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    How to Decorate Bathroom Towels

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    Did you know that one of the most overlooked items when it comes to home decor are the towels hanging in a bathroom? When decorating a bathroom, shower curtains, bath mats, and other bath accessories get all the attention, but no more. It is time to give your plain bath towels a colorful and stylish detail.

    Table of Contents

    I will show you how to decorate plain bathroom towels that will easily add a punch of color and style where there was none before. All that you need is ribbon, scrap pieces of fabric and maybe even a pretty button or two to give your hand and bath towels the attention they deserve.

    Adding pretty ribbon or fabric trim to your bath towels and more is the one way to use unused ribbon and fabric scraps you may have stashed in a drawer in your home.

    When I started Spring cleaning the 3 bathrooms in my house last week, I took notice that the hand towels I have on the towel rings by the sinks were looking old and dingy. It was time to get a few new ones.

    I went in search for a few at HomeGoods, Target and Walmart. There wasn’t much of a selection at any of the stores so I came home empty handed.

    When this happens, I know it’s time to put on my “designer hat” to create what I envision myself using what I already own.

    With a few pieces of ribbon from my ribbon stash and leftover fabric from previous projects I was able to add some color and pattern to the hand towels I use in my home.

    Here is a plain bath towel I had with striped grosgrain ribbon added.

    I used both wired ribbon and grosgrain to embellish these two towels.

    I didn’t think the wired lavender check ribbon would work, but it worked great- even better than other ribbons I used on the bath towels.

    How to Decorate Bathroom Towels

    supplies needed:

    Ribbon or fabric – any style, even wired ribbon works. The length needed will be determined by how wide the towel is.

    Thread to match towel or ribbon/fabric

    Sewing machine or fabric glue

    Measuring tape

    Scissors

    Straight pins

    Before You Get Started

    Before beginning to embellish your bath towels with colorful ribbon and fabric make sure to wash and dry the fabric first. If the towel is new, then also wash it before proceeding. Doing this allows for shrinkage.

    What you don’t want to happen is to sew fabric onto a towel and then wash it in hot water. The fabric will shrink and look puckered. Better to wash the fabric and a new towel before adding to a towel.

    Should You Sew or Glue Fabric/Ribbon Onto Bath Towels

    There are a few options when it comes to attaching ribbon and fabric to bath towels.

    I found 6 yards of the vintage purple flower ribbon shown above at a thrift store for $1.00. At the time I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but it was too cute to pass up. It looks perfect as a decorative springtime detail for a bath towel.

    Sewing the flower ribbon on to the hand towel would have been difficult, so I opted to attach it to the towel using fabric glue. If you are not familiar with fabric glue, it works very well and can even be laundered with no problems.

    If you own a sewing machine, you can pin and sew on the ribbon and fabric embellishments to a towel.

    Fabric Glue I Recommend

    No matter if you use glue or sew the embellishment on to your bath towels, you will need the same length of ribbon or fabric. If using fabric, you get to decide how wide you want the fabric to be.

    On this towel, I cut a scrap piece of fabric to 3-inches x the width of the towel.

    I turned the edges of the fabric under and pressed them with a steam iron. Once pressed, I centered and pinned the fabric on the towel 2″ above the bottom edge of the towel.

    When using towels that have the same color as the towel woven design near the bottom edges as many do, I attached the ribbon in the center of the woven section.

    How To Finish the Ends of the Ribbon or Fabric on a Bath Towel

    I finished the ends of the attached ribbon using two different methods.

    Hem Finish – The first method was to fold the end of the ribbon under the top ribbon on top of the towel to line up with the front edge of the towel and press it to hold the fold in place. Then sew a vertical seam down the length.

    Wrap Around – The second method was to wrap about an inch of ribbon around to the back of the towel, fold the raw end under, press and sew it down.

    As another ribbon/fabric end finished option, you could add the ribbon to the back as well as the front using one long piece of ribbon. Wrap the ribbon around the entire front and back of the towel and bring the two ends of the ribbon to one back edge and sew a vertical line of stitches to finish the ends.

    What to Avoid Doing When Adding Ribbon to a Bath Towel

    Most of the ribbon and fabric I used were easy to attach to the towels. I did have a problem with this plaid ribbon though. It had a bit of stretch to it. When I sewed it on, the plaid pattern got skewed.

    The best way to avoid this from happening is to make sure to use heavier ribbon like grosgrain or even wired ribbon.

    I ended up ripping the skewed ribbon off. Since I really liked the ribbon, I decided to glue 3 lengths of it on to the white towel to add more design interest.

