Kmart clearance deals

I LOVE Kmart clearance racks!!!  We scored 9 boxes of Hamburger Helper, 11 boxes of cereal, 13 boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese, 2 Betty Crocker cupcake mixes, 2 bags of Skittles, 4 boxes of Pop Tarts, 9 bottles of flavored water and a jar of salsa for a whopping $23.94.  Also purchased, but not at clearance prices, a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner.  It takes a long time to check out at Kmart, especially when they have to call for a manager override, but well worth the wait in my opinion.  My teenage son was quite pleased with the quantity of junk food coming into the house.  

I mentioned to my boy that I knew what he would be having for lunch tomorrow. The smarty pants replied "Skittles?".  No, darlin', I meant mac and cheese.  He gave me the teenager's favorite expression ... (picture the eye roll) an audible sigh with a look that says "seriously?".  At least he was wise enough to toss out a grin. I just love that kid!!

Reuse those plastic produce container

I always end up with plastic containers, no matter how hard I try not to.  It's as though they multiply in my garage while I am not looking.

As I do not wish to send them directly to the landfill, I try to come up with new ways to reuse these environmentally unfriendly stinkers.  One use, as shown above, has been to mix grout for my mosaic projects.  It is a nice sized container for small grouting jobs and has a handy dandy lid to use as a drip tray.

I have also found that the square shaped produce containers make for excellent paint trays.  One side can be used for paint while the other is used for wiping off my small paint roller.  Frequently, I mix paint colors for both large and small projects.  Considering all of the paint I use comes from the landfill paint shed, I frequently bring home paint that is not necessarily a color I would choose.  So I mix up my own.  The bowl shaped produce containers are perfect for mixing and short-term storage.  These containers certainly come in handy.

Breakfast bar makeover

We have the strangest sized breakfast bar area I have ever seen.  It is tiny, shoved into a corner and is lacking any type of ventilation.  Needless to say, when I prepare a meal in the oven, this little area gets hot. The previous homeowners decided to convert the dining area into a small bedroom and left this tiny nook as a replacement.  As a dining location, it is absolutely useless for my family.  There may only be three of us at the table most meals, but this area simply was not large enough to accommodate us.  It was time for a change.

I could have purchased lumber and built some shelving but decided to go the quick and easy way; I bought inexpensive pine shelving racks from Kmart.  They were a snap to assemble and completely finished.  No sanding, staining, painting or measuring required.  

The base unit was quick and easy.  The counter top - not so much!  I checked into Formica counter tops at the big box stores but did not care for either the colors or prices available.  It was time to get into the workshop and create a counter top of my own design.  Considering the space was small, I thought the counter would be quick and easy to assemble.  I was sadly mistaken.

I combined 1x2's and 2x3's to make the top and apparently assembled the corner incorrectly.  I know this was the wrong way to go about a corner piece because I had to keep taking things apart and reassembling. This part of the project was one BIG lesson in patience!  Never having done this before, I quickly learned how tricky corners can be.  I cut the wood with 45 degree angles, glued the pieces together and then matched the corners.  What I should have done was glue the pieces together and then cut the angles prior to assembly.  Oh well, live and learn.

Ultimately, the project was completed, albeit imperfectly.  But that is okay with me.  I learned a lot while recreating this space and now have a handy place for dishes, flatware, glasses and small appliances.  All of which was taking up too much space in my small kitchen.

Recycling plastic bags

I confess, I am cheap, cheap, cheap; there is no doubt about that!  If I can reuse an item, I will. Plastic bags, aluminum foil and wax paper are all items I reuse until they fall apart or feel greasy, whichever comes first.  Since I reuse these things, I must wash them between each use.  I am cheap but dislike funk on my food; it's just a thing with me.  Washing plastic bags is quick and easy.  Finding a place to put them while they dry is another matter altogether - until now.  Take note of the cheerful little "clothesline" I have above my kitchen sink.  It was made with the hems from three discarded t-shirts knotted together and hung between two upper cabinets.  Add a few clothespins and voila, problem solved.

Also shown in this picture is my sweet little kitchen valance.  I just love that thing!  My new valance began its journey as a drapery panel left curbside after a neighboring family moved.  It has a nice heavy weight with a pretty little pattern. I simply could not let this little gem end up at the landfill so I brought her home.  Once she was washed, it only took a few minutes with a pair of scissors and a serger sewing machine to create a brand new look over my kitchen window. There is even some fabric left over for my next brainstorm.  

Scrap wood over the range lighted shelf

I have been working on this little sweetie for two weeks!  Our over the range microwave bit the dust, again.  That was the second one to go in the past four years.  Obviously, this house is not meant to have an over the range microwave.  Either that or I am too cheap to hire another electrician to check the wiring again.

