DIY Cleaning Caddy

Now that the kids are home, that means more messes for you.  

To help you keep up with those messes, how about creating a DIY Cleaning Caddy for those essential items that you use most often.

Keep Kid Messes at Bay.  

Stocked with individual hand wipes and cleaning towels, the Deflecto Stackable Caddy makes the perfect Grab and Go DIY Cleaning Caddy and a little less stress with the mess.

Share your home and organization projects with us using #DeflectoAtHome

Hello Cards

Just because we can't see our friends and loved ones right now doesn't mean we can't send them a hello.

These bright and cheerful cards were made using alcohol based markers and silver foiled paper.

Materials:

• Alcohol Markers
• Foiled Paper:  Silver and Ebony
• Embossing Folder
• Word Die Cuts
• Cardstock
• Adhesive

The Deflecto Stackable Caddy Organizer with the added Interlocking Marker Organizers is the perfect companion for card makers.

Project Instructions:

• Emboss the silver foiled paper using an embossing folder.
• Color the embossed parts of the silver foiled paper using the alcohol markers in a variety of colors.
• Adhere onto a black cardstock base.
• Adhere die-cut words onto the foiled paper.

For more details on Nadine's cards you can see the full post here.

Create Store, Create More or #Cr8StoreCr8More for storage

No Mess Toddler Canvas Painting

Working and crafting from home can be messy with kiddos. I know my little one loves to paint but she seems to get it everywhere but the canvas. I decided to create a mess-free way for my little artist to paint her own work of art! Neither one of us got a drop of paint on us during the whole set up and clean up process and we were left with a really fun piece of art to hang in her playroom.

Materials:

• Washable Kid Friendly Paint
• Saran Wrap or Plastic Wrap
• Painter’s Tape 
• Canvas 

Featured Storage Container: Deflecto Stackable Caddy

I love my multiple Deflecto Stackable Caddies. The clear removable containers make it easy to find supplies and the handle is great to carry it from room to room. I have multiple caddies for storing everything from my daughter’s craft supplies to toys and even my personal art essentials. The lift and lock feature makes it easy to stack and store. You definitely can’t just have one!

Project Directions:

1. Cover the work surface with plastic wrap. 
2. Place the canvas in the center of the plastic wrap. 
3. Pour different colors of paint in piles on the canvas. 
4. Cover the canvas with another piece of plastic wrap. Make sure the piece of saran wrap is large enough to cover the canvas and at least 6 inches around the canvas. 
5. Tape around the top cover to the table and bottom cover to hold it in place. 
6. Grab your little one and let their little hands go to town smooshing and spreading the paint around. My daughter had an absolute blast. 
7. Once your child is done remove the plastic wrap from the top by lifting it straight up and discarding.
8. Let the canvas dry. 

TA-DA! Your kiddo has a mess-free work of art! This is probably one of the most relaxed stress-free crafts we have done in a long time! 

Are you coming up with creative crafts for your kids or ways to get organized at home?

Share your projects and ideas with us using #DeflectoAtHome #DeflectoCrafts

10 Tips for Getting Organized for Spring Gardening

Spring is in bloom and with all this extra time at home, now is the perfect time to get organized and get your yard and garden ready for outdoor fun. In addition to starting your yard work, I have a few other ideas to prepare your lawn and garden for Spring and Summer.

1. Get Organized:  The Deflecto Stackable Caddy is a great resource to organize all your small gardening essentials like gloves, hand shovels, twine, scissors, clippers, seeds, and more.  It is lightweight so you can move it around the yard with you.  With the clear storage containers, there's no more digging through boxes and drawers to find those essential tools.
 
2. Survey Your Yard & Make a List:  Take a walk around your yard, porch, and outdoor spaces to see what survived the winter and what needs a little help.  As you walk around create a list of areas you need to work on or things you want to change.
 
3. Do your Research:  As you survey your yard note, which areas have direct sunlight, partial sunlight, and shade.  Spend time researching which plants and flowers will thrive in those environments.
 
4. Create an Inspiration Board:  Cut pictures from magazines, save images from Pinterest or take photos of friends and neighbors lawn and garden designs that you love.  By pulling together all of your favorite images, it is easy to pull together a common theme and create a design plan.
 
5. Start with Containers:  Container gardening is an approachable way to kick off your spring planting.  Reuse planters from last year by giving them a makeover with a little paint.
 
