I love me some Niecy Nash! And let me just say, she would not be pleased with my lack of organization and my shameful clutter. Okay, maybe it’s not horrible, but definitely NOT pretty!
As Izzie and Lucy have gotten older, our collection of crayons, markers, glue, paint, coloring books, and preschool workbooks has out grown our ability to store it. So, I was forced to lock it up and make a change!
Seriously, don’t judge me…I was using a beautiful ceramic planter to hold crayons and markers. (Probably because I can’t keep plants alive, anyway).
Oh, and don’t forget my piles of crap on top of my library cabinet. (there’s more underneath, too)
Wait, bunches more on our window seat. Not real pretty, but it makes it easy for Izzie to grab some crayons and coloring books when she wants to entertain herself.
I made a quick trip out to my favorite store in the world – Target!- and found a pretty basic ClosetMaid 9 cube organizer for about $50.
Izzie was very excited to help Daddy set it up. I tried to help a few times, and Izzie said, “Mommy, Daddy and I are working on it. Space please.” LOL! She was very proud of herself and even got to help with the power tools. Lucy was NOT happy that she was also left out.
After Ethan and Izzie set it up, I went to affix the white cardboard backing and realized that, when the inserts were packaged, they were folded in half! I don’t know what ClosetMaid was thinking, but it looked really ugly.
Fortunately, it brought about a much better solution – I covered the inserts in scrapbook paper! It looks really, really cute. And it adds little pops of color and interest instead of just a plain, boring white backing.
It was really so simple, it seems silly to tell you about it. But I bought five sheets of 12×12 scrapbook paper. I used one of Izzie’s glue sticks, Elmer’s Extreme Hold, and placed a little glue in each corner.
Once the paper was laid on the insert, I used the finishing nails provided to affix the backing to the four corners and center of the cube.
In the other four cube sections, I placed Ocean Blue Fabric Drawers inside to hide all the junk I don’t want seen. hahaha
I am so organized now! And it looks fabulous!
This organization has put me on an all out mission to re-do the space into a more child friendly, casual dining room. As a result, I have done bunches of crafts and kid decor that I will post about this week. Stay tuned!
What do you think? Have you papered or spruced the back of your bookshelves?
As Always, thanks for reading!
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I love how you personalized it! Even simple ideas need to be shared. Especially, the simple ideas! So cute.
I don’t, however, get the Niecy Nash reference. Is she an organizational maven? I only know her from Dancing with the Stars. 🙂
HAHAHA, i guess i should have cited my reference…. Niecy Nash was the host of Clean House on TLC for many years and I was a big fan. Not sure if she is still hosting or even if the show is still running (we don’t get cable anymore, lol!).
Looks great, and the colors are great too. Love the jars on top. winks, jen
Thanks, Jen and thanks so much for visiting!
We have the same cubes stacked… great cheap idea to add color!
Yeah, I love those cubes! 🙂
I love the paper you used for the back! I can’t wait to see the rest of your projects!
Thanks, Kat. And thanks so much for visiting! Hope to see you back. :_
Very vibrant and happy colors! It looks good, and I’m sure it feels good to have everything organized now
Thanks so much, Trebor – and YES it feels really good to have things organized!
Oh so FABULOUS!!!
LOVE IT!!!
Thanks so much for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!
Thanks, Christine! and thanks for visiting!
Crazy, I was just staring at my daughter’s unit this morning considering doing the same thing! Crafty minds think alike!!
Hahaha Great minds! Do you guys end up doing it?
Love the final product! The macaroni jars are very cool! I have the same cubbies…just might be altering them a little 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Jen and thanks for visiting! 🙂
WOW this is terrific, I will have to get hubby on this asap! We need like 7 of them though! Pinning!
What a brilliant idea Jocie! I guess we should thank Closet Maid for the tacky backs, huh?
It is sad that those companies don’t ever think about the back of the cabinet. That same thing happens to me all the time, and the only thing I ever do is roll my eyes and shrug. Thanks to you, I have a better solution!
Great way to organize the kiddies and Niecy would be so proud! I have some cubes that I used in my kiddies rooms 30+ years ago, still using them in a closet….you just gave me a terrific idea on how to update them! Did you get the fabric drawers at Target too?
Thanks, Suzy! Yes, I did get the drawers at Target. I think they sell them everywhere, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they have different colors in different stores. (So glad you got my Niecy reference! heehee)
Oh to have our own house again! I cannot wait until I have a room specifically for the “playroom”. It will be so much fun to decorate with such vibrant colors! The scrapbook paper was genius!