Once we removed the old microwave, I had one ugly looking area to start with.  It had potential even though I wasn't completely certain what to do with this new space.

When in doubt, build a box.  Below is a view of the scrap plywood used for the box.  It had some delightful warps but was otherwise quite sturdy.  I know because I had to stand on the silly thing to glue and screw it together.  Talk about a workout!  

The bare wood look was not for me, nor did I feel that a stain would blend well with the existing kitchen.  That left me with painting it to match the rest of the cabinets.  With free paint from the landfill, of course.  Notice how the paint really highlights the gap on the upper left side.  Ah, the joys of working with wood.  :)

I used some scrap lattice pieces to trim the edges.  

I decided to jazz up the interior with a broken glass mosaic, added a shelf and two LED light strips.  Total cost for this project = $25 for the lights.  I am one happy lady woodworker!! 

Glass mosaic aka accidental art - the final step

The final step, so to speak.  Yesterday, I completed a rounded step that had been an eyesore to me for quite some time. Today, I finished the grout and clean up for this step leading from the entryway to the "sunken" great room.  9 and 1/2 feet to be precise.  There is one more step to be dealt with but thankfully it was tiled nicely by the previous homeowners.  It can wait until my knees and back recover from these two steps. Although I am not thrilled with the amount of time it took to complete the project, I am happy with the outcome.  Not only does the mosaic cover the previously ugly steps, it also highlights the fact that there is a step present.  The glass and broken bits of mirror sparkle ever so sweetly to highlight the difference in floor levels.  

The broken glass and mirror pieces were either gifts from my mom or things I had broken.  And yes, my mother is just the type of person to keep broken bits of jadeite glass around.  And I am a hazard who has been known to break a dish as I place it in the dishwasher.  Finally, the concrete and grout were picked up at the local landfill.  When all is said and done this is another freebie project - completed!

Scrap wood and metal pipe towel bars

Originally, my boy's restroom came equipped with a flimsy aluminum towel bar placed awkwardly in the middle of a very long wall.  It was inconvenient to reach either from the shower or the sink.  And, as I mentioned, it was flimsy so it came off the wall more than once.  All of these factors led to a need for the momma (me) to fix it.  

Thankfully, my Dad is a lifelong woodworker and has taught me a thing or two through the years.  :)  Out came the tools, the wood, and some creativity.  Truth be told, I did shop for a replacement towel bar or rack but found nothing I loved.  So I made my own.

The towel bar backs are made from oak wood which was routered around the edges and stained with a mixture of colors I had on hand.  The towel bars were created with plumbing pieces; floor flanges, elbows and threaded pipe.  Once completed, we affixed the wood pieces to the wall studs to ensure these little darlings don't fall off ever again.

My boy loves his masculine looking restroom and I love being able to create these things. Thanks Dad for the woodworking help and advice through the years!  

No sew scrap busting basket liner

Here's my little trash-to-treasure goody for the day; a basket I rescued from a future in the local landfill.  And yes, I have been known to root through a trash pile or two in my day.    The basket is a little bedraggled looking, I admit.  But with a little time and imagination can become something new and useful.  

I happen to have a LOT of scrap fabric and varied materials lying about.  That goes back to my trash treasure hunts and my mother's decision to start cleaning out her stockpiles of whatnots and goodies.

I began with a pretty piece of blue fabric and three bottom hems from t-shirts.

I cut and tied the tree t-shirt hems together and braided.

Then I tucked the fabric into the basket and wrapped the braided t-shirt hems around the top of my basket.  So far, so good!

The final step; trimming!  My little basket won't win any awards but it serves it's purpose well.  I now have a cute little basket to use for storing my crochet hooks, knitting needles and embroidery hoops.  

Ta-da!  All of my needle crafting goodies can hang out together in their new home.  Woot-woot!  Another item checked off the list in my never-ending quest to find a place for everything and have everything in its place.

Rolling Kitchen Cart

Thanks to my Dad for helping with the construction and design of my swanky, rolling kitchen cart.  Not only am I able to store my potatoes and onions within easy reach, the top basket holds my kitchen towels.  I am feeling quite organized and thrifty after this project.  Aside from the tile and grout affixed to the top of the cart, and the three baskets from Dollar Tree, this project was made with free materials.

Glass Mosaic Step aka Accidental Art

Played Cinderella today by spending hours on my hands and knees grouting a curved step. The only thing missing was the grouchy witch standing over my shoulder supervising my work.  Our little rescue dog took  that job instead. After more than a year looking at a lumpy, bare concrete facing, I finally figured out what to do with the step leading to the kitchen.  By using bits of broken glass and mirror, I transformed an ugly awkward step into something with a little sparkle!  Of course, the free concrete and grout picked up from the local landfill also helped the project along.  I just love completing projects that tickle my imagination.