Household Organisation Station

As promised, less than a week since my last post and a pretty cute project...

Recently I spotted this in the markdown section of the local discount place while doing the weekly grocery shopping (you know the one, starts with "A"). The box was damaged so it was half price.

I thought it looked interesting (for the price) but didn't buy it because I couldn't think where I could use something  tall and thin.

'Till a couple of days later.

I have been thinking for a while about how I could better organise my bills, school notices and filing, which have been living in the craft room. This was just not working. Most of the time that room is full of stuff waiting to be put away, given away or filed away. (I seem to be the only one who ever returns things to where they belong in my house - can you sympathise?) Because I don't get time to craft regularly, I don't go in there, and hence don't attend to those things as often as I should.

I also had the issue that our phone was up a little too high for the younger 2 boys to reach it easily, especailly to check the caller ID.  Then one afternoon I walked into the kitchen and wham!  Things came together in my head.  Could that cupboard I had seen be a solution to both problems? I couldn't remember reading the dimensions, so actually didn't know how tall or wide it was, but went back to the shop anyway to see if it was still there. It was!

I figured even if it turned out to only be a temporary fix, I was only $30 worse off.

I am a very visual person, so had to assemble it first to get a feel for the dimensions.

It's very tall and thin, but would hold what I needed. I marked out the position of the shelves and spots for 2 cord holes on the backboard, then partly took it apart to cut.

My long-suffering hubby got out the hole saw and joined me in my scheme. (Hooray for boys with power tools! Mwah!)

Once the holes for the cords were cut (one for the phone in the top section, one for a power board inside the cupboard) I used the shelf marks to match up 3 pieces of 12x12 scrapbook paper to line the back.  (Practicality must be accompanied by pretty, or what's the point?!)  Once these were attached (only around the edges with double-sided tape, mind you. A girl's gotta have options!) I slid the backing boards back in.

Et voila!

Now for the fun bits!  On the top shelf inside the door is hidden a charging station for my camera battery, MP3 player and mobile phone.  (It's a powerboard attached to the shelf where those messy chargers can be permanently plugged in and hidden away.)  The next one down holds tape, glue, scissors, stapler & envelopes - the stuff you are always needing for bills, school notes and running repairs.  The bottom shelf holds the household accordian file for this year, so the important things can be filed as soon as they're received or finished with.  (No more 'out of sight, out of mind' in the craft room!)

Up the top is the cute stuff. The phone where the kids can reach it, togther with a pretty notepad...

and with the addition of some 3M hooks on the back and sides, a place for some decorated clipboards and a bulldog clip to hold all the important papers still in use. The shelf still has space for my ideas book and diary.

I am one happy little organiser. All the things I use every day are now close to hand, and stinkin' cute to boot!

P.S. “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”Roman Catholic Saint Francis of Assisi on time management in 1200AD