    5 More Bathroom Towel Decorating Ideas

    You can add the same style of detail I showed with my bath towels to other soft furnishings in your home.

    Bed pillowcase trimmed with ribbon.

    These ideas can be used on any towel, but also could be added to embellish pillows, drapery panels, a bed skirt, bed pillowcases and even to decorate your bookshelves.

    Below are 5 more embellishment ideas to inspire you that are made using ribbon and buttons.

    1. How to Make Decorative Ribbon Loop Trim

    This decorative ribbon trim is simply made by folding 4-inch or pieces of ribbon in half.

    Then pinning and sewing each loop onto a long length of ribbon to create decorative trim inexpensively. No hoity-toity passementerie needed.

    1.  Cut 4” lengths from ribbon. Fold each in half. Line them up on a long piece of ribbon that is cut to desired length needed for your project and pin the loops to the ribbon. You can stitch or use fabric glue to attach the loops to the length of ribbon.  Space evenly or overlap the loops for different looks.

    Use fabric glue or sew the looped ribbon to the edge of your project.

    Variation: Use cord and add buttons for a fun and whimsical style.

    2. How to Make Pleated Trim Using Ribbon

    This pleated ribbon trim works well on the bottom edge of a bath towel, a tablecloth, lampshade or pillow.

    1. Measure the length of trim you need for your project. Multiply that measurement by 3 and cut a piece of ribbon to that measurement.

    2. Using your hands, pleat and pin the ribbon as shown in the illustration above.  Once pinned, sew along the top edge of the ribbon on a sewing machine to hold pleats in place.

    3. Once you have the pleats sewn into place, sew or glue it to your project. You can leave the pleated trim plain or stitch or glue a little bead above each pleat. (see illustration above)

    3. How to Make Fabric Yo Yo Rosette Trim

    Fabric yo-yo rosettes add a touch of pretty when added to a length of ribbon or when sewn on separately.

    1. Cut a 3” diameter circle from fabric.

    2. Thread a needle with matching thread and knot the end. Sew around the outer edge of the circle as shown in the illustration above and then pull the thread tight. This will make the fabric bunch up and form the yo-yo. Secure the thread by making a few knots and cut the excess thread.

    3. Glue a button to the center of the gathered side of the yo-yo.

    4. Glue a yo-yo Rosette every few inches along a length of ribbon.

    5. Sew or glue the length of ribbon onto your project.

    Variation: Use wide ribbon instead of a circle of fabric to make a rosette instead of a yo-yo. Sew a line of stitches along bottom edge of ribbon. Pull taut and keep pulling until the rosette is formed. Knot thread to secure. Hot glue a button to the center.

    4. How to Make Stacked Button Tassel Trim

    You can thread a stack of buttons on thread with a knotted end at the bottom to hold the buttons on or use jewelry making endpins to create these cute little button and bead tassels.

    If using thread – leave enough thread at the top of each stack to sew onto the edge of your project.

    If using an jewelry making endpin. Create a loop with the excess wire on the top of the stack of buttons. Use thread to sew the tassel to your project.

    5. How to Make Button Ribbon Trim 

    1.  Hot glue a collection of buttons along a length of ribbon or sew each on individually spaced. Hot glue the trim to your project.

    How Would You Decorate Towels for Your Bathroom?

    The ideas in this post are only a few ways that I could think of to bring my plain bathroom towels back to life. I am sure you can think of a few other ways to easily and inexpensively decorate your bathroom towels. Let me know in the comments and I will add them to this post.

    More Bath Towel Decorating Ideas

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      in Decorating

      Home Decorating Ideas Using Old Jewelry

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      Did you know that jewelry, especially old jewelry is not just meant to be worn, it can also be used to add a touch of your personality to your home décor. Crafting with old jewelry pieces hidden away in your jewelry box repurposed into pretty home decor accents is a great way to show off your decorating style.

      That’s what I am sharing with you today, creative ways to upcycle your old jewelry and breathe new life into your existing home decor. From statement pieces to accents, get ready to instantly transform plain items with these pretty and colorful home decorating ideas.

      My latest decorating DIY all started when I brought the yellow daffodils that are blooming in my yard inside my house. I didn’t want to miss out on the cheery Spring color so I clipped a few stems and placed them in a glass vase from the dollar store on a side table in my living room.

      Then I had an idea…

      I like to see new things around my house to enliven my senses, but I also like to save money and don’t want to buy new decor as I don’t need a thing. At the same time though, I enjoy seeing something fresh and new to look at.

