{charmed earth}

The Lifestyle blog of Katie Storms.: something simple, something sweet, something styled.

08 January 2010

Something Adored



Another Snow Day! It's like Christmas Vacation never really ended. And since it's just the start of the semester, I don't have any grading to catch up on. My lesson plans are pretty set, and I finished Act I of The Crucible yesterday. So what's a girl who can't buy anything new supposed to do? Create.

My friends and family tell me I'm a creative girl, and I believe them. I have beautiful handwriting. I make cards. I make Christmas ornaments. I make earrings. I make bracelets. I make fringe scarves. I scrapbook. I decoupage. I love all craft fairs. I own a sewing machine I rarely use. I take pictures. I write poetry. I am a creative girl. But I've been longing for a place to create that I don't have to clean-up every day. Prior to Christmas, when I was creating ornaments and fringe scarves, my dining room table was a complete disaster. And we ate dinner most nights using the vintage tv trays my friends Shawn and Nicole let me steal from their basement. Don't get me wrong--I love the occasional dinner with the tv, but the dining room craft table was dangerous: I spilled glue on it, I dinged it with scissors, and I was scared to death that my glue gun would burn a hole in it. Dining room table crafts just had to go.

My intention was to purchase one of those long plastic tables that folds up. I know. I can't do that now. And part of me knows that I could buy one used off of CraigsList or at Good Will or an Antique Mall, but that would involve driving in the snow. And those tables can be costly if I still want it to be cute.

Then I got to thinking...

When we moved into our charming city bungalow, the first change I made to the kitchen was tearing down the pantry door. I use the space as a China cabinet nook instead. It opened the space up, and I get to look at my beautiful dishes every day. The door was solid wood, original with the beautiful glass knob. So I stuffed it in the storage room in the basement. Yep. That's my solution--My old door is my new table. It was quite simple to create.

The Creation Process: I pulled the door out of the storage room. I stacked four plastic boxes in groups of two along the empty wall of our guest room/office (this place was being saved my my creative table already). I covered the see-through boxes with my favorite towels that I found at T.J. Maxx last summer. They are a bright paisley print, and I never wanted to use them. Now they are seen and preserved. Then I placed the door on top of the covered plastic box stacks. And Viola! My creative table. I even brought down my old drinking glasses with the Pink Care Bear, The Chipettes, and Miss Piggy to use for pen storage.

The table is already a mess because I've been spending this Friday Snow Day making earrings. But I haven't spent any money! And I've reused an old door. I think Mother Earth would approve.

2 comments:

  1. Awesome use of an old door!!! You know, if you are feeling the need to spruce up a bedroom in the future, the door works great as a headboard as well. Love what you are doing, ma'am! Kudos to you and happy snow days!

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  2. you are an inspiration to me!! There is nothing better than having a set space for crafts. I keep thinking if I have an awesome space, it will inspire me to do more creative stuff. I love that fabric too!! :)

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