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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

27

Reader Space: Organized Gift Wrap Goodness!

I have featured a few different gift wrap organization solutions, however, no single solution always works for everyone.  Variety is key when it comes to organization since we all work differently, so I am excited to share with you how one reader is stashing away her gift wrapping supplies, in a super functional {and absolutely adorable} way!


Abby is a darling gal who runs a blog titled Just a Girl and Her Blog.  She shares her daily sweetness and home projects with the world wide web, and recently revealed her beautiful master bedroom makeover.  Although there is endless goodness in her room update, you know my heart did back flips for one part in particular.  The concealed gift wrap organization.  It's fan-freaking-tastic!!!


What is the main function of the project?

"This trunk that we use for gift wrapping supplies resides in our newly-refreshed bedroom! Because we live in a small-ish townhouse, many of our pieces of furniture do double or triple duty. The trunk provides a seating area for putting on shoes, a resting place for the laundry basket while I'm putting away clothes, and now has the additional responsibility of corralling all of our wrapping paper, gift bags, gift boxes, and bows so that we always know where to find exactly what we need."



Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"Everything has a specific place {with a label!}.  It can be really tempting to throw everything in the trunk and just close the lid, but when everything has its own little area, it's easy to return things to their rightful 'home' and keep it organized. I really tried to use the sides of the trunk and maximize the usage of vertical space so that everything wasn't laying on top of each other, which helps too."



What items were essential when working on this project?

"The tension rod made it super easy to corral the gift bags and boxes and Command strips and hooks really helped with the hanging storage. I am definitely a fan of baskets and bins and incorporating them into this space to hold ribbons and bows was a no-brainer! And, as always, labels, labels, labels!


In addition to printing and laminating labels for each section of storage, I used washi tape and my label maker to label my greeting card organizer. The little pops of color make me smile every time I open it!"


 

What did you do to go the extra mile and "Make it Pretty"?

"Even though I knew it would be underneath the wrapping paper and other supplies, I lined the bottom with pretty chevron shelf liner that I picked up at T.J. Maxx. Every once in a while I'll catch a glimpse of it peeking through, and it makes me smile! Plus it helps to protect the trunk a little bit.


The other colorful accessories also helped to prettify this little beauty--labels and various baskets and bins complimented the already colorful wrapping paper, gift bags and boxes, and ribbons and bows."



What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

"I was making over the rest of the room, so this trunk needed some major love while I was at it! It started out pretty rough.


The paint made a huge difference. This was my first project using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, which was really fun. I loved that it helped me to take an old, worn out hand-me-down piece and give it new life again. It gives the room more of a personal touch instead of going out and buying something off the shelf.


Once the trunk was painted, the organizational systems just fell into place. I used an inexpensive tension rod, wire bin, and expandable file from Target and the little green bins are from Dollar Tree--4 for $1! Holla!"


How has this project impacted your life for the better?

"I have always loved making gifts look extra special with pretty paper and bows, but I was so not motivated when I had to look through a big pile of crunched up, unorganized materials to try to find what I needed. 

Our new system makes it so easy to find what I need quickly and then just pop it back into its place. Everyone is going to be getting the cutest wrapped gifts from us!"


And since we all love a good before and after:



How can you not want to organize your gift wrap after a story like that?  So much about this project to crush on!

  • The trunk makeover alone is beautiful!  I love how the paint transformed her outdated storage.
  • Lining anything with bright and pretty paper is sure to bring a smile to your face. 
  • The card organizer was functional from the start, but the addition of pretty washi labels really makes it sing!  And I love that she selected an accordion organizer for her cards.  Smart girly!
  • The tension rod really adds oodles of storage along the edge of the trunk, I love that gift bags and boxes can be easily stored in a compact way.
  • Abby added hooks for her scissors and supplies, right on the walls of the trunk.  Another great use of space and they will always be easy peasy to find.
  • The use of a small dowel for her ribbon within the basket is another great tip!  It is simple to swap out ribbon, and to quickly pull some in the middle of a wrapping job.
  • She put baskets inside of baskets!  They act as great dividers for her bows and gift toppers.
  • This project was all done on a budget and with inexpensive solutions from Target and the dollar store.  Yet it looks like a million buckaroos!

A HUGE thank you to Abby for submitting her darling project and giving me a little extra inspiration to get my wrapping supplies under control.  Seriously, mine look far worse than her before image... it isn't a pretty picture.

Were you able to snag some ideas and inspiration from this wonderful feature as well?  Where do you store your wrapping essentials?


ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!

27 comments:

  1. Ummm... this is totally doable. A little "extreme" but that's what makes it so amazing. I like how you add little extra touches to something that most people wouldn't think about.