      I am not fussy when it comes to flower arranging. I just want to see the colorful flowers in my house and one vase filled with them wasn’t enough.

      I had a few blooms that still looked nice from a Valentine arrangement that Ed had given me. I pulled out the lavender blooms and placed them in an empty liquor bottle that I saved to repurpose into a flower vase because I liked the shape.

      Alone the flowers in these glass vessels make me happy, but was craving more color. So I headed to my craft stash to find some colorful vintage or old jewelry made with colorful beads. In less than 10 minutes I decorated my glass vases with spring color.

      Home Decor Crafting With Old Jewelry Ideas

      I used to make and sell bracelets using old jewelry, beads and buttons. But since I haven’t made them in a long time, I don’t need my stash for that purpose anymore.

      Now I like to find creative ways to re-purpose my collection of beads, old necklaces and vintage clip-on earrings so I can still enjoy all the pretty colors.

      Where to Find Old Jewelry or Strands of Beads

      I know that most of you may not have a stash of colorful old jewels laying around like I do, but craft stores sell beaded trim by the roll in the fabric/ribbon aisle. For strands of beads, head to the jewelry making aisle and don’t forget to use the stores coupon for a discount.

      Thrift stores and retirement homes that have resident shops on the premises are some of the best places to find old jewelry for a few dollars. They are where I found most of my collection.

      How to Wrap a Vase with a Beaded Necklace or Strand of Beads

      When using a beaded necklaces or strands of beads to wrap around a vase, lamp or any item that you would like to add color and texture, any size and shape bead works. The style is all up to the look you like. Big bold beads would look more modern, while smaller beads more traditional.

      There are two ways to wrap and attach a necklace to a vase. The first is to use hot glue or glue dots. The second is thin florist’s type wire.

      Once you have chosen the necklace or strand of beads you want to attach, wrap it around the vase to see if the ends will meet up in line or closely in line with each other on the vase.

      If it doesn’t and you are using a strand of beads, simply remove or add a few more beads so the beginning and end will be on the same side that you can call the back. If using a necklace you don’t want to break apart, try wrapping it around another section of the item to see if it fits better.

      Longer necklaces work better to wrap around a vase or bottle, but don’t let a shorter one stop you from experimenting to come up with decorative ways to use it.

      This strand of wood beads was pre-strung on string that I found in the aisle where rolls of ribbon are at Hobby Lobby. To attach the strand of beads to the vase, I simply wrapped it around and then used hot glue to adhere the first and last bead on the back of the vase.

      To attach the various sized purple beads on the neck of the bottle, I strung the beads on thin wire that you can buy at the craft store.

      I left extra wire at each end and once all the beads were wrapped around the neck of the bottle, I pulled the two wires together and twisted them together. Then once it was secure, I cut the excess wire and pushed the ends under the beads to hide it.

      When displayed on a table, no one will see how the necklace or strand of beads is attached. Seeing the cheery Spring color on my big wicker basket side table makes me smile.

      What To Do With Old Clip-On Earrings

      I have a hard time passing up vintage clip-on earrings when I see them at thrift stores. Each one is the perfect little piece of stylish art that has its own story and appeal.

      In my mind, they are just too cute and pretty to be hidden away in a drawer.

      Here are several ideas on how you can use vintage clip-on earrings to accent your decor or furnishings.

      To add cheerful color to lamp, clip a few vintage clip-on earrings on the bottom of a lampshade. When you want to wear them or tire of the look, just unclip – no damage done.

      If you use your refrigerator as a memo board you can make pretty magnets using old jewelry or clip-on earrings to hold up reminder notes and photos.

      Tip: Attaching Earrings or Buttons to Magnets

      To get the clip off of an earring to you can attach it to a magnet, use a pair of pliers to pull it off so the back is flat. Doing this will allow the earring to fit nicely and be glued on to a round black magnet.

      Embellish a gift by simply clipping a clip-on earring one over the knot on the tied ribbon.

      Use a strong bonding glue like Gorilla Glue to attach a clip-on earring that has the clip removed to the front of plain drawer knobs.

      You can also use vintage clip-on earrings to hold the soft drape of a fabric window valance in place.

      How to Use With Brooches and Pins When Decorating

      If you have a collection of pretty brooches or decorative pins, pin them to a throw pillow to create a accent that can easily be changed.

      Over the next few weeks when you start Spring cleaning or decluttering your home take a few minutes to see if you have any old jewelry in the way of beaded necklaces or bracelets that you haven’t worn in a long time.

