Saturday 9 February 2013

I've gone all Blue Peter....

Truly, I have.  You know how you get an idea - oh well, hang on..what I really mean is..you know how you see something on Pinterest...and then it sort of sticks in your head but you aren't Martha Stewart and you don't want to use power tools or have to ask for help so you kinda mull it over for ever...and then you wake up one Saturday morning and it's cold and snowy and the agenda is filled with stuff you would rather not be doing?  Yeah?  Well, here we all are on the same page then.  

 And you know how maybe twenty eight years ago you would fight against and resent the fact that you are the only person in the house that does any sort of real tidying up and that includes dealing with mail and filing...but now, after those twenty eight years, you sort of do it automatically and no longer resent it because, frankly, you're a grown up now and really, there are worse things to have to do and at least you know where important stuff is? Oh me too.  So while I was clearing up the kitchen after other people's breakfasts this morning, I admired the size of the Sugar Puffs box.  And then took the bag out, slung it in the cupboard and made for my work desk, box in hand.  Some measuring and nifty scissor work....


And then, colour me really surprised, I used proper glue to cover it...I even made some measurements and thought about the finished look...



It took 2 pieces of 12 x 12, and some scraps. I thought ahead enough to cut the box to just below 12" high so as to make it easy for myself. Of course.   

I did not think far enough ahead to twig that I'd gone done a sort of haberdashery theme for something that as you can see, will hold post.  In my house, the tendency is for mail to be opened and then left in a pile on top of the fridge.  I do it too, so I don't complain.  Business paperwork, invoices etc are 'collected' on the fridge until the beginning of a new week when I spend a day sorting and accounting.  Anyone who works from home will know that trying not to deal with business post over a weekend can be difficult if it lies in your line of vision.  Now though, thanks to my cutting and sticking, it can be OFF the fridge top and out of the line of coffee cup rings and other assorted dangers associated with being in the kitchen.  It took all of twenty minutes.  I have no idea how long I will like it..but for now..it's all good.   I'm thinking I might do another one for slinging the foil and cling film in..items that are never ever put away but which really drive me nuts.  If you're getting the impression that I have a teeny kitchen in terms of counter top and wall space for storage.....you're right.  Shame, I hear your mind shrieking, that it takes such a big lengthy article to explain it all.  Sorry.  But I had some spare time - a twenty minute start- to-finish home decor project?  Good grief, maybe I am Martha Stewart!

45 comments:

Redanne said...

I honestly don't think that Martha would have made a better job of it Julia - it is a fab idea. I suffer from the same small kitchen, paper piled up, DH never sees it...... what a great idea - love it! Hugs, Anne x

voodoo vixen said...

Don't know if you are Martha or Arthur, but that is a great idea and nice piece of recycling!! ;)

KatzElbows said...

To hell with Martha; have you ever seen her ink up a stamp? I'd much rather have you around. And your post box is fab. I just hope it will be seen, even if the post won't be.

CraftygasheadZo said...

Great work lovely. I'm eyeing up boxes too, though for what I don't know! Take care Zo xx

Kyla said...

Looks fabulous.....upcycling...bang on trend too
Kyla

Annie said...

Well Martha I think you've done a fab job of that and def not Blue Peter standard cos there is no sticky back plastic or empty washing up bottles in sight :-)
Hugs,
A x

Kim said...

Fab idea and it looks lovely. I know that I'd do one though and have to make a box for the box to go in and the mail would still be there about 137 weeks later!!;)

Crafty Lark said...

Fab project, when I get to my organised phase I hope I remember this one. Please feel free to remind me if you see me thinking of getting organised. I am still in my temporary kitchen. xx Flora

scrappymo! said...

Fabulous idea! I love the patterned paer you chose as well.
It might as well be pretty and useful!

Now I am going up to scour the kitchen for a low, sturdy box as I have the mail problem under control...but not the keys and wallet problem DH creates when he leaves his keys, wallet and whatever else is currently in his pockets...dead center of my kitchen island.
Oh the ideas you will trgger with this poast!

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

That's impressive in 20 minutes! Our post tends to gather on top of the microwave. I'm not tall enough to see the top of the fridge/freezer!

Lynn Holland said...

Hee hee something else to distract me from doing what I'm supposed to be doing

Helen said...

Well done, Martha! The box looks great - hope you all learn to use the box..

fairy thoughts said...

That Looks GGGGreat.... (remember tony the tiger)
Ironically it probably took longer to write this post too.
janet

Lunch Lady Jan said...

Never Martha.....more like Val Singleton!! :) xxxx

Claire said...

Brilliant idea Julia, great piece of recycling.
C xx

MrsC.x said...

Julia you said blue peter but where was the sticky back plastic??

