DIY Key Plaque

I took to my beloved Pinterest after the hubs accidentally broke our el cheapo key box during a refrigerator install. I found a few great ideas and thought I'd give one a try. Unfortunately I never made it that far. When gathering supplies for this key rail, while in Joann's, I ended up taking a completely different route. My main goal was to keep the keys from smacking the wall when hung up, my secondary goal was to make it cute.

I already had the lettered knobs on hand; I purchased them from Michael's last year for another project that never happened for $1 each. I got the key rail at Lowe's for $7. At Joann's I found a blank plaque for $10, a cheap 22"x22" bandanna, and for $1.80 I picked up the buttons. I'm sure there are cheaper methods but this is what worked for me. :)

1. I spent several days debating how to position everything. I only had one shot with this and didn't want to regret my decision. I even got advice from my Dec Mamas. So I measured, lined up and marked where the screw holes would need to be drilled. I then passed it off to the hubs as he drilled the holes and countersinks for the knob screw heads.
2. While the hubs was busy I busted out the handy dandy iron to smooth out the creases in the bandanna.
3. I laid out some newspaper and used some super strength 3M adhesive. This part took the longest as I had to smooth the fabric into every nook and cranny of the recesses the plaque has.I had to wash my hands several times during the process as well as take care not to gunk up any of the visible fabric on the front.
4. Once the stretching and gluing was complete I let it sit for 30 minutes to cure before applying the adornments.
5. When all was said and done the screws that hold the rail on are a tad too long, so I simply applied a hefty dose of hot glue to conceal them. (The 3M picture mounts I use to hang the plaque keep them spaced from the wall as well) I then clipped the button rings off and hot glued them over the rail screw heads to conceal them.

And voila! We now have a place to hang the keys that doesn't make me hang my head in shame. :)

Upcycling

I posted not too long ago on a You Capture Challenge a shot of our crayons and how a certain little Miss has a bad habit of break and peeling the crayons. Why? I guess because she can. 

So whilst browsing Pinterest I decided to do something I've seen done a million times. I mean, after all this project is really up her alley since she likes to peel & break them anyway. So we spent well over two hours peeling and breaking a nearly full gallon bucket of crayons last night. And today, all of the magic happened.

I was hopeful that this would nip her issue in the bud, but now she wants nothing to do with the crayons as far as coloring is concerned. She said they're "too hard." :( However, she does enjoy trying to stack them as high as she can. Hmpf.

Build Your Own Simple Spice Rack

So I posted some of this on my fb page, but in order to go into more detail for those wanting instructions on how to do it yourself, here's my tutorial. I found the instructions here, but changed a couple of things for my own reasons.

 

 

What you'll need for the 60 Jar Spice Rack:

• (4) pieces of Blind Stop White Vinyl Never Rot Moulding (it's square), 5/8" x 8' @ $4.98each (It feels like plastic and it's very easy to cut.) I purchased mine at Lowe's.
• Brad Nailer
• Tape Measure
• Somewhere flat to work
• Patience
• Approx. 4 yards of 3/8" Elastic (optional)
• Heavy Duty Stapler (optional)

 

What you'll need for the spice jars:

• (60) 3oz Spice Jars (includes shaker inserts and lids). These can be purchased at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $0.99 each. OR You could buy the from Amazon for a penny cheaper, in a case of 48 count + shipping unless you have a PRIME account.
• Avery Multipurpose Round Removable Labels, 1", White, Pack Of 600 @ $6.82 for the Jar Lids
• Avery White Inkjet Labels, Return Address, 1/2" x 1 3/4", Box Of 2,000 @ $12.49 for the Jars (optional)

 

Let's get started! First I used this diagram found on the original tutorial. I made one slight change however, I added 3" to the vertical pieces in order to add the elastic.

I decided I would need to secure the jars on the shelves. We decided the best place for our spice rack in the house at the moment is the small laundry room in the kitchen, so it is on the wall where the washing machine is. I was nervous about the vibrations knocking the jars off the shelves, so I figured the elastic would be the easiest fix. So you can make your own rack with or with out the elastic and the extra inches.

 

STEP ONE 

 

• Cut (10) 24" foot pieces
• Cut (3) 22" pieces (or 25" depending on your method)

Because the moulding is vinyl you can easily cut this with a miter box if you don't have a miter saw on hand.

 

 

STEP TWO  

 

• Using a brad nailer, attach one 24" cross piece on the 22" uprights, at equal intervals.
• In order to get a "clean look" on the front I flipped the rack over and slid one more 24" cross piece under each cross piece already attached. Then I nailed them from the back side to keep the front "hole-less." 
• Once completed it should look like the pictures below.

OPTIONAL STEP TWO

• Cut (5) 25" pieces of elastic.
• Staple each end to the inside of the outter uprights.
• Staple each piece in the center of the center upright.



I didn't get a picture of the center of the elastic stapled.

STEP THREE

• Print your labels. You can choose what font, color, size to use. You can also choose if you want the jars labeled as well as the lids. Customize them however you see fit. 

STEP FOUR

• Round up all of your spices and seasonings and begin transferring them into the glass jars. If you're like us and buy in bulk, you'll need to find a suitable location to store the containers. Then when your kitchen spice jar runs low you can run to the basement, grab your spice and refill your jar.

STEP FIVE 

•  Hang your New Custom Homemade Spice Rack in your designated location.

I'm pretty certain that these instructions can be easily manipulated if you feel you don't have the need/space for 60 jars. Have fun with it and don't be afraid to share how yours turns out!