Our cabin came with a medium-ish sized dresser in the bedroom. It’s about 3.5′ tall and 2′ wide. The drawers were pretty shallow, which could be a good thing. Except that we’re just not big fans of dressers. We’ve found that if we have to go through the very laborious task of pulling a drawer out, we’re just not very likely to use it, or keep them neat if and when we do use them.

Okay, apparently we’re lazy. BUT I do still very much prefer to keep cleaning up after ourselves as easy as humanly possible so we can spend more time doing more fun productive things.

To make this particular dresser worse than most though, was that it had been sloppily painted several times, so all of the drawers stuck and went all wonky every time we tried to use it. So I gave up and it sat there empty for months.

In the meantime, I had been trying forever to come up with shoe storage ideas for our shoes, which had just been sitting randomly and inconveniently on the floor.

Then came my idea for a free shoe cabinet: take the useless dresser, remove the drawers and use the base of each drawer as a shelf to fill in the hole that was left behind under each drawer and store the shoes in there until we get to a permanent solution.

The cool thing about this project is that it doesn’t have to be temporary! If you get the dresser you want and have the space for it, this would be a great permanent shoe shelf/cabinet…and no one would know it was a DIY. In fact, even a cheap dresser could potentially look pretty custom.

So!

What do do with the rest of the dresser parts

You’ll now have a pile of bottomless drawers. You can just toss them in a burn pile (if they’re solid, unpainted wood). Or if you like doing small projects like I do, you can disassemble them for use elsewhere. Personally, I’m thinking picture rails or shallow wall shelves for the bathroom or kitchen.

You may also have a pile of handles or knobs you could give a makeover to and use elsewhere. Spray paint can work wonders on knobs. If not, I’ve always been able to find a customer for things like this on FB Marketplace, listed for free (or if you paid for your dresser, maybe you can recoup some of the money by charging for the knobs?).

If you try it, please share below, we’d love to hear about it!

The post DIY Shoe Cabinet – For Free in Under 10 Minutes appeared first on Little Victorian.

One of the projects we wanted to tackle for our dining room in the $100 Room Challenge was an upgraded dog gate. It wasn’t super high on the list of priorities, but it all just came together for only $3.75 so I couldn’t resist.

Update: I’ve gotten a couple irate comments on Pinterest over this gate (even an accusation that I created this so I could laugh when strangers children fell and injured themselves). People claimed that their dogs and/or children would climb it. First: if it’s not for you, you don’t have to do it! Second: we are dog sitters and had dozens of dogs of all ages and sizes while we had this gate and NOT ONE tried to climb it. Two of them put their front paws on top…and nothing happened. Third: if you have trouble with your child, you should clearly consider other options. Everyone else: please enjoy this very easy, cheap, and effective project.

We have a nice little entryway at the front door, but with the dog boarding business, we need a way to keep dogs back and safely inside when the front door is opened.

We have a really nice, fancy baby gate set up, but there are three annoyances with it:

1. A lot of people trip over it coming or going because it has a bottom piece that you don’t really notice, which is terrible (and the most important annoyance).
2. Guests also always have to ask how to get out, which is also silly to have to do, and unfortunately, they often get a little embarrassed.
3. It’s not pretty.
   I actually didn’t even notice how unattractive it was until I was taking the “before” picture for the challenge.

Here is the previous one:

And now:

As I like to do when I need to decorate on a budget, I started the project by browsing Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for free items. Usually I’m looking for things that could be given a cheap makeover, or taken apart for parts to build something else.

Knowing we wanted to DIY a gate, all I saw when I came across a free crib were tons of free gate parts.

This was the crib (originally):

We picked up it, and were super excited when we got home to find out that the side pieces were the perfect size for our doorways! We actually didn’t even have to take it apart for parts, just add hinges and a door latch. (I did trim down the two side pieces on top because they were too tall.)

So project breakdown for the new gate:

• Crib (FREE)
  If we needed to at this point, we would have cut down the parts to fit the doorway, or built it from scratch using the parts.
• Spray paint (FREE)
  We had white spray paint on hand. It wasn’t necessarily needed, it was a nice color, but this one had stickers that just would not come off cleanly, so it needed to be re-finished.
• Two hinges ($2.75 at Home Depot–similar here)
• One door latch ($1 at Home Depot —similar here)

A bonus of getting the whole crib is that we now also have a (free) headboard for our guest bed, another side piece that we’ll eventually use to add another matching gate to the hallway, and the whole front panel, which we’re not sure how we’ll use yet, but we’ll figure something out.

