Those of you who frequent this blog know that me, my hands, and a craft project don’t generally get along. If it involves a needle and thread, a hammer and nails, glue and glitter, or even a pen and paper, chances of success are slim to none.
My hands are shaky, stiff, and sorta man-ish in their overall size and dexterity.
They don’t like doing intricate work on small things, and they have a hard time doing the bidding of my brain, particularly after it spends an afternoon drooling over craft projects on Pinterest.
However.
I recently decided that this house was in desperate need over a makeover.
The Dudes are getting older and, as such, they need fewer child safety precautions (we can get rid of the baby gates and outlet covers), have outgrown many of their toys (the rows of scooting ride-ons in our basement have completely outworn their welcome), and are at least 13% less likely to ruin my fabric dining room chairs with chocolate milk (but I still don’t let them sit in them just as a precaution).
Plus, for some reason, since we purchased this house in all of its neutral glory, we’ve done little to modify that and add color and personality.
And you guys know I’m big on personality.
I was so totally sick of the brown on beige on brown color palette we had going on in this place that something had to be done.
And, since I am currently a, um, sporadically employed schlump free agent with some extra time on my hands* and very little disposable income to hire home designers or even buy furniture in its completely put together state, that something had to be done by me.
So, I added a little awesome into my dining room (please note, it was previously home to two dinning tables, a kid’s kitchen, at least 8 cardboard boxes turned random playthings, and totally blank walls)…
And then I went to work on our multi-use playroom. Because, in addition to being the place on the first floor where The Dudes are banished asked to play, this room is also part we’re-too-lazy-to-walk-to-the-dining-room-to-eat area, and part the-dog-needs-a-place-to-sleep-that-isn’t-my-bed room too. So, you can understand our need to make the kid play area of this room as tidy and organized as possible.
Naturally I went to every cheap person’s favorite place to shop (aka Ikea) to snag some organizational elements to achieve the desired affect.
I already had this (see, it’s been hanging around since Christmas)…
So I bought these and shoved all of their junk inside of them…
And then, I decided that we needed a solution for this…
Because, seriously, my feet and my sanity and Dumb Dog’s rectum (when she sees this, for some reason she thinks: SNACKS!) could not take another moment of it.
So I got myself some tacky glue (it works on everything according to the container), and glued two big ole Lego flats that never fit anywhere anyway to the top of my Ikea bench so that instead of that (see above), they could have this…
I noticed its awesomeness immediately.
Mostly because I haven’t spent even one afternoon cleaning up Lego bits and pieces since the day the glue dried on this thing.
And, I’ve not scooped one Lego filled poop from Dumb Dog’s bottom either.
Plus, they have been playing Legos every day! They keep going back to their little Lego city for more fun and mommy-free entertainment.
It. Is. Awesome.
Know what makes it even awesomer?
How I pimped it out even more by turning it into a sweet little reading nook/time-out chair/kneeling cushion thingy too…
Get your minds right people and come back for the way-easier-than-you-think-how-to next week; my man hands are about to blow your mind. Sorta.
*Dear people looking for people to make other people love their businesses and talk incessantly about the awesomeness of their products, Dumb Mom is looking for a job. She works hard, smiles lots, and has seriously cool ideas that people love to steal lots. Feel free to email her if you want to give her a job. She’s by her computer waiting.
**Today’s post was inspired by my bunk house, my messy kids, and Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop.
You pretty much beat me out for Mother of the Year with this post alone… my kiddo would be begging to come live with you :)
Thanks for joining the party at One Creative Weekend!
My 7YO was mesmerized by the sheer amount of legos in these pictures. She started plotting how she could come over and play with them. :)
Awesome! I love that it’s a bench, too. I’m hosting a linky party “One Creative Weekend” at OneCreativeMommy.com. I’d love for you to visit and link up this idea and/or anything else you’d like to share.
I wish I had this awesome idea when my son was starting out with the lego thing. Now I just know, he’ll grow out of them the moment I finish the project.
Your posts are hilarious.
Great job on the Lego Table. I am totally UN-crafty but I need to do something like this for my boys’ Duplo stuff.
I LOVE this idea!
LOVE it!
So thankful that my kiddo was never really ‘into’ the whole Lego deal.
But I have to deal with Barbie clothes, shoes and other various accessories being strewn about the house.
Stepping on a doll’s princess crown? Does not feel good.
At all.
How is it that I’ve never been to Ikea?! I’m totally missing out! I love the way you repurposed that in two different ways…genius! Your dining room looks awesome as well…can’t wait to see what you do next!
Ahh lego’s are a huge problem in our house. This is an awesome and easy idea. Thanks for sharing
Love pieces that have multiple purposes!
Lil Duck is just getting in to the tiny lego scene. Previously she had the big chunky ones but now, you know, she’s “Older”. I love the table and organization idea! I will for sure be taking this concept and making it work for us! Thanks for posting!!
Very cool organizing going on at your house! Nicely done
Now that is a pretty cool idea! Now… can you show me how to do the same thing but for a Thomas the Train set or 20?
I love that idea! Wish I had thought of something like that when Mini-Me was little! Maybe I can put it to good use for Little Diva instead!
this is very freaking cool!
You get on with your bad crafty self!!!
I knew you had a craft gene in you somewhere. Good job.
both your projects turned out great. kaye—the road goes ever ever on
What a good idea. You man hands are gooood.
Dude….awesome!! We don’t have the little legos but we have things like littlest pet shops and barbie shoes…I may not need the lego top but I need those bins!
That table is most definitely awesome. I love that it’s versatile rather than all Lego all the time. Feel free to forward me baby gates. Z is almost three and fine w/the stairs, but we’re about to convert his crib and I’m imagining all hell breaking loose at night shall he be able to simply get out. Love the brown and white dining chair.
I seriously loathe legos. Perhaps if my son were normal, and would make things and then break them down and play with the loose legos, I might like them more. But NOOOOOO! He likes to keep everything in it’s completed state, and finding room for it all is mind boggling.
Love what you did with the bench, and especially love your dining room!
OW.
In other news, I find I do my best creative work around the house when we’re broke. It’s the pressure. Starving artist and all that.
Great job on the lego table. Kids need a place to kneel, because goodness knows they aren’t going to sit the freak down… Even the girls.
Hey Darl,
I love it! It’s nice to see nothing changes in blogland! My daughter is 15 now and still plays with her legos (although she’d NEVER admit it to her friends!). I might just have to borrow your idea, I need something to keep me from bloodying up the soles of my feet!
Love,
Brea x x x
Back Mama Kat’s
What a great idea. Legos have been messing with my feet for 2 generations now.
Thanks Katie. My soles are so much happier!
I love your style of writing. It makes me smile. If they ever needed get secrets out of me they’d just have to make me walk on Legos…..
I think that’s the case for every grown up human. Barefoot Lego walking is like way worse than water boarding. And thanks for the compliment!