Project 8: The Flip Flop Holder

I've set myself a challenge every day this May to do one project I've been procrastinating. Today is a pinspiration project--yes, just so I can link up withthe party at  YHL.

One of the great things about taking an organizing course is that you find yourself cruising the 'net late at night, and seeking inspiration from the Pinterest boards. During one late night session, I found this.

Unfortunately, there is no source beyond the original pinner.

I knew exactly where I would put it!

Yesterday, on yet another excursion out into the 'net, I discovered that the folks at YHL are having their seasonal Pinterest Inspiration Link Up party today!

I knew what I had to do for my next Anti-procrastination Project.

To say that our back entry way is small would be to say that New York City is crowded and expensive. It's true, but that doesn't even begin to capture the experience of what it's like to be there. (Not that I've been to New York City. But I have been in my back entry way!)



The area beside the stairs to the basement is open on both sides. On the right are baskets hung from the ceiling. You can see them peaking out in the upper right of the photo above.

These are two shelves we put up on the other side of the stairs, opposite the baskets.

Here, behind the shelves are, from left to right, the chimney flue (rather immovable and extremely awkward), the abyss, and the furnace.

My husband built the top shelf to be a drying rack for the kids' hats and mittens. But then we got a dog and had to dry the chewables somewhere a tad less handy. Then, the kids outgrew playing outside in the snow. Over time, it became an inadequate home for flip flops and whatever else we dared try hooking on it. (Believe me, anything tht fell down between the flue and furnace was gone, dead-- and soon buried under a coat of dust.)

So, when I painted the boot shelf, I took it down.

Then, I went looking for materials to build that cool flip flop holder. I purchased these magazine holders from Ikea on the weekend.

I had thought I would get the wooden ones, but they were more expensive and they would be hard to paint. I figured the mesh would be easier to keep clean, too, as the dirt should fall through. My choices were grey or pink. A wee bit saturated by the recent pins of designer Darlene Weir, who is expecting a girl, I decided that pink and red would be fabulous.

So, I put them on the shelves and tried to find screws to fit.

Nu uh. The mesh holes were much too small. I placed the magazine holders on the shelf where I wanted them, and then used a sharpie to mark the screw holes. I took our handy dandy wire cutters and carefully snipped. I was left with a much bigger hole!

Washers are some of the best things ever invented.

Once I had my holes in my flip flop holders, I marked the shelves, drilled the holds and then put in the screws with the washers.

If I were a stylist, I would put some orange and green flip flops in here, maybe even a white Tilley hat. But alas, this is real life and this is what we have.

Isn't it great?
No more abyss!

Another project done!

Linking to the Spring Pinterest Challenge at YHL.