Worthwhile Wednesdays #54

Welcome, Welcome all to the 54th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!

Creating a Sorting Station from an Old Shutter

Hello all, Happy Monday! 

How was your weekend?

Today, I have another wonderful guest blogger 

to give us a cool DIY project.

I am so honored to have 

Melissa Massello 

from

Take it away Melissa!

I love living in small spaces, but they can be incredibly challenging for even the most modern of minimalists. My husband and I learned this firsthand when we lived in a 485-square-foot urban apartment for five years, and even though we've moved on to slightly larger living arrangements, the lessons of designing every square foot to its maximum potential have stayed with us.

Small homes are really trendy right now, especially for their combined benefits of being both economical and environmentally friendly, and with the right storage solutions they can be downright drool-worthy. The key is to look at every nook and cranny as an opportunity to create things that are at once appealing, useful, and organized. Designing for everyday needs, like a place to work or "drop zones" for keeping the detritus of daily life from becoming clutter, is key.

For years, I've been in love with the idea of turning an old shutter into a sorting area for mail and magazines, but couldn't find a good tutorial for how to keep the mail and other papers from sliding through the shutter slats. Motivated by recently becoming a homeowner, I was determined to get ship-shape (can you say housewarming party?) and decided to tackle figuring out the design myself. It worked out beautifully, and (aside from the complicated paint design) was so easy!

You can absolutely use a single color of paint, but given our lack of wall space for art in the common areas of the house, I wanted to create something that was as eye-catching as it was endlessly useful. 

For step-by-step instructions for how I created a riff on a vintage Pendleton blanket ? inspired by the current "colorblock" trend in home décor — head over to ShoestringMag.com.

It's now something that we'll treasure for years to come, keeping important documents filed instead of piled... and from being unintentionally tossed! 

I may even add a small box and some hooks on the front to corral keys, headphones, and other pocket items that seem to end up everywhere. The best part is that you can customize it to what you need for your household, which is rule number 1 of small space living!

MATERIALS

• Window shutter or shuttered closet door, in good condition.
• 5.2 mm 2 ft. x 4 ft. birch plywood, cut to size (Home Depot does this for free onsite)

• ¾ in. wire brads (or finishing nails of similar size)
• Hammer
• Sandpaper
• Primer
• Paint (BEHR Ultra samples are great)
• Assorted small paint brushes, foam sponges & small paint rollers
• Painter's tape (optional)
• Wood putty (optional)
• 

                        First: Prepare the wood

Get your shutter ready by making sure that it's scrubbed clean of any dust or dirt and dried completely. Make sure that any nicks are sanded and nail/screw holes are plugged with putty, if you like. This step is optional and purely for aesthetics—I liked the look of leaving it as-is, so everyone would know that it was re-purposed.

Once clean, measure your shutter door for the custom plywood backing. My shutter measured exactly 1 ft. wide and 79 in. high, so I had a 2 ft. x 4 ft. piece of plywood cut down 2 in. lengthwise (just to be sure it wouldn't show on the edges of the shutter, since the width was exact) and then had one of the lengths cut down to measure the exact height of the shutter, minus 1 in. So, in the end, the single sheet of plywood, originally 2 ft. wide x 4 ft. high, became two pieces: one measured 11 in. wide x 32 in. high, and the other measured 11 in. wide x 46 in. high. I lightly sanded the edges of the plywood, just to make sure there were no splinters.

Next: Prime and paint

Prime your shutter (I used an aerosol primer for even coverage of the shutter slats) and wait about an hour for it to dry. Then, paint your shutter, leaving an hour between coats, until you achieve your desired color coverage. If you're going to create a design, like the stripes on my door, use painter's tape or stencils to create straight, even lines. I found that a small angled shading brush worked best for painting the slats on the shutter door without frustration!

While your shutter is drying, preferably overnight, after your final coat, prime and paint your plywood backing on one side, if desired, using a small paint roller. When everything is coated with paint and completely dry, you're ready to assemble.

Last: Assembly

Turn your shutter over so that the painted side faces down. Place your plywood, also painted side facing down, and it line up evenly against the back of the shutter. There should be about a 1/2 in. to 1 in. allowance on all sides of the shutter. Starting with the corners, secure the plywood to the shutter with the ¾ in. wire brads or finishing nails. When all corners are secured, place a wire brad evenly between the two corners on the top, bottom, and sides. Repeat, spacing the wire brads evenly, until you have a nail about every 2 in. on all sides of the plywood backing to ensure a tight fit and that your mail won't slide through and get stuck between the pieces of wood, even if it warps slightly over time, as plywood is known to do with hot/cold or damp climates.

That's it! Your new mail sorter or "vertical drop zone" is now complete. You can either lean it up against a wall from the floor, or add a picture hanging kit (choose one appropriate for its weight with mail) to secure it to the wall.