Oh, and if you happen to find a free or cheap crib online, many of them come with mattresses included, which make perfect large dog beds.

Here is a picture with the other side of the crib for reference. The left is the part “before.” So we just turned it on it’s side, trimmed the new “top” down and removed the drawer slide.

Another unexpected bonus is that the Roomba can now also vacuum the entryway. Which is very exciting for me.

Other updates we’ve made to the room so far are actual curtains(!) (also from FB Marketplace for $10), and we swapped out the light fixture.

The light fixture we had purchased a year-and-a-half ago for the family room and didn’t end up using it because the light it gave off wasn’t enough for the room, so it’s been sitting in a closet for all that time. (It’s this one from IKEA.)

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Sometime around 2 years ago, I picked up two pretty little Moroccan lanterns for $15 each from Home Goods.  I had visions of them being real, hanging lights instead of just candle holders.

I’m not entirely sure, but I think I originally wanted them to be in the bathroom over the sinks.  (Since we’ll be moving, I’m glad we didn’t end up hardwiring them in there.)  I started waffling around a year ago and wanted them in the bedroom instead.  Regardless, that’s where they are now!

You might remember my post about how to turn a plug-in light into a hardwired one.  We used the $5 IKEA Hemma cord set as usual to turn these candle lanterns into actual pendants.  It was as simple as drilling a hole in the top of the lantern for the cord to fit through, and then snipping the plug end off so the cord can be threaded through the hole.

To hardwire the light, that’s all you’ll need to do, you have yourself a pretty Moroccan pendant for $20.  If we weren’t moving, I would have hardwired these lights into the bedroom ceiling, but because I want to take them with me (and I don’t know if they’ll be the next owner’s taste), we turned them back into plug-in lights by just putting the plugs back on.  We also added switches to the cords so we could turn them off without unplugging them.

I also picked up the chain at the home improvement store.  The shape of this chain was perfect, but it was BRIGHT brass-colored, so I did a couple very light coats of dark brown spray paint.  I didn’t want to cover the color, I just wanted to add spots of the brown to make it look old like the lanterns.  It worked pretty well!  The chain was under $1 a foot.

The shadows they cast on the walls and ceiling are really pretty.

I went to look for a similar lantern to link to, but there were SO MANY lanterns that would make gorgeous hanging lights that I put together several that would work well.  They are all under $20.  Now I want more of them.

(Affiliate links above)

PS: You may have noticed by the Instagram feed over there –> that we’re off at some beautiful place.  We are (or will be soon, as I’m writing this before we leave) on an amazing trip.  Ireland, Switzerland, and France more specifically.  (And please don’t worry about any lack of character on our part–this trip was saved for, planned and paid for in-full before the Hubs lost his job.)

One thing I (mostly) finished before we left was a simple change in the kitchen that made a huge difference.  Come back next Monday to check it out!

The post Turning Moroccan lanterns into hanging bedside lamps appeared first on Little Victorian.

In my last post about our situation, selling the house was a possibility.  Now it’s pretty much a sure thing.  I’ll talk more about it in the coming weeks.  But for now, I’m going to show you our bedroom decor progress.  It’s not at all what I wanted for the space…my taste is too specific and I’m decorating for the general public now.  Starting with a really easy DIY headboard.

I’ve been on the look-out for the perfect headboard for quite some time.  And I haven’t found a thing.  Right now, that’s okay with me though–it’s one less thing we’ll have to move.

This week, I came up with a temporary faux DIY headboard just to make the bedroom look finished and well-staged.  Of course, this could work as a permanent faux headboard too, if it’s the look you’re going for.

Technically, it’s actually no work at all: just buy it and set it behind your bed.

So, it only cost $36.  It’s a desktop from IKEA.  I didn’t even have to do any installation! It’s a cheap and easy DIY headboard. I would like it higher though, so we’ll see if there is some simple way I can raise it up without putting big holes in the wall.  (I’m thinking several of the velcro Command Strips?)

Queen size beds are 5 feet wide, which makes finding faux headboards pretty easy, just grab anything that’s 5′ across (which is the standard width of a desk).

