Bathrooms tend to be difficult rooms to keep organized. Shampoos, soaps, lotions and the tons of other products we use daily easily get scattered about. Tweezers, nail files and hair ties end up anywhere but where you can find them. If you’re anything like me, keeping your bathroom clutter-free will seriously reduce your stress levels when you’re trying to get ready in the morning. Here are some handy bathroom organization tips that I use to keep my bathroom tidy. 1. Mason jar storage These trendy jars can get your bathroom organized in no time. I love using mason jars to store nail files, razors and make-up brushes. The vertical shape of these bathroom necessities usually makes them difficult to store, but they slip right into mason jars—and look nice too. You could also use mason jars to hold cotton balls, q-tips and toothbrushes. 2. Bowls to corral small items Drawers and cabinets in the bathroom are where stuff goes to get lost forever. (Go check. I bet you don’t even know what’s in the back of that bathroom drawer.) If you don’t corral small items, like lip balms, tweezers, hair ties and bobby pins, they end up everywhere. My...
Closet Makeover Reveal
When my boyfriend and I moved into a rental house back in September, he promptly took over both closets on the main floor. Really, he just put his clothes somewhere to get them out of the way. We were tripping over boxes, each other and the dog we had so much stuff everywhere. But as time passed, his clothes stayed in the closets. And I got tired of living out of a suitcase. So, I turned the upstairs room into this… Dream closet! Really it’s a mishmash of furniture that couldn’t fit elsewhere in the house. But look how great it turned out. Girl dream room. The clothes racks are my favorite part of the room. They make the it look like a store, and I get to go shopping every morning! They’re also my favs because I was determined to find cute clothes racks—for cheap!—and I did. I found one of the clothes racks at a fancy-schmancy estate sale. It was holding (way) overpriced clothes and wasn’t marked as “for sale.” I asked anyway and offered $10. Sold! The other I found by placing a wanted ad on Craigslist. Scored that one for $15. Not bad considering that...
Make a Travel Art Wall From Souvenirs
When most people travel, they buy one thing: souvenirs. I’ve bought plenty of keychains and magnets from those kitschy souvenir shops that seem to exist everywhere. As great as the magnet or bottle opener is, I’ve found that I want something more memorable to remind me of the places I’ve visited. Over the past few years, I’ve collected different types of artwork from the countries I’ve visited. To show them off, I put together a wall of travel art in my apartment. Displaying memorabilia collected from the different trips I’ve taken works not only as a souvenir, but also as personalized home décor. It also makes a great way to remember my travels. The great thing about creating a wall of travel art is all the possibilities! The collection can be made up of prints, photographs, postcards, one-of-a-kind paintings, fabric, scraps of paper… (you get the idea). When I travel, I try to keep the expenses low. Most of my trips to foreign countries have involved staying at hostels or budget hotels, and packing lunch from the free hostel breakfast. As such, I try not to spend too much money on souvenirs. Here are some...
IKEA Hack: Curtain Wire to Photo Display
Displaying a lot of photos in one area isn’t always easy. Especially if you have to mess with frames. And hanging those frames. And then making sure those frames are level and lined up. Clearly I’m not too good at hanging art on the wall. (I’m not.) That’s why I love this IKEA hack. You just hang this curtain wire (it takes three screws on each side) and clip up photos instead of drapes. And if you’re none-too-handy with the drill, I’m sure your significant other, sibling, parent, friend etc. will enjoy drilling a few screws into the wall more than hanging a bunch of framed photos. Don’t get me wrong, I love photo collages and gallery walls, but they take a lot of time and effort. I wanted something quick and easy to add a bit of pizzazz above my dining room table and this IKEA hack did just that. I really like square photos right now. Blame it on Instagram. I printed all of these photos from an app called PostalPix. The photo display probably should have been moved a bit lower, but I’m living with it. (Psst. Want to get the look of this IKEA hack for even cheaper?...
Fresh Mantle Display
It’s a New Year. Time for a new mantle display. If you can get through the chore of taking down your Christmas decorations, the chance to freshen up your fireplace mantle can make up for it somewhat. Even though it’s only January, I’m yearning for spring. How about you? I decided what better way to make it feel like spring than to bring a bit of nature indoors? That’s what’s going on with my mantle display. It’s simple. Clean. And, it has fresh touches from nature here and there. Need some feel good spring-like inspiration for your mantle? Here’s how I got the look. Overall, I kept the mantle super simple with white vases, a bit of glass for sparkle and natural elements. See those branches and that snippet of greenery? I ran outside in the snow (in my slippers no less) and trimmed those bits from plants in my front yard. The dash of green makes me really happy during this bleak winter. My boyfriend found these antlers on the ground. Little did he know they were so handy for holding up garland. Pinecones scavenged from my yard look fancy displayed on a tiered tray. (P.S. I made...
New Years Resolutions For 2014
This year I’m keeping it simple. I only have one resolution for Red Leaf Style in 2014. To be inspiring. When I started this home blog, that’s all I really aimed to do. To inspire you. Yes, you. I wanted you to get excited about your home. Whether I feature a DIY project, show off something that’s bugging me about my own home or talk about my thrift store finds, my goal is just to inspire. It may be a short resolution, but I’m thinking of it as a big challenge for the year. I want Red Leaf Style to be the place you go when you’re looking for new ideas to decorate your home or just want to get inspired. Here’s to a new year full of home decorating love! Keep Up With Red Leaf Style! Follow Red Leaf Style author Kirsten Hudson on Twitter @kirsten_hudson, Google+ and Pinterest....
Top 5 Posts of 2013
As 2013 comes to a close, I thought I’d share some of my most popular posts from the year. I really tried to step up and post more this year. And, I tried to share new tips, projects and ideas that you hadn’t seen before. I truly want Red Leaf Style to provide inspiration and excitement about decorating your home because I have so much fun with it. Here’s to an even better 2014 and a look back at what you loved in 2013: 5) Are You Stuck in a Decorating Rut? Do you ever think your home just feels boring? It’s just…the same? You want to change it up but you don’t know how? You’re in a decorating funk, my friend. I’ve been there too. You just have to get out of your usual way of doing things. Here are five ideas to pull you out of that decorating rut. 4) 15 Ways to Clean With Baking Soda Do you have a box of baking soda in your cupboard? Lucky you. That humble little box holds the ingredient to clean, refresh and deodorize your entire home—and it’s completely natural. Here are just fifteen ways to clean with baking soda....