DIY UPCYCLING DIY USING A SHOEBOX AND DOLLAR TREE PICTURE FRAMES

 For some time now, I have been making upcycling or trash to treasure projects on my YouTube channel. I have been enjoying transforming ordinary things that would've been thrown away and making them into something beautiful and functional. So, aside from making "decorganizers" that combine home decor and organizer into one giving a dual purpose for practicality, I am also beefing up with upcycling projects as part of what my channel will offer in the coming New Year!

This is my last upload for year 2020 but will be spearheading the year 2021 uploads for my upcycling projects.

For this DIY, I am using the new 3.5" x 5" wooden photo frames from Dollar Tree to upgrade my brother-in-law's empty shoebox and make an organizer for my growing number of pens! I have Infusible Ink pens for my Cricut machine, I also have Cra-Z-Art washable pens, chalk markers, and calligraphy pens. I need to put them where I can easily reach out for them when I need them. 

I love journaling, coloring books, and writing in general. So, this DIY has been long overdue!

Top photo - I used a total of 4 pieces 3.5"x5" picture frames.
Bottom photo - a man's empty shoebox measuring 8.5"14"x5" 

All of my pens in one place. Four cubbies to hold each type of pens. I love the built-in iron label holder where I placed the printed labels. 

I kept the organizer neutral so that the colored pens will pop!

    
The cubbies can also fit blank cards or greeting cards. Other items that I can store in this organizer are ephemeras, journaling cards, small sticker books, recipe cards, stationery, etc. 
By the way, the green wooden cube drawer with faux flowers on top is an example of a decorganizer I made. 

Here is a picture where I used it as pen holder. The drawer contained several rolls of small washi tapes!

To watch the full process video, please click on the video thumbnail below. Enjoy!

3 EASY HOT BEVERAGES STATION IDEAS

 It's that time of the year when we love to drink hot beverages whether they may be hot coffee, hot chocolate, or hot tea! Here are three money saving ideas to create your own hot drinks stations!

DIY1: HOT DRINKS BAR

Set up the hot drinks bar using a microwave stand or baker's rack like this one showing below.

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

I love this microwave stand. It's wooden and metal combo finishes add warmth to our kitchen. The wood matches the our dining tabletop, too!

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This 2-tier wooden tray from Hearth and Hand, which are sold at Target is an excellent way to organize cups, creamers, and sugar!

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I made the sign using Dollar Tree 11"x14" picture frame and "It's Good to be Home" vinyl placemat. I added three plastic adhesive hooks from Dollar Tree at the bottom back part of the frame that I adorned with winter faux greenery. 

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My favorite part of this hot drinks station is my DIY mini apothecary storage chest where I kept my hot tea bags of different flavors. 

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I used eight pieces of wooden drawer cubes from Dollar Tree and added iron label pulls from Amazon. I used Apple Barrel's acrylic paint in Nutmeg Brown to paint the boxes inside and out!

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Watch this video for the full tutorial on how I made the apothecary chest. 

DIY2: KITCHEN NOOK HOT DRINKS STATION

This is our current set-up! By using a small corner of our kitchen next to our refrigerator,

I took advantage of the cabinets above and below to hold supplies!

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

I also organized the coffee pods and hot cocoa sachets on this DIY caddy that I made using Dollar Tree materials. I also hung this vintage green and white 8-tilt-out-door compartments that I got at Michaels' three years ago using a discount coupon. I paid only $6.99 for this craft organizer turned tea bag organizer. I love that each compartment has a clear tilt-out-door so that my family and I can easily identify the flavors. 

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

DIY3: HOT BEVERAGES CART

If you live in a small space and you don't have an extra space for a baker's rack or kitchen counter top nook for your hot drinks, you can use a utility cart and turn it into your hot beverages bar. I love that this is mobile, so you can pretty much place it anywhere in your home!

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

This cart is packed with goodies to keep you warm during the cold winter season! Here, I added a roll of paper towel using Dollar Tree wire tray and dowel. 

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Here's the side view of the accessories I added to the side. It can hold the kitchen towel if you don't like to use the roll of paper towel. 

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The top shelf has enough room for the single cup coffee pod dispenser and containers for sugar, creamer, and stirrers. 

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The middle shelf can hold cups, coffee pods, tea bags, hot cocoa sachets, and mini marshmallow bags. 

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The bottom shelf holds the paper cups and lids. The two containers hold the extra supplies!

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

Watch the full video on how I set up these three hot drinks stations by clicking on the thumbnail below:

I hope you have fun creating your own hot cocoa, hot coffee, and hot tea drinks in your own hot beverages station!