      Instead of getting rid of them, reimagine them. If you don’t have any and like the colorful look crafting with old jewelry can do to transformf items, head to your local thrift store where you should find lots of colorful beaded necklaces and vintage clip-on earrings.

      If you strike out, you can also use colorful ribbon to add cheery color to your existing decor.

      It’s fun and inexpensive way to add accents of your personal style around your home.

      More Decorating With Jewelry Ideas

      More Easy Decorating Ideas You May Like

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      in Organization

      Ribbon Storage Ideas That Will Keep Your Rolls of Ribbon Organized For Good

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      How to make a ribbon storage organizer or rack to hold spools of ribbon 3 different ways. These DIY ribbon holder ideas for your ribbon collection can be made very inexpensively to hang on a wall in a craft or sewing room or in a closet or cabinet as well as a few variations so you can customize each to fit your needs.

      DIY Ribbon Storage Organizers To Make for Your Ribbon Collection
      Each one of these ribbon organizing ideas has a step-by-step tutorial:
      The first is a wall rack that requires a few tools. The second and third do not require any DIY skills or tools to make and can be completed in 30 minutes.
      Table Of Contents
      Before deciding what DIY ribbon organizer will work best for your ribbon collection read over the ideas in this post, as not every organization method will work for your space or work area.
      Think about how you can make the best use with the space you have. If you have a craft table with drawers underneath, this may be and easy and perfect option for you.
      For others, use these organization ideas as a creative jumping off point to come up with your own idea to store and organize your rolls of ribbon.

      Organizing Ribbon TIPS

      Before you get started, here are a few tips about organizing your spools of ribbon no matter what organizing spools of ribbon idea you use.
      Choose a Spot – Do you have a room with open wall space where a wall rack will fit?
      If not, consider turning a closet into a craft closet where you keep your craft supplies. In this closet you can hang a ribbon rack from the closet shelf or create a smaller holder for a smaller collection of ribbons.
      Sort Ribbon – Group every roll of ribbon into categories so you can see just how much ribbon you have and how large the storage organizer should be.
      Group the spools by color, then by similarly-sized spools. If you have smaller pieces or scraps of ribbon, these can be placed in old shoe boxes, a basket or tied onto a clothes hanger.
      This will allow you to see all the snippets and have easy access to them. Seeing the actual amount of ribbon you have will allow you to see just how large or small your ribbon organizer should be.
      Ease of Accessibility – You’ll want to spend some time really thinking about how you create with ribbon.
      Do you like to take down spools and have them close by while you’re working? If so, you may want to keep them easily accessible instead of in a closet.

      #1: How to Make a Ribbon Organizing Rack to Hang on a Wall
      How to Store Ribbons in a Craft Room
      When creating this wall mount ribbon rack, I wanted to make use of one of the empty frames on the wall I call my Creative Wall.

      I previously used the empty frame you see on the far wall as a mini photo studio in my previous home.
      After a trip to the home improvement store where I went to see about using gutters to organize my ribbons, I ended up buying Corrugating 2.38-in x 10-ft Aluminum Drip Edge instead.
      I also like that the “drip edge” was inexpensive and white. No paint was needed to make my DIY ribbon rack!

      You may be asking – what is aluminum drip edge? It is used to protect roof edges and allows water to go into rain gutters.
      It can be found at the Home Depot or Lowes in the gutter aisle. It is usually already painted white, brown, black or silver which saves you any need to paint.

      If you plan to make this DIY ribbon storage rack, take tin snips with you when you go to buy a section of aluminum drip edge so you can easily cut the long length of the aluminum drip edge to fit into your car to get it home. Make sure not to cut it shorter than how wide you want your organizer to be.

      supplies needed:
      Large wood photo frame3 – Corrugating 2.38-in x 10 Aluminum Drip Edge – roofing/gutter aisle in the home improvement storeTin SnipsMeasuring tapePencil14 – 1-1/2″ zinc corner braces with screwsDrill and drill bitLarge brass fastenersPhillips head screwdriverWork glovesOptional: Washi tape to cover ends of cut aluminum drip edge.
      I already made the frame that is part of my Creative Wall.  You can read how I created it in this post: Craft Room Idea.
      If you don’t want to make a frame you can simply buy any size picture frame at craft stores like Michaels and hang it on your wall.
      I cut the aluminum drip edge into 7 pieces to create 7 shelves that fit inside the frame for my ribbon organizer.
      Once the frame is hung on wall (no glass or mat, just the frame), measure the inside width of the frame. This width will be the measurement you will need to cut the aluminum drip edge.

