Boring Closet Turned Reading Corner

Bet you thought that Melody and I were never coming back, right? Well we aren't gone! I guess we just took a really long break after blogging every day in October. Whew. Sorry about that. But we are back now and I have a sweet little project that I did this week in the playroom where I turned this closet into something way less dungy looking.

 

A couple of weeks ago, I actually cleared out this 'packed to the max' closet and threw out a lot of random junk and found places for everything else. Then it stood empty for a little bit until I threw down a blanket, a few pillows and a massive teddy bear that Jesse gave me when we were dating (it was a random purchase). 

The yellow, chipping walls were not to my satisfactory though, so after thinking how I could transform the closet, I decided on painting. However, by the time the boys are in bed at night, I am usually not feeling the mood to crack open a can of paint. So during a naptime, I cut up a few old books that had printing defects, were doubles or were already falling apart and stuck them on the wall with painters tape. I used painter's tape so that it wouldn't pull the plaster off the walls when we want to switch it up. After I strung up a strand of twinkle lights and made a pom pom garland, I called Gavin to see his new reading corner or "hideaway" as he calls it.

I love how cheerful it is with the colourful book illustrations. Gavin loves to cuddle with his huge bear and read his favourite books. I still have plans for the plain curtain that is front of the closet, but that will come later when I have some time. 

Now that we're back, we're looking forward to Christmas! We can't wait to decorate our houses and show you different things that we have been up to. 

Getting Cozy: Creative Spaces for Kiddos

When I think about cozy spaces in a home, I don't forget about my boys. They need a place that is cozy and where they can play, read, and be creative in play and in art. Their toys and books usually spread everywhere in our home and don't just stay in the playroom, but I love that we have a space that is colourful, fun and just theirs (besides a cabinet of my craft supplies). 

I have thinking about their space again and wanting to change up a few things. My plan is to *hopefully* turn the closet that is full of random things that don't have a specific place, into a reading/hideout for the boys. To take off the doors and put up a curtain so it is easy to access and hide away. Here's hoping I can find places for all the random junk!
Since I am a planner and love to be inspired by different spaces, I've put together a few pictures of my favourite cozy places for kids to hang out and be themselves.

I think this is my absolute favourite. The teepee, bunting, and colourful rug together make a great room for kids.

via Growing Home

Here is a great example of a book nook in a closet. I love the light fixture and the shelves on the side of the wall.

via Thrifty Decor Chick

Here is another example of a great playroom with a teepee in the corner. 

via 6th Street Design School

What could be cozier than floor pillows that they can cuddle up with a book on? Or in my son's case, jump on? 

via Lauren Leonard Interiors

I can't forget about their bedrooms. Our boys don't play in their room; we keep the toys downstairs, but we have books in a bin ready to be read before bed. I want their room to be a place where they can go and feel at rest. Since that is my goal - for them to sleep!! 

via Divaani Blogit

via A Cup of Jo

via Back to Basics

To catch up on the rest of our Getting Cozy series, click the button above! 

Playroom Reveal!

I'm finally showing you the full playroom reveal today! I started this project right after Cameron was born, after I realized I never really used my craft room (I usually bring my scrapbooking supplies out to the kitchen table) and that Gavin needed a bigger space for his toys. I also really wanted a chalkboard wall. :)

So the toys and books moved into the now playroom and I got busy making it a fun place where Gavin could play, read and create.

This is the view from the entrance way. I love the bold print of the rug mixed with the cheery yellow dresser that holds my craft supplies. The rug is from our Habitat for Humanity Restore for $25. It's a great pattern, soft underfoot, and the price was too good to pass by!

The couch is perfect for reading stories, taking naps and it pulls out as a bed for guests.

Here's the view looking out to the living room. I bought the bins that are storing Gavin's toys from a thrift store for $8. It's on casters, so Gavin loves wheeling it around the house, crashing it into anything that he can. We'll see how long those casters last...

This is my favourite part of the room! The chalkboard wall! Gavin and his cousins love drawing on this wall. The picture frames help break up the black space.

And because everyone likes a good before and after, here is the progress of this room. I think it is enjoying its new role the best.

If you missed any details, you can catch up here:

A Fun Playroom

Easy Art Display 

Colour Blocked Frames 

A Feather Banner

You can also check out my PLAYROOM board on Pinterest.

Happy weekend!

A Feather Banner {DIY}

The playroom is almost completed! Ish...

A few pillows and a rug is the only thing that I'm waiting on and the rug might be a while. And so might the pillows. Who knows though! 

I did make a little feather banner that adds some colour to the room. 
Enter Dollarama and a bagful of feathers for $1. 

I don't have any pictures of me making this banner because it was hard enough sticking the needle through the spines of the feathers and keeping Gavin away from throwing the feathers all over the room, without me trying to snap a picture during all that too. 