Until next time! Bye for now! Hugs~ Josie 😀

5+ DOLLAR TREE DIY GIFT IDEAS

 It's that time for holiday gift-giving! Here are some holiday gift ideas that you can make on your own using inexpensive mostly items from Dollar Tree. Below are photos of each project. Scroll at the very bottom for the YouTube video.

DIY1: Wooden Box Sign 

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

DIY2: Decorganizer

Using 2 Dollar Tree wooden cubes with drawers attached together and painted in Apple barrel Limeade green acrylic paint. 

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

Use as a pen or pencil holder or...

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

Use as a silk flower arrangement vase. The drawer can contain small items like paper clips, washis, erasers, or any small items.

DIY3: Recycled Jars with Candies

Here, I used two small empty jars used for jams. I cleaned them up to contain mini candy canes from Dollar Tree. 

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

I used labels and chalk marker from Arteza.

DIY4: Edible Gifts

I used small lidded jars that I bought years ago from Michaels. Originally, they were $1.50 each but I got them on sale for 25 cents. I added assorted candies in holiday colors for a festive look. 

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

I also used Dollar Tree labels and embellishments to decorate them.

DIY5: Wooden Coasters

Here, I used four pine wood slices from Arteza. I decorated each using Dollar Tree butterfly stickers. 

Photo copyright: LifeAt50&Beyond

They are perfect as gifts all year-round!

Watch my video to learn how to make each project! See you there!

Hugs ~ Josie 😘

10 DOLLAR TREE DIY MUTLIPURPOSE ORGANIZERS

Hello everyone!!! Josie here from LifeAt50&Beyond. Ever since hitting 100K+ subscribers I have been thinking of doing a "Top 10 List" of all the DIYs I have made. For all of the people who have supported me I cannot thank you enough for all your support. The success of the channel has been because of all you. Hopefully this list that I am about to make will help both new and old subscribers of the channel. I will also link this list to Pinterest.

For this list I will be focusing on DIYs that would help crafters such as myself. We do not want clutter in our work areas so these DIYs will be a lot of help to all of you who have the same passion for crafting like me. This will also be helpful to those who are thinking about getting into crafting. It will inspire who further when you see your work area or workstation free of clutter.

So let's get unto the list. Take note these DIYs are not arranged in any order. These are the 10 DIYs that I have deemed best for crafters to avoid any clutter in their workspace. If you have any suggestions or comments just send me a message or leave a comment. So let's get started!!!

For this project I used stackable bins that I bought from Dollar Tree. This is perfect for your work space. But not only there. This will be a perfect organizer under your sink as well. Depending on how you setup the bin, it will be possible to store your spray paint cans or tall bottles in this bin. On the video I used it for our stuff to store under the sink and also showed how to use it for my dog's stuff.



For many years I have been wrapping gifts that I would give my relatives and friends. So I have a lot of gift wrapping paper. Because of a request from a subscriber I was able to make an organizer for the said gift wrapping papers. It can hold 12 rolls of gift wrapping paper and it only costs $1. This solved my storage issue with the wrapping papers.



Here is a quick DIY that you can do so you would have a stand for your glue gun. For just less than $3 I was able to make a glue stand with a container for glue sticks. It solved the problem I was having with burning my work table. Since the material I used is glass it will not melt nor burn. It's very simple to make and it will help out all crafters who use hot glue guns.



Next one is another request from a subscriber. He requested it for his daughter. He wanted to give hs daughter a nightstand. For this project I used 2 interlocking crates that I bought from Wal-Mart and stacked them. If you want to make this sturdier you can use hot glue or E6000. In this video I showed how to setup the nightstand with different types of bins. You can also use decorated shoeboxes as an alternative to the bins if you do not have bins.

Truth be told this is one of the DIYs I am very proud of. Believe it or not until today I find myself using this project for all of my crafting needs. It is a mobile organizer. I can easily move it into any place in my crafting room. Most of the things I use are all in this mobile organizer. And the good thing about it is you can make this DIY on the cheap. You do not need to spend a lot of money on creating good projects. Always go for the "bang for the buck" mentality when going into these projects. Check the video out and see what you think of this specific project.



No matter how we try to control it we always run out of space in our work area. We try everything from rearranging furniture to getting bigger bins. The thing with rooms is that we do not always use a majority of the space it has. With this DIY we will be able to use the door as a place to organize our materials. It will help a lot with clearing clutter and making space in the work area. Check it out.



Doing multipurpose organizers can be a blast. On one hand you create something out of nothing and on the other hand you can use that something for different purposes. These projects shows you that these organizers can be used for both your crafts and for makeup. It will be a great addition to any room. In this video I revamped one organizer that I made for the purposes of a buffet. I revamped it to be used for my paint bottles. The other one is a new project for the same multipurpose function. Great with stamps and of course great with makeup kits.



