Got drawer pulls, pants hangers, and photos (or your children’s artwork) lying around? With a few supplies, you can hang them on the wall in minutes—and easily swap them out when the fancy strikes. The best part is drawer pulls look like antique picture hangers—for a fraction of the cost. And the girls? Three of my adorable nieces. Read more »

Our first guest nesters! Jessie and Dee Lorimer gave me the instructions to make these adorable accordion-style books. They’re a little more complicated than my bound books, but they don’t require any specialized tools or supplies. Plus, they’re well worth the effort! Read more »

Book binding can seem intimidating because it usually requires specialized tools and costly supplies. This is an easy and inexpensive way to bind books—and it requires minimal specialized tools. Plus you can make these books any size you want. Many thanks to Jessie for helping me refine the design! Read more »

I’ve seen many new tray tables on the market recently. They inspired me to make my own. Top row: Julian Chichester, Ralph Lauren Home, William-Wayne & Co. Middle row: Oly, Malin Westberg, CB2. Bottom row: Svenskt Tenn, Iron Accents, Target.

My neighbor gave me this rusty old plant stand, and I knew it could make a perfect base for my round metal tray. All it took was a little elbow grease, paint, and fasteners. Read more »

This is the easiest project I’ve attempted yet. It all started with an Ikea plant glide and furniture nails (which come in myriad colors and sizes). This clock is full of possibility. You could also glue on wood pieces, apply chalkboard paint, affix buttons, or just leave it au natural. (Oh, and I made the china cabinet that you see in the picture too.) Read more »

What do you do with an ever-expanding tool supply in a small apartment already packed to the gills? Answer: toolbox side tables. I found two of these locking file cabinets on Craigslist and loaded them up with all my tools and paint.

For the smaller tools, I divided the drawers with Ikea’s Antonius basket insert. It’s amazing how much you can fit in these little file cabinets. And they look kind of industrial modern too, n’est-ce pas?