Back To School Organizing Tips : 2013 ideas

School is in session! This time of year we can all use a little organization advice. Use these creative and helpful tips to store more in your home.

Organize Your Important Papers, Bills, Receipts & More

 



 

 

Just Drop It

Take charge of underused kitchen items that could be repurposed for organization. This vintage toast rack becomes an elegant in-box on an entry table. Use the slots to keep postage stamps handy for outgoing mail and to sort what comes in.

 

 

Portable Projects

Forget boxy filing cabinets. Flat-bottom tote bags are sized right for file folders and make perfect project carriers. Tuck a separate shelf under a desk to keep the bags upright. Add more storage with a set of stackable drawers on the desk and stash wrapping paper in a pretty bin beside it.

 

 

Office Out Box

With meetings, school, practice, and pets, it's easy to lose track of time on busy mornings. A drop zone is a foolproof way to manage mail that needs to go out the door. Designate two trays  one for bills to pay and one for outgoing letters near the entryway of your home to make sure nothing is missed.

 

 

Expense Tracker

A well-ordered expense tracker makes it easy to maintain inventories and keep important documents on hand. With several compartments, this file box ensures manageable space to organize receipts and other frequently-accessed items. Look for a device with labeled pockets so you can organize information by subject or date, or alphabetically.

 

 

Style-Setting Role

By keeping papers on hand and off the desk, this wall-mounted file helps corral paper clutter. Use each compartment to organize items by category, such as bills, schoolwork, and notepads. Affix metal hooks to outer panels for keys or grab and go items.

 

 

Message Center

Keep clutter at bay with a multi-purpose work station. This communication haven is built from a patchwork of magnet, dry-erase, chalkboard, cork, and pegboard squares behind the built-in desktop. The combination of materials ensures that messages and papers can be stored in versatile ways. Use magnetic boards to hold papers you need only temporarily, dry-erase boards and chalkboards to jot down quick messages, cork boards to stick more permanent papers on (favorite take-out menus, emergency phone numbers), and pegboard squares to mount containers for desk supplies.

 

 

Out to Dry

Create a personal filing system that meets your daily needs and makes sense to you, but make it easy to use. Intended for dishes, the slats of this drying rack stand file folders and notebooks at perfect attention. Use the slotted compartment designed for sponges to stash small office supplies.

 

 

Tray Chic

Quarter-sheet baking pans make great clutter-catchers in shallow desk drawers. Designate a tray for each specific need, such as organizing bills or corralling extra office supplies, to keep counters clean .

 

 

Raise the Bar

Keep needed items in sight and in mind with color-coded folders. Attach towel racks to the side of a desk to create a file cabinet. Add grommets to file folders and hang them from the bars with curtain hooks. Personalize each folder with labels and postcards for a memorable way to organize.

 

 

Stationery System

Stash everything you need to accomplish a task in one designated area. Perfect for storing small items, this letter holder adds a burst of style to the desktop and keeps colorful stationery on hand for jotting a quick note.

 

Kids' Organization

Keep homework and school papers organized with a simple filing system. Standing files with tabbed dividers sort paper by subject or activity, making it easy to separate classes from extracurriculars .

 

 

Great Space-Saver

Sync your family's busy schedules with a communication center at the heart of your home. A host of wall-mounted organizers, such as bulletin boards, magnetic panels, and file folders, save space and encourage parents and kids to exchange important messages. Magnetic strips of memo board provide a place to hang cards and photos.

 

Organize On the Go

Create a portable coupon and receipt organizer from an index card case and stash it where you'll remember to take it on errands. Alphabetized divider tabs are the perfect solution for filing lists accordingly. The holder's small size makes it easy to stow in a purse .

 

 

 

 

HGTV Dream Home 2012 : Living Room Pictures

A sea of calming blue and serene cream in the home's gathering space complements interior stone cladding and connects the room to outdoor spaces.

