Office & Craft Room Makeover {Week 2}

Well we are officially one week into the $100 Room Challenge. I am trying to complete an Office & Craft Room makeover in 1 month for only $100! Sound impossible? For me the hardest part is the 1 month deadline. I tend to work in spurts all over my house instead of concentrating all my energy into one space until it’s done. Drives my husband bonkers, but he apparently still loves me. So wanna see how week 1 went?

The first week was mostly about creating the spaces I needed to actual work in the room. Since this room was brand new to me, it consisted of some hand-me down furniture and left overs from other spaces. To makeover the entire space with only $100 I need to find ways to reuse and upcycle just about anything!

I started by organizing my tools. Having everything at the ready really makes life easier. In my old craft corner I had a scrap of pegboard that my parents gave me. It’s not a big piece, but man it makes a big difference. I took it off the walls in my old space and created a frame for it. Now it is removable!

To hang my new pegboard, I made a french cleat with a scrap of plywood. This is the easiest way to hang a heavy piece and it is soooo sturdy! The best thing about a french cleat, you can make it with a small scrap of plywood and a saw that can rip it at an angle (aka a table saw or circular saw). It’s my new favorite way of hanging things. So much I used it again in this office & craft room makeover.

The other project I used the french cleat on was this DIY idea board. This project was all for trying to keep me organized! I love having a place to scratch out all my ideas. The french cleat came in handy to hang this large frame and keep it sturdy while I draw on it and wipe it clean over and over and over. This one was actually a huge hit the budget at $17, but I’m hoping the return will be there for years to come.

Next came work surfaces! I need a place to do my thing. Creating a big table to craft on was super important since this is a craft room. I wanted it tall enough that I could comfortably stand at it to work for hours. I also wanted it to roll out of the way when I needed it. And storage, craft rooms need so much storage (especially of you are a craft hoarder like me).

Using 3 cheap bookcases that were destined for the curb and a couple Ikea table tops that we no longer used, I created the prefect work table. It’s not that pretty yet, but oh man it’s functional! I have so much storage. One side is all my art stuff (aka watercolors, colored pencils, markers, sketch pads, etc). One side has all my sewing stuff (minus fabric because I might be hoarding that too). The other two sides are for the rest of my crafting things.

I am still about a week’s worth of organizing away from actually getting everything into it’s new home. First though, I need to pretty up those cardboard coffee boxes. I have some ideas and they are even in my budget!

For the next (and probably most used) work space, I needed a desk. The room has to be my office too! To save space, I built my desk into one of the two closets. I was a little worried I would feel claustrophobic with my desk in the closet, but I have been using it for a couple week’s now and I love it. Not claustrophobic at all. Here is a sneak peek:

I haven’t shared the tutorial for my new desk just yet… I am working on a fun wall treatment in the closet first. But after I decided to add a chic wall treatment in my desk area, I realized I didn’t love it with the clouds. I wasn’t planning on painting the room (okay, maybe it’s not the room but the upper walls and ceiling). These clouds were painted by my mother and I while I was pregnant with my my first baby. This room has always been my favorite place. The room I raised my babies in. And it’s stupid that I am emotional about getting rid of the clouds. But I think I have finally made the decision and I have enough paint left over from my living room to paint the room. I’m really hoping I don’t regret it. Please tell me I am not the only one who gets sentimental about silly stuff like this?

So the big question, where am I on the budget? I am happy to report, I am doing okay. One week in (and a few big projects done) and I am just above half.

• DIY Idea Board – $17
• Pegboard Storage – $0
• Upcycled Bookcase Rolling Work Table – $0
• Desk – $40

TOTAL SPENT – $57

What’s still on my list to do? Lots! But I am still optimistic.

• Pretty up coffee boxes in work table
• Wall treatment in desk area
• Paint walls/ceiling
• New window treatment
• Pretty up cubby bookcase
• Pretty up sewing table
• Paint glass front cabinet
• Make door/cover for storage closet
• Find a way to organize photography/lighting equipment
• Iron/ironing board storage
• Cover desk chair
• Decor

Man, that to do list is still pretty long. I guess I need to get back to work! But the fun is not over for you, check out all these other bloggers that are taking on this fun challenge this month too. There is so much creativity.