Melissa Massello is a DIY'er who writes about her projects for 
The Home Depot. 
Melissa enjoys sharing her upcycling projects like her old-window-shutter-turned-organizer. 



Home Depot's selection of window treatments, 
including shutters, can be found online.

Thank you so much Melissa for your wonderful Shutter Sorter Project.

I will now be on the hunt, for some old shutters!

Thank you all so much for tuning in!
Until Next Time...

The Ultimate Valentines Day Gift Round-Up

Well, hello and Happy Thursday! Only one more day to go, until Friday, yay!

I'm happy enough its Thursday, because my sister is coming over for SHT (Sister Hang Time).

And we'll be brewing up some crafts you better believe it!

But for now, lets move onto the 

"Valentines Day Gift Round Up!

Lets start this round up from one of my own crafts. Remember these homemade heart bath fizzies? Well they were so easy, and cheap. Learn how to make them here.

This is such a Unique ring that Erlene from Pinterventures.

And I know I'd love it for a V-Day gift!

See how she made it here. 

Give the gift of cookies and adorable Valentines packaging.

by Dana from Chocolate and Sunshine.

This is such an adorable little gift to give a teacher, or even a Sunday School teacher.

Amy at 11 Magnolia Lane even gives out a free printable.

I want someone to make me these and give me one or two or three, ok how about a dozen of these conversation heart cheesecakes by Beth at Hungry Happenings.

How about some Allie Balm? This is a great Valentines gift for any woman, or man. Learn now I made my Homemade Lip Balm.

I don't know very many people who wouldn't enjoy a mug as a gift.

These are so cute, learn how Kim from Today's Creative Blog made these Confetti Painted Heart Mugs.

Aren't these the cutest Valentines Rainbow loom Bracelets by Kellie at Nest of Poises.

I think we just might have to make these for my daughters Valentines Gift,

We for sure have plenty of the rubber bands. 

Yum, who doesn't love Cherry pie? Ok maybe a few people. See how Jocelyn, and Kara from Caramel Potatoes made these adorable Cherry Pie Cutie Pie gifts.

These Heart Thumbprint Pendant Necklaces would be such a cute gift for a mom or grandma.

See how Cheryl from What Che Said made them.

Not so pink, but you can make it all pink and red for Valentines.

This Homemade Hand Scrub recipe is so easy!

I've seen this on Pinterest, and one day I really want to make these 

Crayon Valentine Hearts by Chef Messy.

 I love that these heart hand warmers were made from a sweater.

See how Becky at Patchwork Posses made them.

'

I love conversation hearts can you tell? And these Conversation Heart Soaps are just so cute, and I would love them as a gift, hint, hint. See how Sara from Bitz n Giggles made them.

I love to crochet, and these Handmade Mug Cozy's are easy and FUN to make. I am sure any woman would love one!

I am going to love giving these Valentines Candy Bars to my kids.

Kristyn at Lil Luna gives a free printable.

Can you say genius? These are Plantable Flower Seed Hearts. Not only is it a great gift, but what a great kids craft.See how Jennifer from Hill City Bride made these adorable hearts!

What a cute and fun gift for the kids to give out. This glitter goo

by Tonia at The Gunny Sack has such a cute presentation too!

I love making special vases. I make my mom one every year.

Learn how I made this Chalkboard Vase.

It can be for a bracelet or even a bookmark. 

I love the colors of these crochet hearts by Mommy Creations.

Simple but adorable! These Fingerprint Key Rings are sure to put a smile onany mom, grandma, or even dad and grandpa. See the tutorial here by Messy Little Monsters.

I am in love with cute Crochet Valentines Gift Bags. What a lovely way to gift a Valentines gift, and the bag is a keep sake. See how Amy from Little Doolally made them.

I'm totally making one of these not only for my table, but also as a gift for my mom. These Arranged with Love Flower Hearts are so easy to make. See the tutorial by eHow here.

Grab a few assistants and make some of these adorable Gingham Heart favor bags!See how Jamie from That's My Letter made them.

I love unique art! And while this may not seem like a gift idea, I know a few people who would love this Love Always Art by Homegrown Hospitality.

A darling gift idea for the teacher, neighbor, mom, grandma.

These Salt Dough Heat Magnets by Amy at The Connection We Share seems pretty easy!

Another cute idea to package gifts are these Heart Felt Envelopes by the Bonnie Nouvelle Blog.Her instructions are so simple!

That about wraps up my round up! Thank you bloggy crafters for all your wonderful inspiration!

Feel free to grab my button on the side bar if you want to show off your feature.

Here are few other fun Valentine Crafts...

Thanks for tuning in!

Until Next Time...