Designed to resemble an old stone structure, the great room stands as the home's hub with wings radiating out like spokes.

Four giclees on paper, which draw out golden tones in the limestone, form the room's focal point. The matted and framed artwork was mounted on plywood, which was anchored to the stone wall.

I wanted there to be lots of interesting textures,' says interior designer Linda Woodrum. 'I wanted the perimeter of the room the stone wall and the windows to be dominant. Then I wanted your eye to go outside.

Why shades of blue in this and other first-floor spaces? Linda was inspired by the color of Utah skies, the Provo River, Mount Timpanogos and the Cascade Mountain ranges at sunset.

Mortis-and-tenon timber trusses, stabilized with stainless steel collar ties, visually lower the vaulted ceiling and transform an otherwise voluminous space into a cozy escape.

French doors connect the great room to an outdoor living room and grilling station that extends space for entertaining during three seasons of the year.

Ticking stripe, houndstooth and ikat upholstery and pillow fabrics continue Linda's story of texture.

A design vignette that bridges the space between the great room and the kitchen offers up its own tabletop treasures and ottomans, which tuck away during quiet times.

Six cottage-style glass-topped tables form one large center coffee table; slatted shelves provide storage for magazines, pillows and home entertaining essentials.

The staggered height of decorative elements assures the importance of each in the artful tablescape design.

Linda layered textures to add interest in the space. The handwoven seagrass braids of a serving tray echo the stacked design of limestone.

'I like that the ikat prints are very clean, very crisp and strong enough to hold their own,' says Linda. 'And they relate back to the ikat pillows and the chair in the foyer.'

 

The nature-inspired color palette flows effortlessly from the great room to the cooking and dining spaces.

Fast Decorating Projects 2012 Ideas

Give your home decor a lift with these easy decorating projects that are fun, fresh, and fast!

Bench Seating

Dress up a dining spot with a charming bench seat. Pair an upholstered headboard with a seat-height bench to create this quaint settee with ease. Hang the headboard a few inches above the bench top so it's easy to toss on a comfortable cushion. Use anchor bolts to secure the headboard to the wall.

Decorative Memo Station

Turn a plain bulletin board into a decorative accessory that's functional, too. Display a bulletin board in a stylish frame  try a chunky black frame for modern decor or gilded molding to fit more traditional style. Then add a decorative wall decal on the cork to dress up the memo board.

Unexpected Bookcase

Turn a nonfunctioning fireplace into a practical and pretty storage space by outfitting it with shelves. Measure the opening and build a plywood insert to fit snugly inside. Cut shelves to fit across. Then paint the pieces and wallpaper the back of the insert. Screw the shelves in place and set the insert in the firebox.

Furniture Facelift

Turn a tired piece of furniture into a new treasure. Search flea markets and garage sales for old furniture with good bones. This charming desk was originally a vanity table. After the mirror was removed, the table was sanded, primed, and painted. Pretty papers decoupaged onto the drawer fronts and new knobs add decorative character.

Creative Dining Display

Think outside the box. In the dining room, try this creative alternative for a standard hutch or china cabinet. Hang a pair of bookcases horizontally on the wall, then slide a third on the floor below. Display favorite dinnerware and keep serving pieces handy in the cubbies. Install the middle bookcase at counter height so it serves double-duty as a buffet station or bar.

Pretty Wall Panels

Finding artwork to make an impact on a large, empty wall can cost a fortune. Instead, make your own for a custom look and fit. Choose sheer curtain panels to coordinate with your room's decor. Paint large stripes on the wall slightly wider than the panels. Mount short curtain rods at the ceiling to hang the curtain panels in front of the stripes.

Easy Access

Save money by repurposing old furniture. A paint job and a new set of casters turned this old bedroom shelving unit into a rolling kitchen cart. Its shelves are perfect for holding linens and dishes. The drawer, with its updated drawer pull, can stash takeout menus.

