Phone Desk Makeover and DIY Colorful Art Supply Containers

Today you once again get the "pleasure" of seeing another part of my "challenged" homekeeping efforts. This time it's the dreaded Phone Desk. ugh. You know, that desk that nobody actually ever SITS at but instead becomes a "dumping ground" for anything and everything??? Well, there's a story behind this 'makeover' that I want to share first.

I've admitted freely on this blog that I am not the craftiest person. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE doing crafts...which makes the fact that I'm not all that great at them particularly upsetting. But I keep on trying...because I really DO love the whole creative crafting experience.

So last week I decided to try and replicate an adorable idea I found on TheSingleNester.com.

I fell in love with this idea for making blue-tinted "Ball Jars" as soon as I saw it and couldn't wait to try my hand at it.  I gathered up several glass jars from around the house/kitchen, removed the labels, cleaned them up, and proceeded to "get my craft on".

THREE attempts later....this is what I ended up with. :-(

For the LIFE of me...I could NOT get MY bottles to look like the ones above. I tried more water, less water, more glue, less glue, etc etc etc.  But each time I ended up with a streaky mess. Luckily this craft is very forgiving in that you can simply wash the the jars off and try again. But after the THIRD attempt...I decided to throw in the towel. NOT an easy thing for me to do! Usually I will drive myself CRAZY trying to figure out how to make something work, but this time I decided it was time to cut my losses. I ALMOST tossed the jars. But couldn't quite make myself. So they rattled around my kitchen for a week until I had "a lightbulb" moment thanks to Jennifer at Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

I ran across this project she made for her two-year-old son to try and entice him to do more coloring and got to thinking about the place in MY house that all the "art supplies" are kept and realized I could do something with this!

So out came the bottles again! This time with the goal of turning them into art supply containers. But, instead of the blue tinting...I was going for all out color!

I found this inexpensive "starter kit" of acrylic paints and since they were a little on the bright side...I also grabbed a bottle of white paint to tone them down with.

With the exception of the orange colored jar with the skinny opening...I mixed the paints and water right inside the jar. I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons colored paint & 1/2 teaspoon white paint and just a teeny tiny bit of water! Start out with maybe 1/2 a teaspoon of water because you can always add more. You want it JUST THIN enough to be able to swirl around and coat the inside of the jar. Since none of my jars had lids...I couldn't just shake the paint in the jar like Jennifer did on Monkey See, Monkey Do. I did more of a swirl thing and just kept turning and tilting each jar until completely coated with the paint.

Then I turned them over and let them drip-dry. I left them inverted like this for a few hours and then turned them right side up and let them finish drying...about 24 hours.

Which brings us back to the dreaded Phone Desk.  Now remember, I am trusting you not to think less of me after seeing this.  Even the hubster expressed doubt as to whether it was really a good idea to "share" THIS much. ;-)

Cupboard above The Phone Desk.

(I have no idea why I took this as two separate pictures.)

The Phone Desk.

I think the photos speak for themselves...and what is being said is..... H E L P !!!! :-)  Don't worry little Phone Desk....help is on the way!

A lot of de-junking, rearranging and boxing up of stuff later.........

THE NEW AND IMPROVED PHONE DESK!

FEATURING.......

MY COLORFUL ART SUPPLY CONTAINERS. :-)

I only have two more words......sweet vindication. :-)

Snatching SUCCESS out of the jaws of DEFEAT is today's.....