      Put on work gloves (the aluminum drip edge does have sharp edges) and use tin snips to cut the aluminum drip edge to the width needed.  If your tin snips are sharp, cutting through the aluminum is very easy. I drew a pencil line where I needed to cut and then cut into the drip edge from one side, and then flipped it around to cut in from the other side to meet the first cut. My cuts were not perfectly square so you don’t have to be exact.

      2. Place a corner brace as shown above on the outside of one of the cut pieces of drip edge and mark hole closet to edge on corner brace onto aluminum drip edge. Repeat on opposite end. Drill holes where pencil marks are.
      Place corner braces around L-shape of aluminum drip edge and line up holes. Place a large brass fastener in hole.

      3. Bring tips of brass fastener to inside of drip edge and then spread out to secure. Add a drop of glue over center of opened fastener. Repeat on all other cut sections.

      Each cut to size shelf should have two corner braces attached. One on each end.

      Optional: I left the cut edges of my ribbon organizing shelves alone, but the cut edges can be sharp. If you want to cover the edges, add some colorful Washi tape over each edge before hanging the shelves on the wall.
      How to Attach Ribbon Organizing Rack to a Wall

      Starting at the bottom of the frame, begin attaching the metal shelves to the wall by screwing in the other side of each corner brace into the wall with screws.
      You may have to bend the front of the shelf out a bit, but this is OK to do since when you place the ribbon in, the spools will push the front out also.

      I attached the bottom shelf so it sits on the frame. When the ribbon spools are placed on the shelf, the metal will bend out slightly. This creates a angled view and secure fit for the spools of ribbon.

      Arrange your ribbons by the size of the spool before screwing the shelves to the wall. For the spacing of my ribbon organizer shelves, I placed the largest spools of ribbon I had on the the bottom shelf.
      I needed 5″ of clearance for these ribbons. I placed the next two shelves up 5″ apart. For the rest of the shelves I spaced them at 4″ to 4-1/2″ apart.

      Use a bubble level to make sure the shelves are level as you attach them to the wall.

      Place ribbons in shelves by size and or color.  Some of the spools don’t touch the bottom of the shelf, but they are all secure and easy to get to now.
      The best part though is that they are now not only organized by color, but easily accessible and beautiful ribbon is pretty to look at.
      #2: How To Make a Ribbon Organizer to Hang in a Closet or Wall
      This is a very easy and creative idea to store craft ribbon, curling gift wrap ribbon or anything that is on a spool in a craft storage closet.
      Making this style organizer can be completed in about 30 minutes.

      supplies needed:
      2 equal lengths of large link chain2- large S HooksCafe style curtain rods or metal rods – at least 27″ long.Optional: Rubber bands – 2 for each rodVariation: 2 eye-hooks to screw into a ceiling or wood shelf if you don’t have wire grid shelving shown in the photo.Item Six

      After figuring out how many curtain rods and length of chain you will need, hang chain from closet shelf about 27″ apart using an S-hook for each side. Variation: For a wood closet shelf – use a screw-in style S-hook to attach to the underside of the shelf.

      3. Thread the spools of ribbon onto a curtain rod.

      4. Next, slide a curtain rod through the chain on one side and repeat with the other side of the rod on the other chain. Make sure to count the chain links down from the top for each rod so the rods will be level across.
      5. Repeat for each rod and amount of ribbon you have.

      Optional: Do you like to cut off just the amount of ribbon you will need before you start your project? If so:
      Hang a pair of scissors with ribbon and tie onto the chain on one side of this hanging ribbon organizer. Place a yardstick at the bottom of the chains in the same way you added the curtain rods. Wrap a rubber band around the finial end on rod if rod moves back and forth. This can happen on rods that are not full.
      Variation on this Ribbon Storage Organizer
      If you want a more finished look for your ribbon organization, you can use a frame instead of chains to hold the rods as I did to hold gift wrap.

      You can learn how to make this framed organizer in this post:

      #3 Ribbon Storage Inside a Cabinet 0r Cupboard
      Of the 3 ribbon storage ideas shown in this post, this one is the easiest and doesn’t require any DIY skills or tools.
      For smaller ribbon collections and loose ribbon, you can use spring-mounted tension curtain rods that have rubber tips. A tension rod’s length can be easily adjusted by twisting the rod snug against the insides of a cabinet.
      4 tension rods holding spools of ribbon in a cabinet.
      Before I made my wall mounted ribbon organizer that I shared earlier in this post. I use to store the spools of ribbon I had in my crafts cabinet on cafe style tension curtain rods that you see in the photo.

