Magnetic makeup storage

I have a lot of makeup. Seriously. My supply would blow any makeup artist's away. I was constantly digging through caboodles and containers of makeup, looking for one thing and discovering some things I'd forgotten I had. I needed a way to organize it all so I could see it at a glance. This is the idea I found that works best for me.

I started with an oil drip pan from Walmart at $11.97. I got a couple fabrics and a ribbon I liked, and mod podged it to the front of the oil pan.

My lovely daughter modeling the automotive department special.

A crafter's best friend!

Walmart has packs of magnets in the foam/crafting section for $5.97 a pack. (I can't remember how many come in a pack...) I got mine shown here from Hobby Lobby on sale or with coupons for about $4 for 50. I used low-temp hot glue to attach magnets to the lids or backs of my makeup, so I could view the colors inside.

Went through these things like candy, I did.

The for the smaller, light containers, which made up the majority, one magnet did it. For others, like my large powder containers, I used four, so I could ensure they held tight. If I glued one on the wrong place, I just put the whole thing in the freezer for a couple minutes, and the hot glue was a cinch to separate from the magnet and the item- then I just re-glued.

Still in the works- lots more organizing to be done!

For the thinner lip items, I got heavy-duty adhesive Velcro. I stuck the stiff side across the board, right above the ribbon. I stuck a small piece of the soft side on the back of each item, and stuck to the board. No worries about stuff falling off- I'd be more worried about the adhesive giving out than the Velcro unsticking, and the adhesive is STRONG!

And the final result:

Makeup - Level: ADDICT!

I'll admit, I originally planned on hanging this thing on the wall behind my bathroom door, but it's too wide. (In hindsight, I should have measured first... I knew as soon as I brought the oil pan home that it wasn't going to fit, but decided to continue the project, anyway.) For now, I have it against a wall in my walk-in closet. It works for me, because it's only steps from my vanity, and I can select what I need and go. As I had to explain to boyfriend, this thing was not made to take up less space than all my caboodles and containers and bags that could be stored under the sink. But that's the point! I wanted to be able to see what I had at a glance. I wanted to know what colors I already had, so I wouldn't order doubles unless I really meant to. I wanted to be organized. And it works for me!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Today, I made another batch of homemade laundry detergent. I just ran out today- though this stuff lasts for a SUPER long time, our family of five also has a LOT of laundry. Like, constant, every day, multiple times a day laundry. Even then, this stuff takes an insanely long time to use up. You only use one tablespoon per load (two if clothes need extra help...) because this stuff has no fillers like store-bought varieties.

Wonderful laundry concoction.

This is the stuff I purchased at Walmart to make it:

The loot!

A 4 lbs box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. (I got a HUGE 13 lb bag for about $7-9 at Sams Club for using around the house, and didn't have all of a 4 lb box, so I just measured out 8 1/3 cups from the two.)

A 3 lbs 7oz box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. (Found in the laundry aisle.)

A 4lbs 12oz box of Borax. (Found in the laundry aisle.)

A 17.6 oz box of Zote white soap flakes. This box is equal to two regular bars of Zote soap. You can hand-grate two pink or white Zote bars instead. If you'd like to hand-grate Fels-Naptha instead, use three bars. Though the flakes are about $.70 more expensive, I prefer them to save time and because I like the lemony scent- I don't care for the scent of Fels-Naptha or the pink Zote. (All this was found in the laundry aisle.)

A container of oxygen-powered cleanser, like the Dirty Jobs brand I used, or Oxy-Clean, etc. Some recipes I've seen call for around 4 lbs, but the container I use is 36 oz, and it did me fine last time. This is the most expensive element of this recipe.

(Optional) Last time I made this recipe, I didn't add any type of scent crystals. The clothes smelled very clean, but didn't really have much of a scent at all. Since I prefer that clean laundry scent, I decided to add some Purex Crystals to this batch. I used a small, 28 oz bottle of crystals. You could use any brand or a larger size, if desired.