Lovely job thou love :) hopefully the other dunnits will use it rather than the fridge top
Charlie.xx

craftylittlemoos.blogspot.com x

Scrapcat 1 said...

love the box and the papers you have used, we have a wire basket that all the post goes in until i can't fit anything else in and then I blitz it :)

pearshapedcrafting said...

Well, hello Martha! Love the box - I had an idea to tidy up our(well, not mine -I ALWAYS deal with mine straight away! lol!) post. So…its a basket that overflows regularly and causes more of a problem than it did lying around! Hope yours works better! Chrisx

Unknown said...

Yes this is a great idea, I had a huge box like that the other day and picked it up ready to 'do' something with it but couldn't think what so it got trashed. Love the papers you used.
Elaine

Glenda said...

This is a wonderful idea and your finished product is beautiful. I did something along these lines, using an old laundry detergent box...one of the small ones. It also worked out well.

CoventryAnn said...

Great idea... noticed the first comment, do all husbands simply not see the mess piling up on any horizontal surface in the house? Or is it just mine? :)

Elizabeth said...

Maybe not Martha Stewart but Anthea Redfern perhaps :) It's a great bit of upcycling and if we ever ate anything that came in such a large box I'd quite like to do the same for the foil and clingfilm ... in our house these items are stacked on a shelf where they are quite like to fall down any minute! Elizabeth xx

Sandy said...

Hmm let me have another look at my cereal..
Think when I buy my next box of cereal I will be looking at the boxes and sizing them all up and checking for thickness of cardboard..
Sandy :)

Queenie Jeannie said...

That turned out lovely!! Well done you!

sandra de said...

Can't get better then a julia dunnit. My household is the same.... sigh.
Sandra

Alyce Kit and Clowder said...

wow what a transformation! this looks amazing :D

Deanne said...

thats totally fab julia, nothing better than recycling something into something useful :) x enjoy your sunday x

Minxy said...

You've done a grand job, the post box looks amazing x

Arnoldo L. Romero, MLA said...

This is a really clever idea, Julia. I love finding ways to recycle items for my students projects in school, so I'll keep this one in mind. Blessings!

Twiglet said...

Brilliant - and you never had to resort to an eggbox and a pair of Val Singleton's old drawers!!!x Jo - showing her age now!!!!!

Leslie Hanna said...

In my world this is called Creative Avoidance and you've done well!

Belinda Basson said...

If I had to make a box for everything that piles up in this house it could get interesting! At least it would all be colour co-ordinated!

Eliza said...

I don't think you are Martha either but you are Julia and it is for certain a really cool mail sorter, I like it. Great considering it was a cereal packet, I do hope the pops aren't on the floor everywhere LOL

Eliza

Monica said...

Oh shit DH took all the waste to recycle and there was the perfect box. Oh just looked around my studio a sort of wast dump of it's own and low an behold a perfect box. Dunnit doe it again!!!!!

Cardarian said...

Nope, I think you are Julia Stewart! I would need a few of those boxes but I am not that much a corn flakes eater! Huh!
Hugs,
Cardarian

Angie said...

Great idea ...and made so qickley too ....love LLJ's comment. xx

Craftychris said...

Cool idea and gorgeous box! Wish I could come up with ideas like this - but then I am no Julia am I!!! Nor am a Martha! xx

Alison Scott said...

Wonderful recycling (or is it upcycling?)
Either way great post box.

Jaki Morris said...

Brilliant!
I still have empty pringle cans awaiting covering after I saw something on a WOYWW post. It fools the boys everytime! 'Yay, Mum bought Pringles' 'Oh, they're empty'

Jakixx

Heathers Inspiration said...

A Great make, Love your Idea.
It looks so stylish :)

Kimbo said...

Fantastic transformation and so useful. I keep saving the cat food boxes but end up throwing them away x

Unknown said...

Julia--this is brilliant. Quite gorgeous. Two things here make me happy: that someone else in the world feels like I do now about the tidying up, and felt like I did about twenty years ago too. The other thing is, that you used a cereal box. I have these wonderful tissue boxes that I've snipped up, and they're going to be little journals! Repurposing is so magical. This is very Martha of you--I love Martha by the way. She taught me how to can my tomatoes years ago on her weekly show before anyone had really heard of her or bothered to watch her!

Princess Judy Palmer said...

This post was a scream! So do you ever wake up in the middle of the night when you should be sleeping and think of the most fabulous project ever that would solve all the world's problems, lower your cholesterol, and make crime obsolete? Yeah... me either.

Love your post and the thought processes behind it. Your post deposit bin is good looking for sure!

Gibby Frogett said...

Brilliant idea Julia, love the pattern and colours...another one to add to the 'to do' list..could you find a way of making 48 hours in a day instead of 24 too please :) Gill x

Bethan said...

loving it!!!