      All you need to make this ribbon organizer is a spring-mount tension rod. This style of rod is sold anywhere window treatments are sold.

      They come is different lengths from short to long. If you have a large cabinet, you could even use a spring-mount shower rod.
      Pros: The nice thing about this ribbon organization idea is that the ribbons are up and off the shelf so you can still store supplies and items on the shelf underneath the rolls of ribbon.
      Cons: The only downfall is that when a spool in the center of the rod becomes empty, you will have to take the rod down to remove all the other ribbons on one side of it to remove and replace it.

      FAQs About Storing Ribbon

      How to Keep Ribbon From Unrolling?
      To keep the ends of the ribbon on each roll in place, use a straight pin or a small piece of tape to keep it in place.

      How Do You Organize Ribbon Scraps?
      There are many ways to organize ribbon scraps. Placing them in a shoebox or basket is the easiest. Inside you could place the scraps by color into food storage bags.
      Another way is to tie the ribbon scraps to a coat hanger or a slack hanger that can hold multiple pairs of pants – (see below). You can tie the ribbon on by color and be able to slide them back and forth along the hanger. This will make organizing the ribbon scraps by color easy.
      A third way would be to tie the ribbon scraps to key rings. Have a key ring for each color and then hang the rings on a wall hook.

      How to Organize Ribbon in a Drawer
      To easily organize rolls of ribbon in a drawer is to use sheets of dollar store foam boards to make drawer dividers. You can also buy pre-made drawer dividers to fit your drawer. Adding these will keep the rolls in line by color, size or however you would like them organized for how you work and accessibility.

      Ready Made Ribbon Storage Organizers

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      in Organization

      Making a 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket Stand

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      How to take a 3 tiered metal stand and create a 2 tiered kitchen basket tray stand.

      I am going to show you what I semi-handmade over the weekend. My goal was to add a little bit of fall decor in the way of texture and organizing to my kitchen.
      I always enjoy tinkering with items such as the 3 tiered tray stand in the photo below. I like to see if I can come up with something new, using a part of it, then swapping another part out or even completely repurpose it. I would love to design a line of decor items someday that go with all the ideas in my head.

      This is exactly what I did with this white 3 tiered metal stand that I use when entertaining and for the holidays in my kitchen. It was a gift from a friend when we first moved to the lake – Thanks Gail. 🙂

      The stand comes apart easily, so playing around with it didn’t damage it one bit. I can always put it back together in a minute when Fall is over and it goes back into holiday mode.

      Using parts of the stand, I wanted to create a new Fall-inspired wicker basket stand to replace this silver wire stand I use to hold produce. I like this stand and will use it again, but my kitchen is small and I get bored seeing the same things. Changing it up, especially for the seasons, inspires me.

      I took the 3 tiered white metal stand apart to make a shorter 2 tiered kitchen basket stand so it would fit under my kitchen cabinets. I used a thrift store wicker basket as the second tier.
      I love baskets and get excited when I find a new way to use them around the house that not only looks nice but adds warm and cozy texture, while giving me the exact function I need. 🙂
      You may be thinking, “What’s that on the top – a finial?”
      The answer – yes, but not just any finial, but a custom-made one using a tiny detail from nature that I collect.
      How to Make a Tiered Kitchen Tray & Basket Stand
      I realize that you will not have the exact same items I used to make my 2 tiered fruit basket stand, but I wanted to show you what you can do with any tiered stand you may have.
      Do you have a tiered stand of any kind? Maybe one made with ceramic or china plates? These types of stands are easy to take apart and reassemble. They can be found at most thrift and antique stores. Even if you don’t like the design, color or pattern of the plates, the stand part can be repurposed to your needs.

      Time needed: 20 minutes.
      How to Make a 3 Tiered Stand into a Shorter 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket and Tray Standtools and supplies needed:Tiered stand or parts from a plate standMetal washersLarge screw and nutTwineTacky GlueHot Glue and glue gun
      Gather Your Parts and Supplies
      I took the stand apart. I only needed the pedestal, the rod, the rod covers and bottom round tray. I also used a round wicker basket into which I made a rod sized hole in the bottom with an awl.

      Create a Stopper to Secure Center Dowel
      I screwed the rod to the pedestal base and then added the largest round tray from the original stand, the larger rod cover, my wicker basket and the narrower rod cover.Doing this, the screw end of the rod was just short of the top of the second rod cover.To make the stand secure, I had to find a nut that fit the threads at the end of the rod. Then I was able to insert the screw into the top half of the nut.Once the nut was on the rod, the screw that I had on hand to fit into the nut was a little too long, even when tightened. I didn’t want to see the screw threads so I added washers to cover the threaded section of the screw. Once the screw on the top was tightened, the entire assembly was secure, creating a very stable stand.

