DIY Washi Table

Today I want to show you my favorite part of our Family Command Center - the Washi Table!  It's a super-easy DIY, and it adds a nice pop of color to the space.

I found this table at Target.  It's beautiful to start with, but I like color, so I wanted to tweak it a bit.

Start with various washi tapes.  I chose these colors because our Family Command Center is next to the living room, and the colors of my living room are navy blue, khaki, and red.  This color combination is a little bit bolder, but compliments the space nicely.

It's a good idea to have an idea of how you want the finished prodcut to look before you get started.  I drew mine out on a piece of paper first, and stuck little pieces of the washi tape randomly on the page until I found a combination I liked.

Once you get your rough draft complete, start rolling out the washi!  Be sure to clean the surface before you begin, though, and make sure it's nice and dry so the tape adheres.

Roll out your washi in a straight line, and allow some over-hang so you can trim it later.  If you need it, you may want to use a ruler of some other straight-edge to get your tape strips just right.

My table has a nice little space between the table top itself and the edge of the table.  I pulled out my rotary cutter, inserted it into the space and trimmed my washi.

I used my fingernail to push the ends of the tape down into the crease.  A butter knife of similar object would work just as well.

This is the longer part of the washi table.  Now it's time to go the opposite direction.

I opted for a criss-cross pattern in one corner of my table as my final design.  Notice I used different tapes for the crossed strips.  In all, I used 7 different styles of washi tape.  To make the thicker lines, I simply laid down multiple strips of tape!

Awesome, right?  :)

I added other accessories, including bins, to complete my table.  You could also dress it up with various table accessories, or use serving trays to change the function of the table (a home bar, perhaps?).

I'm thinking about doing this to my daughter's desk...hmmm....wheels are turning in my head!  What else can I washi?

There you have it - the final piece to the family command center!  You've seen the Washi Table, Chalk Chore Charts, Message Board, and Inbox/Outbox Mail Station.  On Monday, I'll show you how it all comes together to create a Family Command Center!

Proudly featured on The Washi Blog!

Marley's Monthly Moo - School Organization

I am too excited for words right now!  I am proud to introduce you to the brand spankin' new monthly feature on One Tough Mother:

My daughter Marley (nicknamed "Moo") has graciously accepted my offer to write a blog post each month! WOO HOO!!!  Each month, she'll bring you fresh new insight from the world of a 10-year old girl in 5th grade.  So, without further ado, I now present to you, the first installment in Marley's Monthly Moo!!!

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Here are some tips to help your kids stay neat and organized for the school year!

Hi, I'm Marley.  I am in the 5th grade.  And this is my first post on One Tough Mother.  I'm not very organized.  This year I found many ways to stay neat.

The last couple of years I had a binder, and I could never keep the papers together.  This year I got an accordian file.

I put the tabs in like this:

1. Homeroom - papers that go home to get signed and returned

2. Math

3. Science

4. Social Studies

5. Reading

6. Language Arts/English

7. T.A.G. - Talented And Gifted class

8. Art

9. P.E.

10. Music

11. Notebook Paper

12. Notes

13. Extra

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At my school we have homework agendas.  If your school doesn't have them they are easy to find at an office supply store.

***Note from Mom:  Marley's school gives each student an agenda for free every year and it is awesome.  If your child doesn't get one for free, it is a great idea to buy an inexpensive one for them.  Marley writes down all of her homework assignments in her agenda.  It's also an easy way for me to communicate with her teacher - they check it every morning, so I can write a note for them to see the next day!***

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I have a quiet homework station in mom's office.  It helps me concentrate.  I always have a pencil wheel, a 5th grade folder, my agenda, my homework, pencil sharpener, crayons, journals, and computer.

***Note from Mom:  Every new school year, Marley gets a new file folder to contain her take-home work that we keep after it's completed.  At the end of each semester, we go through it and weed out the trash from the papers we'll keep for her school scrapbook album.***

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Thank you for reading Marley's Monthly Moo!  Have a good school year!

~Marley~

{And thanks from her proud momma}

By the way, if you have a topic or question for Marley, please leave a comment below.  She is very excited to be a part of One Tough Mother and is willing to help you help your kids!

Project Life Tuesday {With A Twist}

Ok, confession time.  The last Project Life layout I did was the week of July 1-7.  Not even kidding.