The other update in the room are nightstands.  I had planned to do simple wall-shelves. But because of the fact that we built the open closet, we know prospective buyers are going to need to see some closed storage.  Apparently, we have simplified so much that we now have to buy furniture to try to sell the house. 

They are the IKEA Rast dressers.  It was SO HARD not to hack them, they are so simple and full of possibilities.  But I’m in a hurry to get the rooms finished, so I just stained them black and put different knobs on them.

Up next are bedside lamps that I made probably a year ago now, but had yet to set up, side-table styling and pillow covers.

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We seriously needed to update the bathroom vanity. It had been bothering me for quite a while…the bathroom was the first room we started remodeling when we moved in, and we went with a sink set from IKEA. 

They don’t sell it anymore, but it was everything you needed: sink base, sinks, faucets, and a great big mirror/shelf unit, and it was really inexpensive.  So that’s what we got.

I changed out the handles a while back, and while it helped, I still was dissatisfied with the look of the cabinet as a whole.  So I did this:

Just adding simple trim to the front was a serious update for the vanity.

This is how it was before:

The trim was made with 1/4″ x 2″ poplar trim pieces from the home improvement store.  The pieces were measured, and each end was cut at a 45-degree angle for a more professional look.  The cuts were made with a small miter box.

If you have a miter saw (highly recommend this one if you’re doing small projects), that is the best and fastest way to cut the pieces. If not, a miter box makes it quicker and easier.

Make the cuts one at a time to be sure they all fit snugly.  To make sure I had the proper lengths, I held each piece in its place on the vanity with double-sided tape after I cut them. 

Once they were all good, I removed them one-by-one and put them back up with super-strength glue.

After applying the glue, just press hard down the board to make sure the glue is spread out and it will be a tight fit. Hold for about 30 seconds.

After gluing the trim on, caulk all the seams and corners, and then fill any holes left from previous handles or knobs. 

Since this vanity is laminate, it got 2 coats of primer.  Then paint.  Then the handles.  And now we like it much better.

The handles got moved up to fit on top of the new trim.

The trim pieces only cost $12, and the quart of paint cost $10, so it was a really inexpensive vanity update too. (The handles were purchased previously, for just a few dollars from IKEA.)

Print

Add shaker trim to cheap bathroom vanity

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Dry time 1 day day

Total Time 1 day day 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cost $22

Equipment

• 1/4" x 2" poplar trim pieces Measure for the lengths you need
• Miter box If not using a miter saw
• Construction glue
• Paintable caulk
• Wood filler

Instructions

• Remove handles/pulls/knobs from your vanity.
• Measure your trim boards. The easiest way is to line up each piece where it will go on the cabinet, starting in one corner, then make a pencil mark on the back where it overhangs so you know where to cut it off. Do that for each piece now.
• Using the miter box (or a miter saw if you have one), cut the corners of each piece at a 45 degree angle.
• Use construction glue to glue each piece of trim to the face of the drawers or doors, following the instructions for your glue.
• Use wood filler to fill in any holes from the previous hardware (if applicablle).
• Using paintable caulk, put a thin bead of caulk everywhere the new trim pieces meet the door/drawer. (So, along each edge.) Dip your finger in water and smooth out the bead of caulk. Let it dry according to the package instructions.
• Prime and paint your cabinet as needed. If it's laminate, I recommend 2 coats of primer.
• Add new pulls/knobs/handles.

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The post Easy Shaker Trim to Update a Cheap Bathroom Cabinet appeared first on Little Victorian.

Back when I had the Etsy shop, I had to store shipping supplies in my little office.  To store those boxes and such, I hung 3 of IKEAs ($4!) metal napkin holders on the wall and put the supplies inside them.  It worked very well, but since I’m no longer selling physical products, I didn’t need the boxes any more.

This week, I finally emptied them out and filled them with things that kept cluttering my shelf.

You can go back and read the original post for more details, but it’s pretty simple: level your napkin holder on the wall and screw it into a stud!

Ever since I cleared my desk of everything but a tiny tray and my lamp, I could never go back to having anything else on my desk.  So these little wall shelves to hold my planner and papers are so helpful.  Now I just need a few cute file folders (some black and white ones to match my day planner would be nice) and it’ll be perfect.

The post Turning napkin holders into wall organizers–again appeared first on Little Victorian.

The basement makeover is coming along very well.  It’s not finished, so you can’t see the whole thing yet…we have to have the dramatic before-and-after.  But here’s a mini project I did to get everything started down there.

