DIY: Harry Potter Unmatched Sock Sign

I feel like I've been waiting to do this DIY for ages. Not only is it a great Harry Potter reference, but it's also super practical. I usually just shove my unmatched socks in the drawer until, hopefully, a rainy day comes along and I go through and match some. Now while I'm folding up laundry it's much easier to just take a peek at the sign and see if a sock can find its partner. 

This is also a super easy mode DIY, I'm talking no power tools needed, so it's a little more practical for a free afternoon. Here's how I did it:

I'd say you have a lot of flexiability with the kind of material you want the sign to be. Plastic, metal, or glass could totally work, just make sure to get the appropriate paint or spray paint to go along with with it.

The use of two different glues was a little spontaneous, but it was mostly about making sure the ribbon would be able to hold the weight of the sign. You could also swap the x-acto knife with scissors, but it may be a little difficult for the more detailed fonts.

Materials

Sign // Decor Art Americana Decor paint in Victorian and Vintage // Folkart home decor wax // X-Acto Knife // Tacky glue // Gorilla super glue // Ribbon burlap and lace // clothes pins 

Steps

First, I downloaded some Harry Potter style fonts I found at That Geekish Family. . If you've never downloaded a font before, the general steps are downloading it, then moving the file to your font folder in your computer's system preferences. Some seem to only be compatible for certain Word iterations, so you may need to use notepad, pages, or something similar to work with it. Once I had that all sorted I printed out 'Free Dobby' in the 200pt and 250pt to see which size and font I liked best.

Before cutting anything I folded the papers I had printed  to get an idea of the layout and determine which size I felt suited the sign. This is completely up to personal preference, so go with your gut. I ended up with the Harry Potter font in 250pt. 

Before I handled the letters, I painted the sign to bring a new color into my room. I think this dark purple color, Americana decor chalky paint in Victorian, is a nice dark color but isn't so serious as a brown or black. Alternatively you could also stain the wood or use different types of paint finishes to get a unique look. 

After the purple dried I put on a layer of wax to seal it all in and avoid signs of ware. I like how this one puts a nice top layer to my paint but doesn't have a shiny finish. 

While all of that was drying I started to cut out the letters from the papers I printed earlier. This can be a little tricky (hello to my fellow non-patient people) but it does get easier as you get used to the x-acto knife. Make sure to keep any holes you may cut out, like the middle of 'O's or 'E's so you can use them later and work on a surface that you don't mind getting some cuts into.

Then, I took the stencil I created and layered it over the scrapbook paper to get the actual letters for the sign. For me, this was a bit of tracing, and a bit of free hand since I'm not the neatest person but, fortunately, this font lends itself to being a little irregular. Here is where it's helpful to have those little holes to guide you through the 'E's, 'O's and 'B's. 

Then, I glued them on. 

Next, I attached the ribbon. On the top I did a short one for where the sign will hang. I used super glue since I figured any other method of adhesive would fray the ribbon. I did the same thing for the bottom, where the socks would hang, but I made the ribbon much longer and placed it wider on the board. 

As a final little touch I painted the clothespins with some extra Americana Decor paint I had. I had them rest clipped to a pencil to avoid getting them stuck closed.

And there you go you have super useful Harry Potter sign to add to your bedroom or laundry room. I ended up handing it on the side of my bookcase with some command hooks. Two hooks were able to the distribute the weight and they were easy to put up.
Have fun crafting!

DIY: Yoga Mat Holder

A major part of improving my room while redecorating was making it functional. So much of my space was cluttered, and it was difficult for me to get to things, even those I used on a regular basis. This yoga mat holder (another idea I found scouring Pinterest) is actually a really simple build and gets your workout gear set up and off the floor. See how below:

Like the ladder DIY I'd also recommend some gloves to prevent splinters when working with the wood. Using a bike rack or a tool hook may seem weird, but it was the best option for holding a yoga block and the 'garage organization' section of the hardware store had a lot of options for attachments to repurpose. 

First, measure out and cut the back of the holder. My dad and I added about 3 inches above my yoga mat at the top and a couple inches at the bottom as well for the block holder. For a reference I own a  LuluLemon 5mm reversible mat. 

Next, cut the ledge piece where your mat will rest on. Here I measured it about 2 inches over how wide my mat is when it's rolled up for some room for error when I put the mat away. 

Next, we set up where the ledge would go and marked where the screws would go for the braces. We used 2 inch braces because my mat is pretty heavy compared to most gym mats. 

Now screw in the braces starting with the ledge, then attaching it to the back piece. 