This wasn't the easiest little DIY project that I have done lately. It was really difficult to get the needle through the spine of the feathers! (And I know that sounds really gross.) Before giving up on my idea of a feather banner though, I decided to tap each spine with a hammer to crack it a little before sticking the needle through. And it worked! 

So lesson learned. If you decide to make your own feather banner with a bagful of colourful feathers from the dollar store, tap the spines with a hammer and you will be able to thread your needle through them perfectly. 

I am loving the brightness that it adds to the room!

Colour Blocked Frames

I haven't been showing you any updates lately on the playroom (besides my inspiration wall), but that doesn't mean I haven't been working on it. Progress has been happening, even though it has been slow because of two little boys who like to spend a lot of time with their mommy. :)

So the last time I left you, I showed you some clipboard art holders for all the pretty drawings that Gavin likes to colour. 

The chalkboard wall looked like this:

 

The frames break up the black wall and provide a place for my great drawings of a dude or as Gavin calls it, "the monkey". I didn't leave the frames at plain white though. I decided to give them a little life. 

 This was super easy to do. All I did was block off two parts of the frame with painters tape. 

 Then I painted them. Easy. 

After I let them dry, I hung them back up and admired the bright green and white against the black wall. 

And to show you that true playing happens in here: 

{Playroom Progress} Easy Art Display

Gavin has been spending a lot of time in his playroom. He loves the chalkboard wall and drawing lines. Lots of lines. Although he has just started drawing circles. As he draws I can hear him say, "Aaaaa" as if he is starting to write the alphabet. Pretty cute. :)

When he's not drawing lines on the chalkboard wall or dumping all the chalk on the floor (fun times), he loves colouring on his Diego colouring sheets or on plain paper. As a proud mommy, I wanted to have a place to hang up his artwork. I had seen a couple of ideas floating around Pinterest, such as wire and clothespins, picture frames, and clipboards.

I headed off to the dollar store and bought three clipboards.

They would do their purpose, but they were too plain for my liking. I grabbed some scrapbooking paper and Modge Podge and got to work making them friendlier. (If it's possible for clipboards to be friendly...)

I don't have a step-by-step tutorial for you, because it is pretty self explanatory. I chose my paper, cut it to size, glued it on, and let them dry.

I am really happy how they turned out! I love the colours and the patterns. They are easy for me to interchange Gavin's many pieces of artwork. Just clip and go. 

One more project off my list. I still have plans to make a fun garland, find a rug, and make some pillows for the futon.

Slowly, but surely!

A Fun Playroom {In Progress}

(If you are a regular reader, you aren't going crazy. We're doing a little spring decorating over here on our little blog. Thanks for being patient as we "tweak" things here and there!)

I might have a problem with decorating. Okay, maybe not a problem. But I never seem to finish a project. Things in our home are always changing; things are moving here and there. Nothing stays the same.

That is why I am welcoming you today to step inside our new playroom, aka, the old craft room!

Yes. I changed my mind and decided to turn the craft room into a playroom for Gavin and eventually, Cameron too. Why you might ask?

Well. I never seemed to actually do any crafting in this room. I had everything set up nicely (for the most part), but I would haul my supplies out to the table and craft out where I was with Jesse and Gavin. I didn't like to be alone in that room.

I still have all my supplies in this room (as you can see on the yellow dresser), but now Gavin has his own area where he can play and be creative.

To spark some of that creativity in Gavin, I decided to make one wall a full chalkboard wall. He loves it! I was somewhat nervous about making a whole wall black, especially since I am more the light and bright type of person, but I like it!

I hung up a few empty white frames just to break up the total darkness of the wall. 

I gathered all of the children's books in our house and put them on the bookcase (from IKEA) along with my collection of Bobbsey Twin books (has anybody ever read them??) and Nancy Drew books, passed down to me from my mom. Toys and blocks went into two containers on the bottom shelf for Gavin to access them easily.

On the other side of the room, sits a futon, perfect for overnight guests and reading books. I do have a bit more work to do in this room, as you can see in this corner.

For now though, I love that Gavin has his own place to play, read, and create. Some toys do make their way out into the living room during the day, but he is very good to help clean up before bed.

Here's my list of things I still want to do:

• Find a rug 
• Make a window treatment
• Make and hang kid friendly art 
• Hang something to display Gavin's pictures (which are beautiful scribbles) 
• Recover more pillows for the futon (it's not very comfortable to sit on) 

 I realize that I haven't shown you the kids' room (it's not finished) or the coat closet (it's also not finished). Let's just say I'm keeping you in suspense...I'll finish them soon someday.

(If you want to see some of my ideas that I have been pinning for the playroom, click here.) 

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