Scraps to the Organizing Rescue!
[updated at the bottom of the post, with a few new ScrapHappy members that I should have added earlier today]
My entry for this month’s ScrapHappy Day is not a major project, but it is a useful one. It finally occurred to me to stop looking in stores for perfect organizers, and to make my own!
I made this bedside pocket bag to hold my tablet, glasses, earphones, and essential oils. The brown flap goes under the mattress, and the blue pockets hang down alongside the bed. I got these scraps from one of those packs of random batik samples — I think they are the ones that got cut a little crooked and didn’t make it into the pre-cut packs of layer cakes.
Pocket organizer from batik scraps.
Now my little essential oil bottles don’t topple off the nightstand, and my tablet, which has a habit of turning itself on at random times, doesn’t wake me because its lighted screen is hidden inside the pocket.
Another useful little pocket I made was for the adapter on my exercycle. I can’t leave it plugged in because it is a tripping hazard, but there is no place on the exercycle to store it when it is not plugged in. So I sewed a little bag from fabric samples, and used a black elastic headband as a hanging loop. Now I can store the adapter, but still find it when I need it.
Bag for adapter cord.
In a related vein, I saw that Mary of Zippy Quilts has made a very cute potluck place setting carrier, which has inspired me for a future organizational project. I have purchased insulating carriers for casserole dishes, but the ones I have don’t allow room for the dishes’ permanent lids, and I end up using foil and then balancing the casserole all the way to our dinner destination. Seeing Mary’s carrier made me realize I can make my own casserole carrier. Sometimes I am utterly amazed at how long it takes an idea to awaken my brain.
ScrapHappy Day is the 15th of each month. Thank you to Kate and Gun for coming up with this concept, and for hosting, and for encouraging all of us! Drop by and see how the other participants are using scraps this month:
Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan, Karen,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean, Johanna,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen (me!), Connie, Bekki and Pauline
That is so neat and it’s a wonderful way to use scraps!!
Thanks, it is so practical. I may put off making quilts for a while and just make organizers! 🙂
Great Idea and it can be useful over doors, on the side of a desk, sewing table, etc. Thank you for sharing. Blessings always, Mtetar
Those are great ideas! I have some fabric with vintage sewing machines on it — that would be great here in my sewing room!
Yes it will and I hope you share a post on the finished project.
Little organisers can be so useful; you make one and then wonder how on earth you got by without it! Great scrappy project! BTW, our member list has expanded somewhat since the one you show – do update from my post or the email reminder 🙂
Okay, I updated! See what I mean about being slow on the uptake?
I was out of town when you sent the reminder — I didn’t read all the way through the message, just the subject line, and made a mental note to do a post on the 15th. I’ll do better in the future! 🙂
I’m sorry if it came across as anything other than a quick memory jog – I just want the newbies to have the best chance at encouraging comments, in the hope they’ll join us again 🙂
Not at all, you are so good about that! I try to visit at least six people every time and it is so interesting to see what they are up to! 🙂
I’m with you on the slow awakening of the brain. I’m usually a day late and a dollar short – haha! You’ve come up with some clever fixes for holding things. I don’t usually sleep in the same room as my phone, so while we were on vacation and my phone was by my bed, the continual flashing kept waking me up too. I flipped it over and that helped, but a handy pocket would be ideal for something like an iPad.
In theory I love such creative handy items, but in practice I usually end up spending hours on the project due to silly things like cutting the wrong sizes. And my phone spends the night on a different floor of the house.
Yes, I won’t say it was that quick. Plus I think I was sewing through 8 layers in some spots. But I am patting myself on the back every night when I just slide my tablet into its little pocket. I could get a bigger nightstand, but they are so expensive and they never turn up at my usual thrift stores!
This is a perfect scrap project–taking bits and pieces that have virtually no value and turning them into something useful *and* pretty! It has gotten me thinking about similar projects I could make for around here, to suit my needs. Maybe some little pouches for my loom, so the cats don’t knock things on the floor??!
And you would even be able to use some small handwoven pieces if you have them. Triple visual satisfaction — 1) I made that pretty fabric. 2) I now know exactly where my bobbins are. 3) The cats can’t tangle this stuff! 🙂
Congratulations, your blog has been included in INTERESTING BLOGS in FRIDAY FOSSICKING at
https://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com/2019/04/friday-fossicking-19th-april-2019.html
Thank you, Chris
I’m a great fan of organisers .. you’ve reminded me that I need to finish one.
This is a great use of scraps. So useful 🙂
What good organizing ideas! I hadn’t heard of scrap happy day, though honestly every day is pretty scrap happy at my studio 🙂 And thanks for the shout-out.