finding a thicker twine which I think would save time on this project. Because of my twine, my project took about 4 hours. I would imagine buying a better quality twine (and not getting distracted) could cut this down to 1 hour.

To begin you will need to squeeze a dab of hot glue on the mouth of the glass bottle and attach your twine end. Be careful not to burn yourself.

TIP: I have seen people use other types of glue. I prefer the hot glue because it dries quickly and spillage can be reused. If you have any glue that has squeezed through the rows of twine simply touch with the tip of your gun to smooth out or reposition your string.

Work your way down the bottle, keeping your twine tight. You do not want any gaps between each row. I chose to squeeze glue along the entire line rather than adding glue in dots. I haven't tried it the other way but I think it give you a smoother look and secures the line very well. When you are finished you can add any decoration to the front. I made my bottles to add to my Christmas display but I may want to use it after so I used a flat ornament and draped it around the neck of the bottle like a necklace. After Christmas I can easily remove the ornament and it will work year round.