When we moved in, there was an old metal cabinet.  We were going to move it to a different area, but the whole bottom was rusted and it probably would have fallen apart if we tried to move it.  So we just left it there and loaded it up.  Eventually, we extended the concrete pad it was next to and moved our washer and dryer down there, so the old metal cabinet was in the perfect place to hold my laundry supplies.

Nasty, huh?  But I had an idea.  I suddenly remembered all those paint cans we were trying to get rid of.  When the Hubs saw me go to the garage and bring back paint, he came down to check on me.  I think he gets nervous sometimes when he sees me on a mission with a paint can that he doesn’t know about.

Of course, then I had to blurt out, “You’re not even going to recognize this place next time you come down.”  Crap.  Now I had to think of something amazing to do.  But, I’m glad I said that without thinking, because it gave me the idea to break out more paint cans.  And it is looking, very, very different down there now.

Anyway, I washed up the cabinet and painted it a pretty minty blue green.

It has cheered up the laundry area so much (compared to what it was) that it’s making me consider painting the washer and dryer too (like this adorableness, minus the polka-dots).  If all goes well, we’ll have a big basement reveal for you next week!

The post Basement sneak peak: the old metal cabinet appeared first on Little Victorian.

This is the little project for the living room that I mentioned breaking.  It’s a 4 foot tall dry erase board.  I broke the glass as I was preparing to hang it, so I had to go purchase another 4’ framed print just for the replacement glass.

Anyway…the Hubs and I really like having a big board to brainstorm ideas and jot notes down.  We considered turning the stair wall into a chalkboard wall, but once we put the texture on the other walls, we preferred it for that wall too.  So, to still be able to write out our ideas, and not cover up the beautiful texture, I made this dry erase board.

It really is an incredibly easy DIY.

Get an extra large picture frame (thrift store: $10-$25).  Remove the picture and the backing, leaving only the glass.  Hang it on the wall.

In our case, I painted the frame with the wall paint so it would blend in even more.

And you can see the wall texture right through it.

Just write on it with dry erase markers and wipe off with a dry cloth.

What’s your preferred method of jotting things down?  Chalkboards?  Dry erase boards?  Paper?

The post A giant, invisible dry erase board appeared first on Little Victorian.

Our real dining room is finally starting to come together.  I still need to replace the bench with a settee on one side of the dining table, but I finally got curtains, (almost) finished the chairs and replaced the lighting.

When we moved in, we had an icky (and way too small) brass and yellow glass chandelier.  I removed the globes and painted it black a few days after moving in to tide me over until I found a new one.  We finally replaced it with a DIY light last week.

I wish the pictures did it justice.  They don’t.  It’s feminine, but not as feminine as it looks in photos.  It looks like a giant snowball in person, and it adds so much fantastic texture to the room.  But then when you turn it on, not only does it still light up the room, it looks like a glowing star.  I don’t think we’ve had a single person (even guys!) visit that haven’t stared and asked about it (and even asked me to make them one).

It’s a super easy, very cheap DIY.  It takes time, but you will NOT regret it.

You’ll need:

A round paper shade (ours is 24 inches)
A cord set (or a $5 one from IKEA)
Coffee filters (about 350)
Glue gun & many sticks of hot glue (here’s a good one!)

(Affiliate links above)

We already had the shade and cord, but to buy them new from IKEA is only $9.  It takes about 350 coffee filters (I underestimated and had to go back to the store twice–when it looks like you only need about 50 more, you probably need over 100), and those cost less than $4.

It’s one of the easiest projects ever.

The shade gets heavy where you put the coffee filters, and will try to roll away as you’re working, so to get it to hold still, I made a base from a towel.  Just roll one up and then form a circle with it, then put your lantern on top. (See above picture.)

The cord set is made for plugging in, but to hardwire it (if you’re comfortable with electricity), just cut the plug off, and pull the wires apart–at that point, it will be exactly like replacing a hardwired light. (Update: I made a tutorial of turning a plug-in light into a hard-wired light.) If you don’t want to hardwire it, the cord set comes with hooks so you can plug it into a socket and hang it from anywhere.

It really doesn’t look orange at all when it is on, it just shows up that way in photos.  I’ll get this photography thing figured out someday.

If you don’t already already have the supplies, this project would cost about $14 and take about 3 hours.  I totally recommend it.

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