Nifty Thrifty Girl

One of my favorite organizing tricks is to make use of the assorted glassware I’ve collected over the years. Most of these pieces were found at thrift stores, flea markets and estate sales. I’ve made a rule for myself to never pay more than $4 or $5 for a particular piece - most of them were actually found for under $2.

I use these pieces throughout my house for organizing; here are just a few tips/suggestions on how to use your collections to your advantage:

- Use small containers to organize bathroom supplies such as cotton balls, Q-tips, makeup brushes

- Use on your dresser top to organize earrings, jewelry, miscellaneous items

- Use on your desk to organize office supplies such as pens, scissors, paper clips

Put your collections to good use, get yourself organized and have fun!

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

When I couldn’t find the perfect chalk board for my kitchen I decided I would make my own. I had an idea of what I wanted, so I began searching yard sale after yard sale until I found the perfect frame. It was a mere $1.00 Yes…$1.00. I painted the frame, took a thin piece of Masonite and cut it to size, sprayed it with several coats of black chalkboard paint, and mounted it in the frame. Voila…a custom chalkboard.

I also added a piece of chalk tied to a string so it’s easily accessible for writing grocery lists.

Since we’re on the subject of chalkboards, another fun find was this Chautauqua Desk:

I found this piece at an auction for $3.00. It was in pretty rough shape and missing many parts. I was interested in the chalkboard and managed to salvage it. I put a hanger on the back and this lovely piece now hangs on my porch wall to welcome guests.

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Alright, so it’s not “that” kind of rack, but I got your attention, didn’t I? I’m not quite sure what to call this nifty project. I use it to hold my dogs’ leashes but it could be used to hold coats, purses, scarves, you name it!

Project skill level: BEGINNER

You will need:

• Old cupboard door (preferably one with inset panels)
• Large decorative hooks
• screws
• drill
• tape measure
• screw driver

Follow these directions and you’ll have it done in no time:

1. Depending on the condition of your cupboard door you may have to sand it a bit to remove any loose or chipping paint. You may also choose to paint the entire door to match your decor. I wanted mine to look “shabby” so I scraped a bit of the chipping paint and left it mostly ‘as is’.

2. First, put a hanger on the back. Use any type of hanger you’d prefer - I used picture hanger mounts on the back of mine. You could also use eye screws and picture wire.

3. Decide where you want to place the hooks - measure an equal distance between each hook, mark it with a pencil and drill a small starter hole for the screws.

4. Screw the hooks into the cupboard door.

My town has an annual spring clean up. Everyone is asked to put their unwanted household items curbside for pick up. This is a nifty thrifty girl’s dream!! You’d be amazed at all the things people throw away - perfectly good tables, antiques, shutters, etc. If you have something similar in your area, do take advantage - one girl’s trash is another girl’s treasure. I picked up the cupboard door used in this project last year. You’ll see many more of my “curbside” finds projects in the months to come!

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.