Last summer I came across this Pin from Decor Pad:

It immediately made me think of the large wall of our stairwell landing.  I love this look and thought maybe someday I would enjoy doing something like this.  Over time, I came across some fun prints that I thought could be used to make a memory wall of the places we have traveled.  I wasn’t sure how they would look though compared to my orignal inspiration – which is all black and white photos.

To my surprise, I came across a photo this week on Houzz.com of this exact type of print in collage form in the home of an architectural photographer!  This look strays from my normal style with so many different colors only being tied together with a similar theme.  But I like it!

Yesterday, I shared about making a self-sanitizing toilet brush after finding a DIY tutorial on Pinterest.  I thought I would share some of the other projects I have been inspired to undertake as a result of this wonderful social networking resource.  I linked each picture to the original source.  If you would like to read more about any project, just click on any picture in this post.
1. Slip-proof a rug using latex caulk:

This worked really well!  I was using a slip-resistant rug pad under the rug at the front door, but it raised the rug, making it more difficult to open and close the door.  Also, when I needed to move it to clean, it took forever to get it securely stuck to the floor again.  Now, the door opens smoothly and the rug doesn’t roam anymore.

2. Make single-use Anti-biotic ointment packets out of straws:

This was a fun little project that only took a few minutes.  The size is great for carrying in my purse or slipping into a mini first aid kit for my desk drawer.

3.  Cleaning the dishwasher filters and grates:

Whoa!  Was this gross!  The bottom of my dishwasher does not look like this and I was too scared to try and take out too many parts, but the filter in the door that allows steam to be released was disgusting!  I never even knew you could/should clean parts in the dishwasher.  At some point I also plan to try another trick for cleaning the dishwasher: Lemonade Kool-Aid!

4.  Car Wax as a Stovetop Polish:

I didn’t notice a huge difference in ease of wiping up messes when I tried this.  Maybe I didn’t follow directions well enough.  Or maybe we are just really messy cooks!

5.  Scented Oil Plug-in Refills:

We use the Febreeze Noticeables and I hate the refills price, but never knew I could make my own refill.  I ordered Eucalyptus oil to try since it is a favorite in aromatherapy and because evidently cats don’t like citrus smells, which would have been my first choice.  I have the new mixture and have been using it for a while.  The scent is just as strong as the Febreeze refills, although the Eucalyptus oil may be a little more rustic than I intended to go.  I may need to try out another oil in the future.

6.  Lint Roller to Clean Lamp Shades:

This tip is actually not new to me.  I have been doing this for years, because the table lamps Bradley brought with him had the worst attraction to dust.  I don’t think I have ever blogged about this wonderful little lampshade saving tip though.

7.  Make your own Foaming Hand Soap:

This is another tip that was not new to me, but definitely useful.  I researched this a couple of years ago and now I don’t remember where I first found this simple soap-and-water mix, but it is so easy and so cost effective!  I make sure not to use anti-bacterial soap because I don’t want to kill good bacteria and create bad super-bacteria.

8. Create a Junk Drawer when you don’t have Drawer Space:

I have seen this idea several times on Pinterest for everything from kids socks/hat storage to on-the-go snacks in the pantry.   I  have been using this system for years now as our ‘junk drawer’.  We only have 4 small drawers in the kitchen so there is no room for a junk drawer.  I found that a clear hanging shoe organizer keeps like items together in an easy-to-see fashion.  We hung ours inside a coat closet just off the kitchen.

I still have plenty of ideas to try out and I will keep posting my results to hopefully help anyone reading.  Happy Pinning!

*I try to always link the pictures in my posts to the original source.  If you
would like to link to any source, simply click on the picture in my posts.  If
you would like to pin a linked picture, please pin from the original source *

I am continually amazed at all the smart and fun DIY ideas on Pinterest.  It is like being able to pick and choose from the best of the blogosphere without having to individually wade through tons of blogs.  I have tried a few of the ideas and recipes that I spotted on Pinterest, some were great, others were worth a try, but turned out to be flops.

This week I have been working on creating a self-sanitizing toilet brush.  Glamorous I know.  Practical though; now Bradley doesn’t have to leave the brush teetering on the toilet rim to dry.  Here is the link to the tutorial:

I spent last week trying to find all the parts I needed.  I got my disinfectant jar from Amazon.  All the brushes I found had flimsy handles that were not solid enough to drill a dowel screw into.  And I couldn’t even find a dowel screw small enough to fit through the hole in the jar’s lid at Home Depot.

Target to the rescue!  They sell a toilet brush that is stored in a plastic jar (like the glass jar) so it already has a lid attached to the brush handle.  As if it was meant to be, the lid perfectly fit on top of my disinfectant jar and the brush hangs a few inches above the bottom just as the tutorial suggests.  So it turned out to be  a non-DIY project really.  Just switching out jars/lids and diluting the barbicide.

*I try to always link the pictures in my posts to the original source.  If you
would like to link to any source, simply click on the picture in my posts.  If
you would like to pin a linked picture, please pin from the original source *