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Real life isn’t a page out of a glossy magazine or from an image on Pinterest. Real life, at least in this house, often equals overlooked messes as other priorities take precedence. Which, until recently, included the master bathroom counter.
Our days are busy. My husband has work. My son has school and homework. My daughter & I have play dates, library story time, errands, and gym time – all squeezed in in the mornings so we can be home for nap time and bus pick up. I appreciate any opportunity to accomplish a little more in those precious early hours of the day.
One of our stops every other week for that reason is BJ’s Wholesale. I can grab several of our family essentials in larger packaging such as the new SCOTT® 1100 Bath Tissue. The 100 extra sheets per roll is like getting 3 extra rolls per pack (or one more roll for each of our bathrooms) every time I shop. We’ve entered the days of potty training again so this is a huge deal. Toddlers don’t respect the proper amount of squares to use. More is always more fun.
For me, more savings is more fun. I know that I’m already saving money with the bulk pricing at BJ’s Wholesale. I saved even further on this 36 roll package by combining the SCOTT® coupon in the Fall 2016 BJ’s Member Journal (see page 17) with a printable coupon available at Coupons.com (search ‘Scott’ under Brands to locate it quickly. Expires 7/31/16).
Now that I’ve saved time and money stocking up on SCOTT® coupon at BJ’s Wholesale, I can put my focus back to other things that need it. Like that mess in my master bathroom. Often at least 3 of the 4 of us are using the space in some capacity throughout the day. Bits of this and that collect on the counter including hair products, lotions, makeup, contact lens supplies, etc. Even the kids’ toothbrushes sometime migrate from their bathroom to ours.
Wanting to gain control over this bit of bathroom real estate, and make my life easier when it’s time to clean (who wants to move all that stuff repeatedly to wipe down a counter and then just mess it up again?), I envisioned a simple organizer. Nothing fancy. Just beautiful, dark stained wood and containment for our clutter – the useful, daily bits of bathroom clutter we truly need on the counter, that is.
I started with a deep breath. A last look and quick “goodbye” to our mess. Here’s how to create your own:
Supplies
- (1) 1x4x6′-0″ pine board
- (1) 1x6x6′-0″ pine board
- Wood glue
- Wood filler (optional)
- Nails
- Nail gun (optional)
- Nail setter (optional)
- Hammer
- Saw
- Sanding block or sand paper
- Soft rag (an old t-shirt torn up works great)
- Stain or paint
- Safety glasses
Instructions
Step 1 Determine the width of your space. For our counter, we have just over 2 feet clear between our sinks. I chose to build our organizer to 24″ wide and all wood measurements in this tutorial are based on that dimension. If you’d like to make yours longer, just add the appropriate length to the amount of wood you purchase and cuts listed in Step 2.
Step 2 Use a saw to cut (2) 24″ and (2) 5-1/2″ long pieces from the 1×4 board. Cut (1) 22-1/2″ long piece from the 1×6 board. Sand cut edges as needed.
** Don’t forget to wear your safety glasses! **
Step 3 Add wood glue along one short end of the 1×6 piece. Attach one of the 5-1/2″ long 1×4 pieces. Hold firmly in place and use nails to secure. I used a nail gun to speed up the process, but you can use a hammer as well. A setting tool is helpful to get the nail heads flush with the surface. Repeat for opposite end.
Step 4 Add wood glue along exposed edges of bottom and end pieces. Place one of the 24″ long 1×4 pieces so it lines up. Hold firmly in place and use nails to secure. Repeat for opposite side. You will now have a wood box.
Step 5 Sand all edges and exposed wood faces. I personally like the edges and corners a little softer so I ran the sand block over them as well. Wipe off dust with a soft, dry cloth.
Step 6 Fill any gaps, if desired, with wood filler. Press into gaps and smooth over using a putty knife. Allow to dry fully. Then sand. Use a soft rag to wipe away any excess dust afterward.
Step 7 Stain or paint to finish organizer box. I chose a dark stain for ours – Minwax Espresso.
Step 8 Allow to dry fully. Then position on counter and refill with necessary toiletries.
Doesn’t that look a thousand times better? What I love is that this is simple and easy to customize to the right size for any counter, and it will help keep our essentials corralled versus all over the counter. Now when something is out and doesn’t fit, I know it needs to be returned to wherever it belongs (under one of the sinks, in our closet, to the kids’ bathroom, etc).
With my counter now clean & tidy, and our family well stocked on bath tissue, I have time freed up for my next DIY project. This one was so simple, I think I might make a second, smaller organizer box for the back of our toilet – perfect for storing an extra roll or two of SCOTT® 1100 Bath Tissue so it’s ready when we need it.
What are you going to do with the time you’ve saved?
Find more ideas to refresh your bathroom HERE and don’t forget to grab your SCOTT® coupon! (expires 7/31/16)
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