Classy Update

Transform a dresser with paint and wallpaper. Chic taupe paint and toile wallpaper highlight this dresser's traditional lines. Play with the position of the wallpaper until you're happy with the design, and then cut the paper to fit the drawer fronts. After painting the dresser, apply the wallpaper; protect it and the painted surfaces with an acrylic sealer .

Wallpaper Effect

Try this alternative to glue-on wallpaper. Use an oversize stencil to add pattern to your walls. Paint the stencil pattern from floor to ceiling for an overall wallpaper effect. Or stencil below a chair-rail or plate-rail height, or on just one accent wall. A mottled paint finish gives this damask stencil design more dimension and texture.

Easy to Assemble Table

Whip up a one of a kind side table in a jiffy. Choose an oversize decorative serving tray pick up a trendy one from a home decor store or repurpose a vintage flea market find. With a dab of construction adhesive, glue the tray to the top of an adjustable-height stool for a handy table you can raise and lower.

Make an Entrance

Transform a simple doorway into a pretty passage. Hang curtains in a standard doorway to add a soft, decorative touch to a room. For a sophisticated finish, top the curtains with a classic valance made from an architectural pediment. Paint the pediment and add wooden rope trim, if desired, for a traditional accent. Then screw hooks into the back of the valance to hang a tension rod for the panels, and screw the valance to the doorway molding.

Easy Artwork

Artwork doesn't have to be expensive or hard to find to be pretty and special. Gather a handful of floating frames to hang on a wall in an abstract arrangement. Fill the frames with beautiful letterpress cards, your grandmother's handkerchiefs, or anything that strikes your fancy and complements your decor.

Find the Bright Side

Don't let the inside of a wood-stained bookcase or hutch keep beautiful display pieces in the dark. Show off the contents and lighten the decorative mood of the entire room by painting the shelves' interior backing a lively color. Add even more personality by wallpapering the inside with a fun pattern.

Quick Custom Wainscoting

Add intricate architectural detailing with ease. This elegant wainscoting looks like the result of hours of elaborate work, but it just calls for a visit to a home center. The ready-made PVC latticework panels are mounted on the wall above the baseboard and topped with a chair rail made from 1x4 and 1x2 boards. Screen molding is nailed in place to hide the joints where the panels meet. Paint the raw wood pieces with white paint color-matched to the PVC.

2012 Headboards Decorating Ideas

From modern to traditional, an upholstered headboard is a crowning finish in these bedrooms.

Delicious Chocolate

Mocha tufted-silk upholstery on a wraparound headboard envelopes this bed with luxury and comfort. The simple textures of the fabric-and-wood frame contrast the grass-cloth-covered walls.

Pump Up the Volume

An extra-high headboard and luxurious folds of fabric create a sense of grandeur that makes this feel bigger bedroom. The oversize-square European-style pillows emphasize the height of the headboard.

Perfectly Patterned

In a room filled with gorgeous patterns and colors, a simple headboard can be just as much of a standout as an ornamented one. This subdued creamy-white headboard is trimmed in oversize nailhead for a distinctive finish .

Scale Matters

Scale and rhythm are key principles to successful pattern-mixing. In a space filled with pretty florals, an oversize-gingham fabric on the upholstered headboard and drapes offers a welcome contrast. The orderly pattern of green-and-white checks introduces a steady rhythm to the free-flowing florals on the walls and bedding. A larger-scale gingham pattern ensures that the fabric isn't lost among the room's elements the way a smaller pattern could have been.

Textural Neutrals

Layers of touchable textures mix and mingle around a basic natural-linen headboard. The vintage hooked-wool rug framed and hung above the bed inspired the collection of pillows that features quilted silk, tufted cotton, and crewelwork.

Cool Contrast

Blend rounded lines with straight edges. The circular pattern on the headboard and bed skirt creates a striking effect with the rigid lines of the rectangular headboard. The result is an eye-appealing balance that makes a big impact in this room.

