Hanging Bookshelves

We have a lot of wonderful books for the children at home, of which only some are really read and loved.  What about the other amazing books that my little ones can benefit from?  I decided that this was a case of "out of sight, out of mind."

I started searching online for children's bookshelves, the ones that showcases the cover of the books, and found that either they were too expensive or takes up too much room.  Then I started finding some wonderful DIY shelves made from fabric and curtain rods.  These were perfect.  I decided to make my own special version for my children.

For my version, I wanted a material that was clear, and hang as close to the wall as possible.  Here is the outcome:

I used vinyl for the shelf "pockets" so that books can be seen and lined the dowel pocket and back half with fabric for extra accent.  I made a hanging strip with fabric so that it lays flat against my closet door - we have very limited space! - and used 3M Command Strips for hooks.

Here is a brief summary of how everything was put together in pictures:

The whole project took me about six hours complete, and it was completely worth it.  My children are reaching for different books, they are asking us to read to them much more often, and the clutter on my their table is gone!

Such a mom win.  Feel free to share what creative win's were had, like this little monkey engaging in his book.

 

: : : Caeli & Co : : :

Magnetic Reward Board

Have you ever tried to use a reward system to motivate a child toward certain behaviors?  Getting my munchkin up in the morning and getting her to wash up was becoming more and more challenging and I thought using a reward system might be worth a try.

What I wanted to achieve was to create something that can be used over and over, and also something that my child can have fun with when getting a reward.  And I thought to myself, "What child doesn't love to play with magnets?" and so that's what I decided to make:  a magnetic reward board.

Materials used: dry-erase magnetic board, magnets (I found mine at the craft section at Walmart), Mod Podge, brush, scrapbook papers, 1" circle punch, decorative letter stickers, foam flower stickers

Coat the dry-erase board with Mod Podge, then place the scrapbook paper (design side out) over the board and smooth out.

Mod Podge the sides and adhere one side at a time to create clean corners.

Punch out the circles to be used as a "chart" and Mod Podge them onto the board.  Use decorative letter stickers (or even your beautiful handwriting) to label or personalize the board and Mod Podge any other decoration onto the it.

Coat the entire board with Mod Podge for protective finish.

 

Put the foam stickers onto the magnets for decoration and easy grabbing for little fingers.  Make sure to create more magnets than there are spaces on the chart, as small objects tend to disappear quickly in children's rooms.

Here is the finished product!

My Elsa Princess munchkin proudly showing off her completed reward board.  That means she gets to go shopping for a toy... $5 or less! =)

: : : Caeli & Co : : :

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Wishing you the jolliest of seasons and a prosperous new year!

Simple Party Details

I was privileged and honored to host my sister's bridal shower this past Saturday.  I was really wanting to reflect her lovable character and send her off into her marriage with a sweet celebration.

Small details can add so much character to a party, and here are some from the bridal shower.  With the exception of the chandelier centerpiece, these are quite simple, frugal, and can be created in a short amount of time.

MENU CARDS:  For buffet-style meal, having small menu cards can upgrade the level of elegancy.  Don't have a color printer?  Simply print in black and glue onto a folded color cardstock paper.

FAVOR NOTES:  For simple thank you notes on the party favors, use a cute-shaped puncher and "thank you" stamps.  Use different shades of the party color scheme to create a variety of colors.

COLORED PLATES:  Layer different shades of different size colored paper plates to create a faux-charger feel to the table.

CENTERPIECES:  The above centerpiece of branches was very simple.  I was able to find twigs and branches that had already fallen at a local park.  No trees were harmed in any way in this process. =)  I spray painted them silver, then hung beads and ornaments.

The centerpiece below, though it didn't cost much money, took some time and energy.  I saw some decorative cardboard chandelier ideas online and thought that it would work great as a centerpiece.  Who knew cutting an elaborate shape out of a cardboard was going to be this tough!

If you have any other great party ideas that are simple and quick (and saving money is always a plus!), feel free to share!

I heart DIY !

I love DIY, I love crafts, I love repurposing, I love this website:
diycozyhome.com

So many cool projects to try!

First Day of Preschool!

My little munchkin has officially started school!  Well, preschool, that is.

I was more nervous than anybody, including the little student herself; but I knew deep inside she'll do just fine.

Here she is on her first day of school!

I saw a picture that a friend posted of her daughter with a "first day" sign and I thought it was such a clever idea to capture this milestone.  I did some "research" aka pinterest and saw some adorable and creative ways different parents have done this, and thought to take a stab at it myself.

Here's a brief explanation of how I made the one for my daughter:
I bought the frame from Michael's for about $5 (using their 40% off coupon!), and also a poster board.

I painted the frame - super easy!  I cut the poster board to be slightly bigger than the frame opening, and had it lightly taped to the back while penciling in the words.

I stenciled the words using Martha Stewart paper stencils and a pencil.

Then I painted in the stencils.  I HIGHLY recommend using a marker instead! =)

Some of the light paint colors allowed the pencil marks to show through, so I had to neatly erase the pencil marks.  Also, the paint blobbed through to the back of the stencil, leaving a whole lot for me to clean and touch up.  This took a while.

Then I hot-glued the poster board to the back of the frame, then added some cool scrapbook stickers.  That part was super easy too.

This was a fun 1-day project to try and I loved how it came out.  I'm not sure what to do with it now that her first day is over, but hope that the pictures will leave my munchkin lots of memories to reminisce over.

: : : Caeli & Co : : :

filling in the gap

Whoa, I just noticed that I haven't posted in 2 years!

Well, since this precious boy has joined our family, time has flown by!