This project came about when I was running out of space for my scrapbooks. I wanted to organize my small collection of scrapbooks. The project was a success since it helped me with organizing my scrapbooks and of course it will be expandable which will help a lot especially once my collection grows in number. Very simple to make and great for your craft room.



Another simple project that has multipurpose uses. Using a baking tray and some magnetic materials I was able to make a multipurpose organizer  that you can use for your crafting and even use it in your kitchen. A very quick and fast DIY. I also gave a couple of suggestions on how to use this project on other things. Check the video out and tell me what you think about it.

On this project I used materials I bought from Dollar Tree. It's another organizer. I call it a caddy. The stuff that you can put into this caddy may be limited but it will really be a big help for you with your crafting. You can also use this in your kitchen and even in your small office. The uses for this caddy is endless.







So there it is folks. Our first instalment of Top 10 Projects. Tell me what did you think about the list? Do you have any requests for future Top 10s? You can message me at my YouTube channel or leave a comment on this blog. Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for the support. This keeps me inspired with what I do on my channel.

Until next time! Bye!!!

DOLLAR STORE ORGANIZATION: MULTIPURPOSE CRAFTING CART HACKS AND IDEAS FOR UTILITY CART

MULTIPURPOSE CRAFTING CART HACKS AND IDEAS FOR UTILITY CART

I often have leftover materials after completing my projects, which is why I need extra storage! That is where the Alvorog multipurpose cart comes in. Full disclosure before we proceed: this product was given to me by a sponsor to test. I love utility carts! I have already five prior to this one and a seventh on the way! They are multipurpose and very functional!

The Alvorog cart has three tiers. I love how this cart is stylish. The rounded handles make maneuvering the cart around a breeze! 

I have decided to take this cart to the next level by adding functional accessories with these three DIYs.

List of materials used:

1st  DIY: Dollar Tree Ribbon Dispenser
1 Dollar Tree large rectangular wire basket
12-inch long wooden dowel rod (I got it from Walmart)
2 zip ties
Scissors

First, secure the wire basket at the side of the cart. I used the supports of the cart handle to tie the basket on with 2 zip ties. Make sure that the zip ties are facing inward towards the cart so that when you cut the excess it will not be visible from the wire basket. As an added note you can add hot glue to the base of the zip ties so you can make sure that it will not move around. Next, add the wooden dowel. This dowel will be able to hold up to 16 ribbons. Also, using the slots between the wire basket to hang your ribbon ends will make sure that the ribbons will be secured.

Using the basket as a ribbon dispenser helps prevent the ribbons from unraveling. 

2nd DIY: DIY Craft Paint and Paintbrush Organizer

1 Dollar Tree shower caddy
1 Dollar Tree skinny long rectangular wire basket
6 zip ties
Scissors

Using the other side of the cart, securely attach the shower caddy with zip ties. Again when you want to make sure that the zip ties are secured you can either double the loop of the zip ties or use hot glue at the base of the zip ties to make sure it will not slide down. At the upper part of the shower caddy, add the wire basket. Make sure that you will have enough clearance so that when you put in the paints and the paintbrushes it will be easier for you to reach them. To make sure that the shower caddy is secured, use the remaining zip ties to attach the caddy's base to the cart as well.

The slim basket and shower caddy do not stick out too much. The cart still fits in tight spaces!

3rd DIY: DIY Dollar Tree Tool Holder
1 medium Dollar Tree wire basket
2 zip ties
Scissors

I added the tool holder on the same side where the ribbon dispenser was. I placed the tool holder on the lower part of the cart. I secured the wire basket using 2 zip ties. You can opt to use an additional two zip ties to further secure the wire basket. The wire basket was perfect for my scissors and hole punches because the handles secured the tools to the wire basket.

Dollar Tree's wire basket trays make excellent tool organizers!

Here are additional glamour shots of the finished project:

I did not overload this cart. But, there is still room for more items!

I love my new craft cart. I use it to hold my planners, travelers notebooks and planner accessories too! Now I can craft and do my journals anywhere in the house!

Here, I hung the Ikea pen cup holder and Walmart blue shower organizer on the back to hold more crafting essentials.

Watch the full tutorial by clicking on the thumbnail below.

This multipurpose cart can also be used in your pantry as additional shelves. Use it anywhere you need extra storage. The possibilities are endless!

I hope this will be helpful to all of you and again thank you for supporting my channel and this blog. Without all of you, I will not be here.

Don't forget to subscribe to this blog and my YouTube channel for more projects like these!

Until next time. Bye!!!

DOLLAR STORE HOME ORGANIZATION HACKS & IDEAS MULTIPURPOSE BATHROOM KITCHEN CRAFT

Hi friends, I hope that you all are doing great! I have been bitten by the organizing bug! This usually happens this time of the year. So, you will see me make and post DIY organizers on my YouTube channel that are inexpensive and multifunctional. 