My boyfriend was getting onto me because all this stuff looks EXPENSIVE! He was convinced I paid way too much- and WAY more than what I would've spent on regular store-bought detergent. This is the cost breakdown:

Borax: $3.38
Super Washing Soda: $3.24
Zote Flakes: $2.64
Dirty Jobs powder: $5.94
Purex Crystals: $4.76
Baking Soda: about $3 ($6.68 for 13.5 lbs- only 4 lbs used)

HA! So, take that, Jason! I spent just about $20 for the whole thing! (You could walk away for about $15 if you didn't add the scent crystals.)

Just open all the boxes up, pour everything together, and mix. I recommend doing this outside or in the garage, as a fine powder cloud will ensue! The first time, I mixed in an empty plastic tote bin. This time, I used an aluminum turkey fryer pot. Mix until everything's uniform and pour into a container. I got my container from Walmart in the Rubbermaid aisle the last time I made this, and it was no more than $6. I love the lid! You can open a spout to pour, or flip it up to scoop. I just store it with a tablespoon measurer inside, and open to scoop.

My awesome flip-top container.

That's it!!! At 1-2 tablespoons per load, this stuff will last a VERY LONG TIME. Well, I'm off to do laundry. Enjoy!!

On a side note, my next large purchase will be an Electrolux front-load washer and dryer set. I can't wait! Our work pants are constantly coming out missing a metal closure tab or two, boyfriend's brand new work shirts come out missing buttons, and my dryer has been known to eat a camisole strap every once in a while (like tonight!)

Cricut Cartridge Storage

I love my Cricut Expression. I don't use it as much as I'd like to, and I definitely don't use it to its extensive abilities, but I love it, nonetheless.

My pretty baby!

Now, I have a lot of cartridges for it- at 46, and counting. The problem I had with all those cartridges was organizing and storing them so I would know what I already had and where it was. (And those boxes they come in take up a lot of space!) So, I scoured the internet for the best solution that would work for me, and this is what I came up with.

My tower o' Cricut!

These containers are Snapware ribbon storage and craft storage. There's three sets there. They all snap together down the sides, so you can take each individual layer apart and move them around, or just pick up the whole tower by the handle and go. I got mine at JoAnn's and Michael's when they were on sale, or with 50% off coupons. (I can't remember exactly how much I ended up paying for each. Less than $5.)

Convenient side-snaps.

I keep my Cricut Gypsy, manuals, and spare blades, etc., in the top containers. In the 2 1/4 inch deep ones, I made separators for the cartridges with plastic canvas. There are seven dividers across the length, and four across the width. They are all 10 holes tall. I've attached pictures of each of them, so you can see exactly where each is cut to fit in the containers perfectly.

For you to count the holes!

Each container will then hold 40 cartridges.

So organized...

The containers that are 4 1/4 inch deep will each hold 15 of the books and keypads perfectly. (I put the corresponding keypad in each book between the cover and first page. They kind of cling to the slick paper and don't fall out.) If you have sample cartridges, or those that come without books, you can fit more than 15 in one box. If you don't have that many cartridges, no worries. There is a removable bar that goes across the middle of the container that is meant to hold spools of ribbon which will keep the books standing upright. I attached a tag with the name of each cartridge on the second to the last loop of the spine with colorful hair elastics, and numbered the back of each tag with a number corresponding to a number I put on each cartridge. This way, I can find them easily and put them back exactly where I got them from. Lastly, I made a sort of "catalog" listing all of my cartridges. If I'm looking for one in particular, I know exactly where to find the cartridge and corresponding book.

See the ribbon bar down the middle? Convenience!

I've seen people selling these things on eBay and Pinterest for about $30 a set. (Remember, mine is THREE sets!) You get away spending a LOT less on making these yourself, at about $6 a set and a little bit of time! Enjoy!

Why I'm starting this blog

People have been telling me for a while now that I am "crafty." I do have to say, crafting is an intense passion of mine. I love to browse the internet for basic crafting ideas, and then give them my own, special, imaginative twist. Over the years, I have made many things for many people. However, I have not kept very good documentation or photos of these things. I now have nothing to show for all the time and work I've put into my creations. I am hoping to change all of that with this blog. It is mostly for me to have a place for organizing all my projects, but the plus is that I get to share my creations and "found ideas" with a larger audience, and hopefully inspire someone else's creativity along the way. ♥