6. Set Your Priorities:  We can't do everything at once.  Once you create a list of everything that needs to be done and things you want to change make a priority list.  Split that list into NEEDS and WANTS.  This will make it more obtainable and less intimidating.
 
7. Be Prepared:  Spring weather can be a little crazy.  One day is hot and the next night temperatures are freezing.  Be prepared with materials to help protect your new plants from freezing temperatures.  Have a pile of old towels and sheets that you can use to quickly cover plants and flowers when temperatures dip.  Do not use plastic tarps.  Plastic can increase the cold and damage the plant buds it touches.
 
8. Do the Prep Work:  Make sure your garden beds are ready for you to work.  Start by removing old leaves, weeds, and clearing the areas around perennials.
 
9. Time to Trim:  Spring is the time to trim and prune back any summer-blooming trees or bushes.  It is best to prune before any buds breakthrough.
 
10. Start your Vegetable Garden:  If you have been thinking about starting a vegetable garden, now is the time.  Cool-season vegetables like potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and other leafy greens are best to get in the ground while the soil is still cool.  Composting at home is also a great way to nourish your veggies. 

We hope you are enjoying your time at home and we are excited to see your garden grow! Share your home gardening and organization projects with using #DeflectoAtHome

Art for Kids: Learning about Symmetry

Having the kids home right now means that they require activities and stimulation for their creative minds.  Design team member Erin Reed gives us a simple project that you can do at home with your kids to help get the creative juices flowing for the whole family. 

A wonderful way to help kids be creative is to use items found around the house to make a symmetrical pattern.  Symmetrical design is a radical line, like a snowflake.

• Start with 6 x 6 inch squares of heavyweight cardstock paper.
• Apply a thin line of glue to create a patterned design.
• Use beads, sequins, gems, buttons, and other fun little bits to glue to the line.
• A Deflecto Caddy Storage Tray is a great way to organize your small bits and pieces.

For more art projects for kids you can visit Erin's Blog here.

Create Store, Create More or #Cr8StoreCr8More for storage

Tips and Benefits of Working at Home

Now that more and more people are working from home, Design Team Member Sue Eldred shares a few tips for getting organized, creating a neat desktop and benefits of working at home.

One of the first steps in creating a good working environment is your workspace.

It doesn’t have to be fancy or stylish. Sue's desk/work surface is an old Sunday School table purchased at a church rummage sale.

Start with a clean desktop. It’s the one thing you can do to help control the chaos in life.

Find useful items to keep you organized.

Sue uses a variety of new and vintage items to organize her craft/office space. On her desk, she likes to keep it as clutter-free as she can. The Deflecto 12″ x 12″ Stackable Storage Trays are a great way to corral paper clutter. Sue uses the first tier to hold the items she references most often.  

As a paper crafter, she uses the second tier to hold scrapbook paper and future projects. Sue used the Deflecto Interlocking Marker Organizer to hold everyday items. Of course, it’s also perfect for holding your markers and other crafty items.

Best yet, it fits inside the Deflecto Stackable Caddy Organizer.

Check out Deflecto's Website for more great products to help you create your perfect space.

Make it Personal.

It doesn’t matter if your space is temporary or permanent, make sure it reflects your personal style. If you have room, place a favorite family photo on your desk. It will remind you why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place.

Choose Good Lighting.

To help your eyes from getting tired, choose a light fixture to brighten up your space.

One of Sue's favorite benefits of working from home is Cute Co-Workers.  

Sue says, "Don’t let the cuteness of this scruffy co-worker throw you. He’ll steal your supplies the moment you turn your back (sometimes right in front of your face)."

For more fun projects from Sue you can check out her blog here.

Create Store, Create More or #Cr8StoreCr8More for storage

Family Puzzle Time

Need a Family Boredom Buster?

Puzzles are a great way to help entertain those bored kids that are stuck at home right now and a great thing to do as a family.

When design team member Nadine's family works on puzzles they start by sorting all the pieces by color.  Nadine likes to use the Deflecto Interlocking Craft Tilt Bins to keep all the pieces in.  

Each bin is removable to so each person doing the puzzle can have their own bin of pieces to work with and can be brought to their corner of the puzzle.


For more fun projects from Nadine, you can visit her blog here.

Create Store, Create More or #Cr8StoreCr8More for storage