Ya know, life gets busy, and things happen, and sometimes it's hard to keep up.  I'm scheduling time this week in the evenings and this weekend to try to get somewhat caught up, so look for a real Project Life Tuesday post hopefully next week with some groovy layouts.  ;)

For now, though, I wanted to show you some cool Project Life-related awesome-ness that I have discovered lately, as well as a run-down of all the fabulous new products to look forward to!  (You know, in case you've been living under a rock lately.)  :)

Let's get started with some freebies, shall we?!

Persnickety Prints is my go-to print shop for so many reasons.  The quality is unmatchable anywhere else, but their prices are also stellar.  It's easy to upload and order prints, and they offer more sizes than anywhere I've seen.  And, they ship quickly, which is a plus when you need your pictures yesterday so you can catch up on 2 months of Project Life layouts.  (*ahem.)

Another perk to Persnickety Prints (say that 3 times fast!) is their blog - super cool, full of freebies and super fantastic ideas.  Like the cards pictured above.  FREE printable lunchbox notes, which also happen to be sized for Project Life - 3x4.  Yep.  What's up.

Here's another fantastic set designed with Project Lifers in mind.  You can have PP print them for you on high-quality paper, or print them yourself on cardstock.  Your choice!

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If you've been around this ol' blog for a bit, you've heard me mention Plucky Momo before.  It's love, this thing I have for Emilie's creations.  Seriously.  I've purchased sets of her printables from her shop, and they are awesome (like the little beauty pictured above)!  But being the sweet wonderful person she is, Emilie also doles out lots of freebies on her blog!

Oh hello.....beautiful....

Yep.  Goodness.  I told ya.

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Besides the cuteness factor of this blog filled with loads of great ideas, Melissa also has an Etsy shop packed with greatness!  She, much like Emilie from Plucky Momo, is a sweet soul who knows the value of free.  We all like free stuff, especially when it's this cute!

Seriously cool free digital kit - LOVE!!

Any washi tape addicts out there?  (ME! ME!!!)

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Ok, now that you are fully equipped with more Project Life freebies than you can fit in your album, let's move on.  Becky introduced SO MUCH new stuff last week on her blog!  It's all so amazingly gorgeous and I'm about to break out in hives with anticipation for all this stuff.  I need a second job or something to buy everything I want.

Did you see it all?  It's spread out over the course of several blog posts on Becky Higgins' blog, so here's a brief run-through for you.  (You still need to go to her blog because she lays out all the juicy details, complete with videos and everything...cuz she's cool like that.)

Loveliness....

{The Seafoam Edition}

{The Olive Edition}

{The Baby Editions - 3 Versions}

{The Childhood Editions - 3 Versions}

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So there!  A humongous jumbo post full of Project Life goodies!  Now go play!

:)

DIY Dry Erase Calendar & Message Board

A couple of weeks ago, I guest posted on The CSI Project to show off my Family Command Center.  Last week, I shared my DIY Chalk Chore Charts with you.

Today, I've got a couple of small projects to share with you.

First up - Decorative Message Board!  This one is super easy.

I bought this Magnetic Dry Erase Board at Target.  I like the fact that it has two storage bins, as well as a strip of cork along the bottom.  I didn't like how plain it was.

A little bit of washi tape later, and it's starting to look a little bit better.

I grabbed a couple of kraft labels and clear labels to make these little Inbox/Outbox labels.  I printed the words "Inbox" and "Outbox on the clear labels first, then attached them to the kraft labels.  (I couldn't figure out the template for my kraft labels - don't judge me.)  :)

Voila!  Much better, don't you think?

Now, the second small project for you:

I opted for a dry erase planner over a large wall calendar in our space.  I have a monthly calendar in our Family Binder, so I use this for a week-at-a-glance.

I started with a frame - 11x14.  First I chose a couple of coordinating patterned papers and used double-sided tape to attach them to the backing of the frame.

I trimmed the excess with my rotary cutter.

This is what it looks like at this point.  Notice that one sheet of paper is larger - this is the side for the weekly  planner.  The smaller piece of paper on the right is for upcoming events.

I used a piece of washi tape as a dividing line of sorts to separate the two sections, then framed the whole thing.

The finished product rests on top of our table as part of our Family Command Center.

I can't even begin to tell you how much we are loving our Family Command Center and all of the little bits and pieces that go along with it.  Be sure to stop by next week for the final installment in this series, then I can show you how we put it all together!