Starlight Musings

     I "built" something.  Pardon the pic - it looks horrible!  Kinda like a proverbial red-headed stepchild - and I could only think to describe it as if a magazine file fell in love with a box and created an offspring.  But, to use another phrase, this thing has legs, if ya give it a chance and can look past this horrible cover job.        I took a granola bar box from Costco, lifted up the top to make a tall back, glued a big piece of cardboard to it and around the sides, and then covered the whole thing.  I decided against trimming the sides to allow them to offer more support to any supplies housed inside - scrapbook papers, pads, or even some albums fit nicely.  I liked how the sides seemed to almost blend into each other when they were side-by-side.  Not trimming them down could also help them stack better laying down.      - but after all that, I didn't use it as-is.  I thought I could still sha...

     A video on YouTube (Connie Stewart's craft room tour video, shown here ) inspired me to have a shelf near my craft table.      I found an unused wooden piece and put it on top of my file cabinet to see if it'd work for me.  I figured I could decide if I liked it there or if I wanted it on my table like in the video.  I've put a few things on it and now that I covered the file cabinet, I decided to fix it up as well.      It had a thin edge slightly attached with a few biscuits, so I clamped it and used wood glue.  After the glue dried, I painted it and put it back.      Hope you're doing well and hope that maybe I sparked a bit of creativity or courage in you! (on with the yammer. . .)      Years ago, while watching craft room tour videos on YouTube and trying to get inspired and figure out what to do with my craft space, I came across one tour that had a shelf on a craft table.  I was in...

     This metal piece at a Salvation Army store "leapt" out at me.  I've never seen anything like it so I didn't know what it's missing "base" was supposed to be or look like.  I had to use my very limited imagination to make it useful.      I decided to turn it into something to hold supplies, similar to a small Clip-It-Up.  I searched for some clip ideas.      At IKEA, I found these shower / curtain hooks.      I could also use the paperclip looped thru' a clothespin idea. . . I found 3 sizes, all reasonably priced at Dollar Tree and at Walmart.      Depending on what I'm hanging, I could also go with some free options by using old pencil pouches and various packaging from socks, curtains, or plastic clam shells that have the store display punch cut out. . .      Now, I needed a "base."  For height, I used a wooden dowel in a Coke bottle.  To prevent it from tipping, the ...

     I didn't take a before picture - it was ugly and I didn't have the right equipment, but I just wanted to get this done.     This is what it ended up looking like. . .      I removed the drawers, which isn't difficult - just needed to get them out of the sliding unit.  Once the drawer is opened all the way, pull more.  Some cabinets need a little jerk to go past the drawer stop, others need to be lifted a little, but not too much or the slider will come out with it.  (If the sliding unit did come out - no worries.  Still take it off the drawer and put it back because it will make things more difficult if/when you move the drawer around.)       To remove the bookplate and handle, unscrew the two screws for the handle -  you might need an allen wrench * .  That will allow a plate/cover on the inside of the drawer to be removed and expose the metal tabs to remove the bookplate.  (Yo...

     I was using a paper grocery bag to put my recycled paper -  scraps too small to do anything with, notes I didn't need anymore, small cardboard scraps I couldn't use, etc.  It was working ok for awhile, but why not improve it?      I took an old box and decoupaged for the first time.   (I like the idea of having a recycled container for the recycle bin.  It's the 3 R's all in one - reusing a box and reducing the need for a new container for the purpose of recycling.)      Who says you need to buy things to feel good about your space? - hope you're doing well and hope that maybe I sparked a bit of creativity or courage in you!      On with the yammer. . .      When my mojo dropped, I thought I should make my craft space better somehow.  When I had to use the space, I felt more drained than anything.  It wasn't inspiring me or helping me get things done.   ...

     As I posted before, I had some extra beadboard. . . and used it to make more pieces in my craft corner seem more like a matched set.      I didn't have a piece big enough to fit the whole back and didn't want to disassemble the IKEA Gnedby unit, so I just measured all the spaces and ended up doing a lot of cutting with the miter saw.  I measured things as well as I could so the grooves in the beadboard would be in the same place on all of the shelves.   (I planned a little ahead so I ended up cutting all the pieces I've used in a few projects all at once.)      For now, I've just placed the pieces in and put my supplies on the shelf.      Thanks for checking out my quick project  - hope you're doing well and hope that maybe I sparked a bit of creativity or courage in you! (on with the yammer. . .)      Sorry I didn't take a "before" pic, but it's not that different.  ...

     I had some extra beadboard from when an IKEA closet needed a stronger back. . . and a desire to use it to make pieces in my craft corner match.  I tried to plan things so I could do all my cutting for projects I've lined up all at the same time.      This project was pretty simple, but I like the results.  It was just 4-5 simple steps. 1.)  Cut beadboard to size. 2.)  Unscrewed the metal pull. 3.)  Glue beadboard in  (this time I just used good ol' Elmer's White Glue). 4.)  Re-screwed the pull back on. *5.)  I didn't cut everything "right" so the edges weren't perfect.  I used a little DryDex Spackling  (using my finger) to compensate .      I like how I didn't get the screws on the pull onto one of the grooves.    It's housing my Christmas cards, etc. so won't be used all that often. - hope you're doing well and hope that maybe I sparked a bit of creativity or ...

     I wanted to fix my paper cube.  The dividers kept shifting out of the grooves.      So, after hubs cut some wood for a project, I swiped some scrap wood and cut down to the width of the sections needed in the cube.  I painted them white with craft paint and then glued them in.      They're not the same size because the scraps weren't the same.  I just measured the width needed and moved ahead - but they're doing their job and they're keeping the dividers still.      I thought I'd share the close-up pics in case they could inspire someone.  I never really know where or when inspiration will hit me, so don't know what can or will inspire someone else. Even if these cubes aren't a solution, they could be something that sparks an idea for someone else - - hope you're doing well in these strange times!      Small project, on with the small yammer. . .     Sorry I didn...

     I've been shopping my home during our quarantine to see what isn't being used and/or what I can MacGyver into something.  I found a few wood pieces from previous projects to patch together to fix  an area I have.  While cutting a piece, I discovered it was hollow.      I had a small strip, cut an extra piece, and turned them into a pen/pencil/brush holder.  I sanded and used Gorilla Wood Glue to attach.  Painted what I could white and it was done.      Thanks for checking out my quick project.  Maybe you can find something quick to make yourself. - hope you're doing well and hope that maybe I sparked a bit of creativity or courage in you! (on with the yammer. . .)      So, if you're still reading instead of hopping somewhere else, you're either one of those people who want all the info or maybe you're one of us who has already cleaned more than you ever wanted to and/or just...