Playroom Storage, Pottery Barn Knockoff

If Pottery Barn were a person, we would totally be best friends.

I fell in love with the huge wall storage systems they have on their PB Kids site. The set ups they had were perfect for our bonus room/den where we would make Lucas' play area. The only problem, what I wanted would cost $1300 through Pottery Barn, not including the shipping. Whoa, hold the phone! No way was I going to be able to slide that one by the hubby. I could see it then, that look 'woman, you have got to be crazy' and then saying our then newborn did not need a $1300 storage system for his 5 toys that he had. :) Yes, he was right, but oh men; can't live with them and can't live without him... but someone's got to open the jar lids for me :).

So of course, I was bound and determined to get what I wanted at a much cheaper DIY price even if I had to cut down the tree myself and make it... ok, maybe not that far :). I researched for several months looking at drawers, organizers, cubbies from practically every store measuring out drawings in every kind of configuration I could think of. Nothing was working how I wanted it and my little storage system dream was slowly circling the drain. Finally, the heavens parted and I came across the PERFECT pieces. I found the EXACT parts I wanted, EXACT color with the EXACT measurements to fit each other. I seriously felt like I had won the lottery, felt too good to be true, but it all worked and measured perfectly.

Here are the parts used...

- Drawers are Babyletto and were purchased from Amazon at $100 each

- 16 Cubby System was purchased from Bargain Outfitters for $100

So for $300 instead of $1300, I got the wall storage system I'd been wanting. Hubby gladly put it all together for me and I was one happy wife. It looks great and fills the 10 feet high wall perfectly. Now the real trick, keeping it organized :).

This is the playroom BEFORE...

Playroom AFTER...

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Playroom Chalkboard & Numbered Hooks

As if I haven't mentioned it enough already, I love love love Pottery Barn, but not so much their prices. Yikes! While browsing through their playroom ideas, I fell in love with the little chalk boards placed on the walls and noticed they had pails hanging on the side for chalk, crayons, what not... I'm sure ours will be filled with loose toys or who knows what once the baby is up and moving. Here's the picture I fell in love with.

Of course I could have just purchased these from Pottery Barn, but why would I go and do that : ). So... another project was started.

I was determined to find these little pails and after looking at Hobby Lobby and ACMoore, I finally found them at JoAnn Fabrics, I think for maybe $2 each, if that. I intended on doing just number hooks, but while at Michaels one day, I was browsing through their dollar section and came across these perfect little wooden hooks for $1.00.

Of course I didn't just leave them like that. I whipped out the paint, mod podge and Cricut. I painted each block black. Cut numbers out with my Cricut machine and mod podged them onto the blocks.

This project really took me no longer than an hour. The paint dried quickly and the Cricut cut the numbers out in less than 1 minute. I just let them sit out overnight and that allowed the modge podge to completely dry. I couldn't be banging into the walls with nails at 10pm anyway, otherwise we'd be up with a baby the entire night... you know the saying, "if you're the one to wake him up, you're watching him"... not this momma! : )

Here's the finished product.

Chevron Painted Pillow

I've fallen in love with the new Chevron pattern floating around in the blog world and knew I would have to find some kind of project to incorporate it. First something small, those are A LOT of zig zags going on.

So I decided an accent pillow for the couch wouldn't be so scary to tackle.


I started with one white fabric square (cut in half) that I purchased at Wal-mart for under $1.00. I picked up a cheap bottle of gray paint, $2.00, while I was there also. This product is easily under $10 if you include having to purchase the stuffing, tape and brush. Super easy!

I measured the spacing between each piece of tape to 1 inch. Just use a wider ruler if you want thick stripes.

Once I got it all taped off, I dabbed on the paint pretty thick to make sure a second coat wasn't needed. If it dries too thick, then it can always be sanded down a little.

My words of wisdom, let it dry! I always jump the gun on this part and really regret it later when either the furniture, dog or I am covered in little paint streaks. It really never fails. My husband always knows when I've been working on something when he comes home to a paint crime scene.

Stuff it and sew it up!

Heres the finished product. I really LOVE this pattern and intend on trying it on our curtains in the bonus room... fingers crossed!