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  2. She did a beautiful job! I never would've thought of the tension rods; what a great idea! There's no junk in that trunk!! <3 it

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  3. What a fantastic makeover! I love how functional everything is inside the trunk.

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  4. That before is seriously what my wrapping bin looks like right now!! Must organize it. Such a cute way to do it. Love double duty furniture.

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  5. I love this idea. I have ours in a bottom drawer of a cabinet and think I can do some of the same things she did in her trunk! She came up with some really smart solutions to maximize space.

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  6. LOVE the labels and the washi tape!

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  7. You are the sweetest, Jen! Thanks so much for sharing my space with your readers!

    ~Abby =)

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    1. I think we might be related. I have a very similar set up in a trunk in my master bedroom. And the same type of greeting card organizer. We also use the trunk for a seating area for putting on shoes and as a resting place for the laundry basket while putting away clothes. However I hadn't thought of the dowel for holding ribbons, that is a great idea! Also, I should store a pair of scissors and tape in the trunk... good thinking! I am going to have to start following your blog!

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    2. You know what they say...great minds think alike! Love that we have so many things so similar! I'm excited to see you over at Just a Girl and Her Blog!

      ~Abby =)

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  8. This is perfect timing! I was just staring at my disastrous wrapping bin the other day in disgust. It's so beautiful and now I'm super excited to get organized! Thank you for sharing!

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  9. Great job Abby! The cleverest thing is using that tension rod to hold up all those bags! much better than what I'm doing now!

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  10. This is AWESOME! I was confused at first until I saw the last picture that revealed that it was a trunk!!! This is on my "to find" list...!

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  11. SO excited to see a project by one of my favorite bloggers (and one of the sweetest in blogland), Abby Lawson! She really knocked this one out of the park. My wrapping paper is scattered through three different tupperwares. Now, I'm inspired to try to find an old trunk to transform into a gift wrap organizer like this! Sooooo cool!

    Warmly,
    Lauren
    The Thinking Closet

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    1. Thank you, friend! What a coincidence that you are also one of my favorite bloggers and on my "sweetest in blogland" list as well! Thank you so much for your support!

      ~Abby =)

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  12. Dang! A furniture makeover and pretty, organized wrapping supplies in one post! Lucky day!

    I seriously love this project, though! Especially putting cards in an expanding folder. I've always kept mine in a box, but sometimes the dividers get shoved down, and the cards are too tall to store; this is a no-brainer amazing solution!!

    I'll definitely be trying that out! :D

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  13. Oh holy night! What an A-mazing job Abby! I heart every inch of it. I mean the tension rod inside the truck is genius. What a perfect, practical and totally cute solution for all those gift wrapping didies. Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
    Cheers to you and yours,
    Therese @ Fresh Idea Studio

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    1. Thank you, Therese! You are so cute. :) I'm so glad you like the space!

      ~Abby =)

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  14. I am so happy you are featuring Abby's project today! :-) She is a lovely blogger friend and always shares the best projects with us! Keeping my gift wrapping tools together and accessible has never been an easy task for me, so this project is very inspiring for me to put something together!
    Ingrid

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  15. Jen and Abby, this has really inspired me. I was just looking at my 'wrapping stash' and thinking it needed a makeover. I am also planning on refinishing an old mini chifferobe dresser that has been in my hubs family for my office re do. The door space will be perfect for my sad stash! Love all the ideas, and this stuff really needs to be up in my office where I need it. Thanks!

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    1. Yay! The chifferobe idea sounds awesome, Donna! I bet that will be a great place for your wrapping stash! Happy organizing!

      ~Abby =)

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  16. She did an awesome job!!!

    Jamie

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  17. I love this! Especially the chevron bottom. What a fun surprise! I've been meaning to create a wrapping caddy of some sort too though I'm not sure I have enough to fill a trunk! I tend to wrap everything in brown paper and go crazy with ribbon and tags!

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  18. I love this project! It's the perfect way to organize your wrapping supplies. If only I had the room in my apartment for something like this.

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  19. Could someone please explain how you make the washi tape labels on the greeting card organizer?

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    1. Sure! I just stuck a piece of washi tape on the little sticker that comes with the organizer since it's the perfect shape for the tabs, then cut off the excess. I used my label maker with clear tape to make the words. Hope this helps!

      ~Abby =)

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  20. I love when I see people who still wraps presents! I love wrapping and making bows! I love the card organizer the most! I need to do this!

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  21. Love this! I still need to come up with a good storage solution that works for us for all of my wrapping stuff...this route might be the way to go...I'm thinking some sort of rolling bin I can take in and out of the closet?
    -Morgan
    Style Oyster

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