      Hiding the Washer to Create a Finial
      To hide the washers, I brushed tacky glue to the sides of the washers and wrapped twine around them. I placed the ends of the twine in the channel on the top of the screw.

      Secure Twine
      To secure this, I used a dot of hot glue. (Note: If you want to take the stand apart some day, don’t put glue where screw meets the washers.)

      Attach Top Section of an Acorn
      Using another dot of hot glue, I attached the top section of an acorn.

      All Done

      My Semi-Handmade Countertop Fruit Basket

      I love, love, love my DIY’ed tray and basket stand. It is exactly what I envisioned. Best of all, I did it in my own style and it didn’t cost me anything to make since I used items I already had.

      When making the finial top, I didn’t have twine. So I applied a retail display trick (where we had to be super resourceful when creating displays for the store). Did you know that removing strands from burlap, which I did have – gives you pieces of twine. 🙂
      Do you have a tiered stand in your home that you are not using? Can you redesign it to fit a new need or for the season? Maybe use two baskets if you have them. That is what is so nice about DIY’ing – you get to be a designer.
      On another note…. I know my bananas are spotty, but I let them get that way. I freeze the spotted bananas and use this Frozen Fruit and Banana Whip Maker to make Banana Berry Whips or Chocolate Nice Cream. It makes it easy to make a variety of plant-based alternatives to ice cream. So I always have bananas getting spotty in my countertop fruit basket.
      If you like to see baskets or tiered stands on your kitchen countertop, here are a few I found:
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      in Organization

      DIY Recipe Box Using a Wine Crate

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      What can you put into a wooden wine crate after the wine is gone? You can repurpose it and make one chic DIY recipe box for your kitchen to hold and organize all your favorite recipes.

      I promised last week that I would show you one last item that I wanted to make for my kitchen cart island.
      A few posts ago I shared that I added a second shelf to the island. One of the reasons I added the second shelf to my rolling island kitchen cart was that I wanted a handy place for my recipe box.
      I have a small kitchen with no room to keep it handy. 5 years ago, I totally reorganized my recipe box. How I organized it has worked extremely well over the years so I didn’t change that aspect of the box. I did however want to give the box a new look so it would feel more “foodie chic” on my cart.

      I was inspired about a DIY wine crate idea when we were in France last year.
      I have always wanted a wine crate basket for my bike after seeing one like this when I was in NYC a few years ago for a blogging event. A very stylish woman was on her way to work on a black vintage bike with a wine crate on the back holding her tote. So chic…
      When I saw a few again in France, even though I knew I didn’t have a place to ride my bike, I was inspired to find a way to use a wine crate in my home somewhere.

      As you can see, I found a way.

      I custom made it to fit my needs and on the shelf on my kitchen cart island using wine crate fronts so there would be a winery logo on each side of the recipe box.
      I am thrilled with it as it adds a little more of the ” foodie chic” feel to my kitchen. I know it is just a recipe box, but I love it for the fact that I made something I envisioned and custom designed it for my needs.
      How to Make a DIY Recipe Card Box By Repurposing a Wooden Wine Crate

      I made my DIY recipe card box to fit large 5′ x 8″ index cards. I also only used wine crate front panels instead of just one wine crate. This way I could have a winery logo on each side of my box.
      Try to find front panels with the same thickness, but know it still can be made if they are not. One of my panels was thicker and one had grooves.

      supplies needed:
      I cut the panels down to size. If you have one wine crate, you will have enough wood to make the box, but will have only one winery logo, unless your crate has more than one logo on it – some do.
      Further down in the post is a list of where you can find wine crates.
      5 Wine crate front panels
      2 for Front and Back: Cut to size: 9-3/16″ (w) x 4-3/8″ (h)
      2 for Sides: Cut to size: 13″ (w) x 4-3/8″ (h)
      Optional: Wood Divider: Cut to size: 8-1/4″ (w) x 5″ (h)

      1/4″ plywood for bottom – Cut to size: 8-1/4″ (w) x 13″ (l) *If using one wine crate, no need for plywood – you can use bottom of wine crate.
      Clear acetate – saved from packaging or you can buy a few sheets at your local copy shop.
      Pencil
      Straight-edge
      Saw
      Wood glue
      5/8″ long carpet tacks
      100 grit sandpaper
      Hammer
      Drill and thin drill bit
      For recipe cards and dividers:

      Time needed: 2 hours.
      How to Make a DIY Recipe Box Using a Wine Crate
      Take Wine Crate Apart
      If you are using an intact wine crate, you will need to take it apart. Use a small pry bar to carefully take it apart. If you are using wine crate front panels to make a box – proceed to next step.

