The Story of my Keeping Space

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It’s easy to decorate when you have an unlimited budget. But true creativity is born when you throw in a few restrictions- namely a tight budget. As crazy as it sounds, I am actually grateful for that restriction. I have found such satisfaction in the thrill of the hunt. In the world of home décor, there is no pride greater than scoring a great deal or creating a great knock-off, by hand!

So if you are ready to do something amazing in your home, don’t worry about your pocketbook. Fabulous for less is accessible to everyone. Case in point: coffee sacks. Those of you  follow me on Pinterest know I have a thing for coffee sacks. A few months back, I crafted beautiful pillows from these simple bags. They turned out perfect. But after I began collecting photos from across the blog world of furniture covered in coffee bags, I knew I wanted to take it further.

Then an opportunity presented itself. My daughter started Kindergarten and I found myself in need of an area to stash her ‘stuff’- the backpack, dance bag, cheer bag, and those shoes. Oh the shoes. I tried convincing my husband to help me demolish part of our laundry room to create a keeping area. But remember the ‘whole decorating with restrictions’ thing? Well, that came into play. So after a lot of thinking, talking, and shopping our home, we came up with a new plan. Take the table/bench from upstairs and use it in the garage to create a keeping space—and of course find a way to work a bit of ‘coffee bag love’ into the equation.

 Here is what I started with. This table/bench actually ‘came with’ the first house we ever bought. The owner had found an old coffee table and used adhesive spray to attach a piece of upholstery foam to the top. Then fabric was stapled around it to create the bench. This piece has been painted and covered numerous times. It has sat at the end of beds and been put up against windows. But now- it is going to serve as the main piece in my ‘keeping area’.

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Happily, I knew this was the perfect chance to try my hand at creating a piece of ‘coffee bag’ furniture. I ran down the street to my local coffee shop and bought a large striped coffee bag. Then I cut it open and pulled it taut over the foam. Next I stapled it down and then cut off the excess fabric using scissors and a straight razor. Looking closely I decided to take inspiration from SAS Interiors and experiment with nail head. I found these ‘tacks’ at Lowe’s in the nail aisle. They are called ‘furniture nails’ and come in lots of colors- brown, black, silver, and white. The price tag is around $1.50 per package of 25.

I nailed in each one individually by hand, about one inch a part. Several times they went in crooked and had to removed. But overall, it was painless. The long sides of the bench took 2 packages and the short sides took 1 package.

When it was complete, I sanded down the paint on the legs to give it a more worn look. We completed the ‘keeping area’ with two galvanized buckets tucked underneath. These buckets provide a 'house' for the shoes. The fabulous bench is the perfect place to drop the bags. Since I took these photos, I have added a few hooks above the bench for jackets too. I love not having backpacks slung on the floor in the laundry room or scattered across the stairs. And since the keeping area is in our garage, it is always easy to grab what we need, hop in the car and go!

And now back to the ‘designing on a budget’ part. What can you take away from my ‘keeping space’?

-First, be flexible: I wanted to demo my laundry room. But I had to get creative and use the space already available in the garage.

-Second, look at what you have: Shop your house.  I pulled the bench piece out of my craft room.

-Third, hunt for a deal: I scored a great printed burlap from the coffee shop for $5.

-Fourth, mind the details: By including some nail head trim, I turned a simple bench into a chic bit of furniture.

Now get those creative juices flowing and respect your pocket book.  Great decor can come from small budgets!

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And on another note... I am SO excited to launch my new line of couture headbands and accessories.

 These new pieces will be presented on my new facebook page and on my etsy shop. I am creating the line under the name "Samantha Conner Designs". All of the pieces are one-of-a-kind, unique hats, headbands and hair accessories for the woman 'who has everything'. My Christmas Collection is making its debut along with Oopsy Daisy Baby.

Photography by shellyfoster.com, clothing by Oopsy Daisy Baby

 Don't worry- Crafty Texas Girls isn't going anywhere! I will continue to blog and craft.

Photography by shellyfoster.com, Clothing by Oopsy Daisy Baby

 But my hair accessories are definitely going to the next level!

Photography by shellyfoster.com, Clothing by Oopsy Daisy Baby

If you have a chance, stop by "Samantha Conner Designs" on facebook and 'like' my page. Lots of exciting things to come!

Sharing my story here:
-Home Stories A to Z
-Tatertots and Jello
-Serenity Now
-Under the Table and Dreaming
-The Creative Paige
-Not So Simple Housewife

This article was originally published on SouthlakeMoms.com