Playroom

Forts made out of sheets… zippered play tents…large cardboard boxes… Kids love having their own “secret” hideaways. Christina from 2 Little Hooligans shares at The Girl Creative how she created a special retreat for her little ones using a hula hoop and twin sheets. Christina says this is a beginner project that takes just a couple of hours, and you sure can’t beat the price when store-bought play tents like this cost well over $100. It’s so stinkin’ cute that I want to crawl inside!

Melanie of The French Cottage had been holding onto a tear-out of a Restoration Hardware chalkboard for years. However, she says her “inner frugalista” would not allow her to spend $499 on a chalkboard. Melanie also knew she could build her own chalkboard for much less and did just that for $50, which isn’t too shabby for a ginormous framed chalkboard. The fact that this chalkboard has a vintage schoolhouse look makes it perfect for Melanie’s son’s playroom. It’s a piece that both mommas and children can enjoy!

Charlotte from Ciburbanity recently participated in a contest where she was challenged to create a sewing project using fabric from Waverly. Since she doesn’t consider herself a skilled seamstress, Charlotte knew a copycat project was the way to go and found an adorable numeric pouf for inspiration. She combined her lovely blue floral fabric with canvas drop cloth to put a fun twist on Land of Nod’s comfy math cushion.

With a generously-sized closet and no need for a dresser, Hillary from The Friendly Home had plenty of space for furniture in her daughter’s bedroom. She already had a set of bookcases. Unfortunately, they happened to be “cheap, ugly, and “not very sturdy” bookcases that Hillary was more than eager to replace. She said goodbye to the laminate shelving and built a pair of solid wood cubby shelves following plans from Ana White. Hillary loves how the cube design keeps book standing up and allows for hidden storage so everything looks neat and tidy.

After scouring Craigslist for a craft table with an art paper roll for her daughter for months, Melanie from It Happens in a Blink finally came across a deal she just couldn’t pass up – an authentic PBK craft table with benches for only $50. The only problem? It was missing the handy dandy paper roll Melanie so desired. Fortunately, she found a quick fix with a closet rod and shares how you can turn any table into an art table!