      Cut Each Panel To Size
      I used 4 wine crate panel fronts and cut them down to fit the width of 5″ x 8″ index cards. When the box is assembled it is 4-4/8″ high.I cut a piece of clear acetate to make a template. This makes it easy to see the logo as you center the template over it when marking each for the size. The sizes are listed in supplies list above.

      Find Center of Each Wine Crate Panel
      Lay clear template over logo, find center and lightly trace around it using a pencil. Repeat for each panel. Using a table saw or jigsaw, cut each out.Note: Front and back panels will be shorter. The side panels will be longer so choose longer winery logos for the sides so you won’t have to cut as much of them off.

      Cut Plywood For Bottom
      Since I used wine crate front panels to make my box, I needed a piece of plywood for the bottom of my box. If you are using a full wine crate, use the bottom of the crate for the bottom, no plywood needed.Use a straight edge to mark the plywood to 8-1/4″ (w) x 13″ (l). Cut on lines.Sand edges smooth.

      Glue Pieces Together
      Lay wine panels and bottom of box on worktable. Apply wood glue to attach the front, back and sides to the bottom. Let dry.Note: You want to make sure to glue the front, back and sides of the box to the side of the bottom. This is important as the inside bottom of the box needs to stay a little wider than 8″ to hold the index cards.

      Drill Holes for Tacks
      Use a small drill bit to make a tiny hole to hammer nails in. Drilling a hole will help keep the nails from splitting the wood.

      Hammer in Tacks
      Hammer in a nail/tack into each drilled hole.

      Add Nails
      Once the glue is dry, reinforce the assembly of the box using rug tacks or very flat head nails that resemble wine box nails. I placed two nails on each side of the box

      Optional: Make a Movable Wood Divider
      I made my recipe card box longer than I needed, not only for when my recipe card collection grows, but also to divide it into two sections. This give me a place to put magazine recipe clippings and recipes I printed out from blogs into the back that I want to try out. If we like them, then they will get a recipe card. If not, the clipping or printable goes into recycling.I used a 5th wine crate front to make this wood divider. I cut it to be very snug inside the box. This way I can move it when needed, but it is snug enough to keep the cards in the front of the box from falling down inside the box.

      Close Up of Divider

      Fill the Box With Recipe Cards
      I made my recipe cards using 5 x 8 index cards and followed the same recipe box organizing I shared in this post: Recipe Box ReDuxI used super thick plain white index cards and stick on insertable tabs to make the category dividers.I printed out the category names using MS Word and the font Century Schoolbook.

      How to Make a Stay-Clean Recipe Card Cover

      I am sure you are familiar with the acrylic cookbook stands that you place an open cookbook in so that you can see your cookbooks through it so it won’t get splattered as you prep and cook.
      I made something similar on a much smaller scale for my recipe cards.

      It is stored right in the recipe box where I can easily grab it when I remove a card to make a recipe.

      To make it I used a thick piece of acetate. I save acetate from packaging to use to cover drawer labels, make clear templates as I did to make sure I cut the winery logos so they were centered.

      I cut the acetate to 8″ wide x 6-1/2″ tall. I then scored a line 1-1/2″ down from the top using the tip of a pair if scissors. Scoring is not cutting, but making a groove in the acetate that you can then fold.
      When the cover sits on the counter, it is raised up a bit and the recipe card slides right in.
      Where to Find Wine Crates for Creative DIY Decor

      Wood wine crates, wine boxes or crate front panels to repurpose can be found:
      At thrift stores and yard sales. Many times they may be holding smaller items for sale so don’t overlook them.
      On Ebay and Etsy. Check the shipping price though, many of the listings are from the UK and shipping is way too much.
      Ask at your local liquor store. They may give them to you or charge a nominal fee.
      More Wooden DIY Wine Crate Ideas

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      in Decorating

      Easy DIY Decorating Ideas Using Ribbon

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      How to Ideas to Decorate Every Room In Your Home Using Ribbon When decorating your home, sometimes you don’t need to buy new items. All you need to do is embellish a piece of existing furnishings with ribbon to give it a new look. Decorating with ribbon is not only fast, easy and affordable – […] More