This time around I will be presenting dollar store ideas and hacks for organizing your home, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. I have 5+ (including 2 bonuses) new DIY organizers and 40+ organization ideas and hacks to share with you. Getting organized need not cost too much money.

I used shower caddies, shelf risers, zip ties and other materials that you can find at Dollar Tree. 

Using shower caddies and shelf risers to make organizers is very cost-effective. By connecting these items, you can make organizers that you can use in hard to organize areas like under the sink or inside the cupboard. The possibilities are endless and the only limitation is your imagination. Some of the projects featured in this video were requests from some of my subscribers. Thank you very much for those requests because they have challenged and inspired me to come up with solutions that are easy to make and very affordable. 

Materials used: 1st DIY: Dolar Tree DIY Double Shower Caddy Wall Organizers 2 Dollar Tree shower caddy 4 zip ties Scissors Hot glue gun and glue sticks 2 Dollar Tree small slotted tray baskets

I used zip ties to connect two (2) Dollar Tree shower caddies

I added the small white slotted baskets, also from Dollar Tree

The white small slotted basket from Dollar Tree fits perfectly on the shelf. Perfect for keeping small loose items!

2nd DIY: Dollar Tree DIY Single Layer Countertop Organizer 2 Dollar Tree wire shelf risers Zip ties Scissors Hot glue gun and glue sticks Cardboard or foam board (Cut to size) Dollar Tree contact paper

3rd DIY: Dollar Tree DIY Pantry and Bathroom Organizer 4 Dollar Tree wire shelf risers Zip ties Scissors Hot glue gun and glue sticks Optional for bathroom under the sink: 4 Dollar Tree baskets 2 pairs tied together with zip ties

I connected four (4) shelf risers with zip ties. Note that I used red zip ties for better visibility. 

I used Dollar Tree and Daiso bins to organize my craft supplies. 

I then put it in our kitchen cupboard, to create a mini pantry!

No pantry?! No problem! I was able to put my spices, sauces, some canned goods, oil bottles, etc in this small cabinet! On the top tier, I used two (2) clear plastic food containers to hold my spices so they do not topple over. I used a blue plastic bin on the right to hold tall bottles of oils.

I am sure everyone with a tight under cabinet sink can relate! The pipes can be a bother! Fortunately, this set-up is narrow enough to fit into the space!

I connected two (2) Dollar Tree baskets/bins together using a zip tie. This will allow me to pull the two baskets easily without breaking my back! I place them on the middle tier.

I connected two more baskets the same way and placed them at the very bottom. On the top tier, I placed an empty plastic shoe box from Dollar Tree towards the back. It can hold some tall items. 

At the top, I added clear bins. This one is from Daiso (a Japanese Dollar Store). The flip-out top allows for easy access of my toiletries.

4th DIY: Dollar Tree DIY Hot Drinks Organizer Stand 2 Dollar Tree wire shelf risers Zip ties Scissors Hot glue gun and glue sticks

I attached two (2) Dollar Tree shelf risers together with zip ties. I then place them on top of a tray. 

I filled them with hot drink goodies such as hot cocoa powder packs and tea bags. I used the Dollar Tree medium rectangular slotted basket at the very top and a clear Dollar Tree acrylic tray for the middle tier. 

I love how it turned out!

5th DIY: Dollar Tree DIY Under the Sink Caddy 2 Dollar Tree wire shelf risers 2 Dollar Tree shower caddy Zip ties Scissors Hot glue gun and glue sticks 2 pieces wooden rod (12 inches long) Optional: 2 baskets 2 skinny slotted baskets Bonus DIYs- before attaching the shower caddies, you can use the risers as a filing system for folders, stationery, journals, and notebooks. Or you can do the pull-out drawer system using the white wire basket from Dollar Tree. It can fit small and tight spaces!

I created this under-the-sink caddy using 2 Dollar Tree shower caddies, 2 Dollar Tree shelf risers, and wooden dowel rods. All tied with zip ties. This is perfect as is! Or...

Add bins or baskets to store more things!

Here, I showed that you do not need a basket/bin to store things. I put all the cleaning bottles on top. There is enough clearance since the caddies have tall handles. 

Adding storage bins definitely can hold more items and will prevent them from toppling over!

Please click on the thumbnail below to watch the full tutorial and to see more ideas, tips, and hacks that I shared! After you watch, I am almost certain that you will be bitten by the organizing bug too! Happy organizing!

Don't forget to subscribe to this blog and my YouTube channel for more projects like these!
Thank you so much for your support!

Until next time. Bye!!!