Big Personality

Add style to a plain wall with an extra-high patterned upholstered headboard. The blue and green flowers on this print are perfect for the whimsical bedroom and make a statement on the light blue walls .

Headboards You Can Make 2012 ideas

Bearing a pretty silhouette, gorgeous fabric, intricate details, or all three, a headboard adds a certain flourish to your bedroom. Whether you make your own or purchase a piece, introducing a headboard to your bedroom is an instant update guaranteed to wow.

Window of Opportunity

Create an elegant headboard like this one by spraying two shutters with two coats of primer and 2 coats of metallic paint, then finishing with two coats of sealant. Allow the shutters to dry between coats. Measure the inside of each panel and cut fabric to fit each opening, adding 1/2 inch on all sides. Place batting inside the panel to cover the entire area. Cover with a piece of fabric and attach to batting along the edges with hot glue. Secure the corners and along the top with a staple gun. Use ribbon as a trim to finish. Repeat for each panel.

Tall Order

Create a custom headboard that rises to the occasion by covering an inexpensive artist's canvas with fabric. Just pull the fabric tightly across the frame and secure with a staple gun. Then prop the canvas behind your bed no power tools required. When it's time to change out your bedding, simply re-cover the canvas with new coordinating fabric for a fresh look .

Frame It

Inexpensive photo frames can be found at garage sales or thrift shops and make a magnificent headboard. Remove the glass from the frames and cut batting the same size as the frame back. Cut fabric to size, adding 3 inches on each side. Lay the batting on the frame back and cover it with the fabric, wrapping excess over the back. Pull taut and fasten with duct tape. Insert the back into the frame. Hang three frames side by side for a picture-perfect headboard

Re-treated & Refreshed

Revamp an old wooden headboard with a new treatment. Try sanding off the existing stain and refinishing the headboard with a glaze or whitewash.

Modern & Fun

Give old closet doors a new purpose as a headboard. Two closet doors mounted on the wall behind the bed create a sleek focal point in this midcentury-modern bedroom. Plus, the tall headboard gives the room a sense of height.

Home Center Headboard

For less than $100, you can make a headboard out of basics from your local home center. On a piece of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), draw a design that's as wide as the mattress and about 40 inches tall; cut out. Use wood glue to cover the MDF with a piece of beaded board cut into the same shape. Glue strips of veneer over the rough edges. Glue or screw trim to the top edge and a finial in the cutout. Paint the entire piece. When dry, mount the headboard to the wall with 1 1/2-inch spacers

Wallpapered Headboard

Scout out a large picture frame from a flea market or secondhand shop and repurpose it as a headboard. Paint the frame to match your decor. Cut a wallpaper piece to fit inside the frame. Apply the paper to the frame backing following the manufacturer's instructions.

Framed Fabric Headboard

Spice up a bedroom by creating a framed headboard from a graphic print. Stretch the fabric over heavy cardboard or foam-core board and secure on the back. Insert the panels into two inexpensive poster frames spray-painted a coordinating color.

Storage Headboard

Create a one-of-a-kind headboard with built-in storage using old dresser drawers. Search salvage shops and secondhand stores for cast-off drawers and old dressers. Plan your layout on the floor, using fillers (such as storage cubes) and leaving spaces where the wall can show through. Once you've perfected your design, secure the pieces together with screws. (We also cut plywood doors to fit a few openings and secured them with hinges.) To embellish your headboard, give it a few coats of paint and wallpaper the drawer backs and doors. Hang the headboard on the wall using a few 1x4-inch cleats

Vintage Headboard

Add a vintage country look to your bedroom with a feed-sack-covered headboard. A large feed sack provides enough fabric to cover a twin-size headboard. Staple two layers of batting over the front side of a piece of plywood, and then staple the feed sack on top of the batting. Pull the fabric taut as you add staples to the center of each side and then as you work your way to the corners. For a stunning finish, nail a piece of architectural salvage to the top of the upholstered headboard.