Now we can attach the towel ring. Here you need to make sure the ring will be about 2 inches lower than the top of the mat so it has a good hold and the mat doesn't tip over. We put on the towel ring to make sure the measurements were correct then removed it to sand down any rough edges and paint. After everything dried I reattached it. 

Next I attached the mount for my yoga block with screws making sure to line it up on the board so that there's enough space for it to fit it under the ledge. 

I then attached a tool holder hook to the side to hold my strap. You just need to screw these in by hand, but you might need another person to hold it still to create some pressure. 

Now your holder is all set to mount on your wall as you choose. I couldn't be happier with this cute little thing. It's a great help in getting everything more organized without looking out of place. 

DIY: Storage Ladder

If you saw my closet before and after you'd have seen this new storage ladder I have. I saw a few pictures of these items on Pinterest, mostly in a more farmhouse style, and really wanted it for my closet. I've been using it to store my scarves and belts and things like that. It's great if you have some room and want to have more things on display rather than focus on space saving. 

A little disclaimer - my Dad and I pretty muched winged this entire thing. It's a pretty simple build, but could be more refined if you take a lot of care in measuring to make things even. If you look closely mines a bit wonky, but I still love it. Also if you are using a saw be extremely careful. I don't want anyone to lose fingers. 

Here's everything you'll need. For the wood we used 2 planks of 1x3" and some scraps we had hanging around for the rungs. I would also include gloves to avoid splinters and some eye goggles for all the dust from the saw. 

First we measured out the legs of the ladder. Mine were 66 inches but if you want it a certain height and angle you could do some geometry to find your ideal measurement. 

Next we took a straight edge and drew the line the width of the plank so we had an easier time lining up the saw. As you can guess most of this DIY is measuring. 

Next, we cut the legs as well as the rungs. For this ladder we overlapped the rungs and the legs (instead of making them sit on the inside of the legs) so the measurement is how wide you'd like it to be. I kept it simple and chose a foot wide. 

Next on the legs, measure out how far apart you'd  like the rungs to be and center the measurement. I kept it simple and had a foot in between each one. Then on the centered measurement drill a pilot hole. This prevents the wood from splintering when we put in the screws. 

Line up the rungs and drill in a screw on each side. I believe we used 1.25 inch screws, but just make sure for whatever size plank you use the screw is long enough to go through the rung but not so long to go through the majority of the legs. 

Before I started on the baskets I did paint the ladder and sand down the edges of the rungs and legs. Then I planned out where I wanted the baskets to hang before getting started. Something to note: I got the baskets before making the ladder so I was able to plan out the rungs, so the baskets were useable. If you have a set number or kind of baskets you'd like to use I 'd recommend getting them first then using them or their measurements as a reference while you're building the ladder. 

Next I threaded the wire through the decorative weave at the top of the basket. I cut about a 4 inch wire but the length will depend on how big your rung is. I then circled the rung as much as I could and with the two ends at the bottom of the rung. 

Then I used the needle nose pliers to tie the two ends together and twist to secure before cutting off the excess. I repeated this on each side of the baskets. 

And there you have it; A storage ladder for your closet or any space that needs some organization. What do you think? 

What to do with Memorabilia: DIY Shadow Box

 Starting simple on the DIY's with shadow boxes (we'll get into the powertools later.) I saw the idea for these on Pinterest and thought it was a great idea that gave a more personal touch to my travel memorabilia. I have a real distaste for the more kitschy, travel decor that I loved when I was a kid, but this feels a lot more special to me. It's also super easy and has enough room to get creative with your own approach.  

First, you don't need much to make these beside the boxes and some adhesive options. I like using push pins because that way if I mess up or want to rearrange everything in a couple of months it's not a hassle. I used the dots for thicker objects that I couldn't puncture and the letters. This is also where you can get creative and add ribbon, glitter, paint or anything else that catches your eye in the craft store. 

Shadow box // Adhesive dots 

I'm a planner, so I lay out everything how I want it first. Then I take a picture for a reference, take everything off, then start pinning from the bottom layer. I opted for gold pins for the smaller box, but didn't want them to look cluttered, so I made an effort to use one pin for things that overlapped as much as I could. 

For the city names I printed out some photos I took there and free-handed some letter. (IMPORTANT) Make sure the letters are backwards, so when you turn it around to the photo they're the correct way. I printed more photos than I needed because I always forget. I just used a pencil and scissors, but stencils and an X-acto knife would be useful if you wanted something more precise and detailed.  

Stick those letters on and now you have some new wall art that'll remind you of your travels, or any event really. Tag me on Instagram (@fishoutofcloset) if you make your own.