DIY: Drawer Organizer

DIY: Drawer Organizer

This is something I've been wanting to do a DIY on for a while now, but having already done one for myself, I had no need for it. Luckily, my sisters collection was starting to build up and was becoming a little unruly and untidy so she asked me to make one for her. This step by step guide will show you how to create a personalized drawer organizer on the cheap!

Things You’ll Need...

• Foam Board or Cardboard (If you’re using cardboard, you’ll probably want to cover it using wrapping paper of fabric),
• Hot Glue Gun/ Fabric Glue/ PVA Glue,
• Exacto Knife or Scissors,
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Paper
• Fabric or Ribbon
• Your Chosen Drawer or Space.

Step One.

Separate all of your products into categories (e.g. foundations, mascaras etc.). Create an inventory categorizing all of your products and how many of each there are.

Step Two. 

Measure the size or your drawer or container. Copy these dimensions onto your foam board or cardboard and using your exacto knife or scissors, cut it out.

Step Three.

Map out how you would like your organizer separated based on the amount of products you have (and taking into account their sizes). Once you're happy with how you've mapped your drawer out, copy this map onto the pre-cut foam board.

Step Four.

Measure how tall the height of your drawer is. Using these measurements, and those collected for your base, cut out sides for your organizer in order to create a barrier around it. (for two of the sides, you may have to cut them slightly shorter, based on the thickness of your foam board or cardboard).

Step Five.

Measure the length of the separators you have mapped out on the foam board for the base of the organizer. using a height smaller than that of the sides, cut out these separators (e.g. the sides of my organizer were 11cm, but the separators were 8cm high).

Step Six.

I found fabric a little hard to cut straight, but if you're set on using fabric, ensure that it does not fray, which will make your life a whole lot easier. Instead of fabric, I opted for ribbon, but washi tape is another option and may in fact be a lot easier. Using this ribbon and the fabric glue, I covered the top side (the side that would be left visible after all of the separators were in place).

Step Seven.

Pop your base into your drawer ensuring that the side with the mapped out plan is visible. You may need to slightly cut the sides down to ensure that it fits in snugly. Once you're happy with this, you can put in the sides of your organizer. Again, you may need to adjust the length to ensure that they fit properly. Try not to cut them down too much, you want them to fit and stand upright without the use of glue, and cutting them too much will not allow them to fit together well.

Step Eight.

Using your hot glue gun (or other preferred glue) glue in all of your separators based on the map on the base.

I decided to create an individual lipstick organizer, and this is something i will perhaps show in another DIY. 

Final Product.

So this is what mine looks like...

By Theodora XOXO

DIY: Z Palette (mostly from things found around the house)

DIY: Z Palette

I've been looking everywhere to find an affordable large makeup palette, and the only decent sized ones were the MAC and Z palettes, which are not really affordable when you need more than one. So I figured, let’s put our creativity to the test and make some of our own ones. I had a little look online to find some methods to make the Z Palette and many of them, whilst quite creative, weren't very attractive so I combined a few of the methods I saw and came up with my own way of creating a Z Palette dupe.

So here's what i came up with; if you want to see a step-by-step method of making this with pictures and descriptions, keep reading!

Things You’ll Need:

• A magnetic sheet 
• Wrapping paper (or printed paper)
• A large piece of cardboard (I used a cardboard box that I had some things delivered in)
• A 30cm ruler
• A pencil
• Some laminate sheet (or any clear plastic sheet)
• A craft knife or scissors
• Some tape
• PVA glue and a glue stick
• 2 Pairs of magnets

Step 1

Taking your cardboard box, your pencil and your ruler, mark out two (20.5cm x 14cm) Rectangles (these are the exact measurements of the Pro size Z Palette). Using your craft knife or scissors, cut them out. 

Step 2

Taking one of your rectangular cut outs, mark a border of 2cm in from the outer rim and remove the inside, carefully as to not cut through your outer perimeter.

Step 3

Cut a rectangle of (20.5cm x 1cm) and tape it between your two larger rectangles leaving a small gab between the pieces of around 0.5cm.

Step 4

Cut out eight (20.5cm x 1cm) rectangles and eight (12cm x 1cm) rectangles. Divide these into four categories of two lots of four (20.5 x 1cm) rectangles and two lots of four (12 x 1cm) rectangles. 

Step 5

Using the PVA glue stack and glue together all lots except for one of the lots of four (20.5 x 1cm). This should create stacks of around 1cm high.

Step 6

Taking your two magnets, discover how large they are and cut slots in two of the 20.5x1cm rectangles for the magnets to fit between. Using the PVA glue, stick the two cut rectangles together, and then glue them to the 20.5x1cm uncut rectangle. Once this is done, glue your magnets into the slots and then envelope them by gluing the remaining rectangle on the top. You can cover the whole block to ensure that the magnets do not fall out. 

Step 7

Attach the attracting magnets directly above where the other magnet would be so that they can attract one another to close the palette.

Step 8

Cut a 19.5cm by 13cm rectangle from the laminate and stick it to the top frame. Cover all of the pieces in wrapping paper or printed paper (I printed leopard print on some photographic paper). Cut a 19.5cm by 13cm rectangle from the magnetic sheet and stick this to the inside bottom rectangle. 

Step 9

Finally take the smaller rectangles and using the PVA glue, arrange them as to create a border around the magnetic sheet. Make sure that you place the magnets in the proper arrangement so that they can attract and close the palette.

Et Voila, This is what the final product should look like...

By Theodora XOXO