The "I Desperately Need a Project" Project: Adding Some Pretty Paper to a Drawer Organizer

So yes.  You know me: I always need to have a project lined up.  With my house on the market, I'm not really able to do things I otherwise would be doing, so I've been project-deprived.  But of course sometimes I need to keep myself busy and create little things to do.

Enter today's project: prettying up the drawer divider in my bathroom vanity that holds and hides a lot of our necessities.


I need my drawers and cabinets to be organized (just check out my desk, bedroom closet, basement closet, hall closet and daughter's hair bow collection if you need proof).  A few years ago I bought a wooden kitchen cutlery organizer from Target that fit perfectly in the bottom drawer of our bathroom vanity.  I wanted to use it to keep everything tidy, and I loved that we could toss our toothpastes, shaving cream, face cleanser, etc. down there so it was easy to grab when needed but out of the way.  The only problem ... after a few years and a couple of kids, it was a little shabby looking.  Part of that was due to toothpaste gobs here and there, but I don't know ... the oak color was making me angry and sad.   Here it is:



I decided to upgrade the organizer with a little spray paint and scrapbook paper.  First step was to clean it up.  I used my favorite vinegar-based cleaner to give the organizer a quick clean.  Here it is looking much better already.


Then I took it outside, grabbed some white spray paint I had on hand and gave a few quick coats.


Once the paint was dry, I brought it inside and got out my scrapbook paper (found on sale at Michael's for 50 cents) and Mod Podge craft glue.


I cut the paper to fit in each of the bottom sections.  Next up, I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge to the bottom of the organizer and glued down the paper.  Then I did two coats of Mod Podge on top of the paper to seal it (waiting 15 minutes between each coat).  Almost done!



Once the paper part was finished, I brought it back outside and added a quick swipe of my favorite Polycrylic all over to increase its durability.

And voila!  Here it is alone and back in the drawer.



I love the fun pattern that only we will see.  I also chose it because the pattern and color will hide the toothpaste gobs and other random things that might accumulate on top.  Now that the paper is Mod-Podged (uh, is that a verb?) I can just wipe it off when it becomes a little dirty.  Yay!  Here it is with all the stuff back in.  


Anybody want to talk about project behavior today?  Are you like me and always have to have something to do or do you prefer to just take it easy?

See you swoon,



5 comments:

  1. So cute! I will need this project one day when I decide to rip out my vanity and replace it with one that has drawers!!

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  2. ModPodging is def a verb...and I always seek out projects! This is a great one, love that paper you chose!

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