DIY Toddler Closet Update

Early this year I posted JD's new and improved closet, you can see it here.  Since then I've made a few updates and added some color!  The closet was originally painted in flat paint which tends to get very dirty, so I decided to repaint the entire closet in semi-gloss.  I thought it would also be fun to add some color while I was at it, and allowed JD to pick the color (Behr New Green)!

DIY Toddler Closet

I have a confession to make… the closets in our home are a disaster. If there's something missing at home it’s usually lost in one of our 4 closet!  This past Saturday I decided we really need to organize our closet and I wanted to start with JD’s.  Our home was built in the 50’s and all the closet have heavy wood sliding doors, the kind that never seem to stay on their track.  We don’t typically let JD in his closet because of the doors, but lately he wants to pick his own shoes, clothes, sweater and back pack!  So, I decided to take his closet doors off and make his closet toddler friendly.

I came across some really great ideas online you can see one of them here, which pointed me in the right direction.  I considered using closet storage kits or IKEA bookcases, but unfortunately all the sizes I came across were too tall and a custom size would be very expensive.  I opted instead to do-it-myself.

I drew up some plans and on Saturday JD and I headed to our local Home Depot (they know JD by name now).  With about $77 dollars and 5 hours’ time JD's closet was done.

Putting all the pieces together was pretty easy, especially when the lumber department at HD was willing to cut my 2 boards down to size for me.  I still have a few things I need to add, including some decorative curtains.  But at this point his closet is fully functional.  I'll post a couple more pictures soon, and stay tuned for our other 3 closets!

Materials Used

• 2  ¾” x 15-1/4” x 97” White Bullnose Poplar Plywood (particle board) $28.96
• 3  1 ¼ Wood Screws $1.94 box
• 3 Martha Stewart Fabric Drawers $20.94
• 4  White Closet Pole Socket Kits $4.76
• 12  Clear Shelf Pegs $2.64
• 9ft Pine Closet Pole (1 3/8 round) $11.52

Tools

• Drill
• Drill Bit
• Screw Driver
• Measuring Tape
• Pencil
• Level

JD's Robot Room Feature

Yesterday I received another wonderful email from Carrie of Apartment Therapy letting me know that now JD's big boy robot room was being featured on Ohdeedoh! I was thrilled about the feature, but even more thrilled about the emails I've received requesting more information on our decor purchases and re-purposing projects. Thanks for the feature Apartment Therapy!

KidSwitch

Now that JD has his big boy room, we also wanted to give him a little more independence and the ability to come in an out of his room as he pleases! We recently purchased this KidSwitch glow in the dark light switch extender and I have to admit it has been one of the coolest little gadgets we have ever purchased. JD loves the fact that he can turn his light on and off all by himself, we no longer have to turn it on for him and it's also helping us teach him how to be responsible. This gadget is inexpensive, super easy to install and works with almost every type of switch plate!

KidSwitch allows kids to SAFELY reach and operate room lights! No more worry about falling off toys. Parents don't have to constantly turn lights on and off for the kids. Kids learn at an early age how to turn the lights OFF when they leave the room! Very good for the wallet and the environment!

JD's Robot Room

I'm finally done with JD's room, he now has a room fit for a big boy who loves robots! Since the re-do he's been spending a lot more time in his new room and amazingly even manages to keep his room pretty clean. When ever someone comes to visit he immediately drags them to his room and wants to play, which makes me so happy. I didn't have an exact budget in mind for his new room remodel but did manage to keep our spending down by re-purposing existing furniture and doing most of my shopping on Craigslist and at IKEA!

Valspar Heritage Blue Paint: Lowes

Life-Size Red Vintage Robot: Made by Abu (JD's grandpa)

Robot Canvas by Peter Freeman: HomeGoods

Petra Modern Toddler Bed: Craigslist

Hampton Bay Metarie 24 inch Ceiling Fan: Home Depot

IKEA MALM Dresser: Craiglist

Book Ledges: IKEA RIBBA Frame Ledge

DVD Storage: IKEA BEKVÄM Spice Rack

Picture Frames: IKEA RIBBA Frame

Martha Stewart Green Fabric Bins: Home Depot

Circo Robot Bedding: Target

Dressing Up A Dresser

JD's room is almost done! I've finished most of the major decor elements but I have a few more things to hang on the walls before it's official. In the meantime I wanted to share my latest Craigslist find. After we found JD's new big boy bed, I wanted to find a matching birch dresser and really liked the MALM dresser from IKEA. I was not about to spend $99 on a dresser I planned on painting and drilling holes into, so I began my search on Craigslist and well, I ended it there too!

I found this MALM 4 Drawer Dresser which retails for $99 for $25 on Craigslist.

It was in pretty good shape, it just needed a little sanding, paint

 decorative drawer handles

and voilà JD's new dresser!

LYKTA Robot Lamp

I've been working on JD's "Robot" big boy room for over a week now and I'm only a few steps away from the big (not that big) reveal! I wanted to give you guys a sneak peek of his new DIY LYKTA Robot Lamp; not only because I thought it was pretty cool but because it's super simple to make, inexpensive and versatile!

Slate Blue Paint Inspiration

My friend Kristin from a A Simply Klassic Home has been working on her kid's rooms and has not only inspired me to get started on JD's room but has given me some great decorating advice. Since the new bed we purchased for JD has a birch finish I've decided to paint his room a darker color and find a few more matching birch furniture pieces. Choosing a color has been really hard but after coming across the room design below I knew exactly the color to choose, Slate Blue; now I just have to narrow it down to a specific slate blue!

Source: bloesem living

Arlington Petra Toddler Bed

For a few weeks now I've been looking for a toddler bed for JD, hoping that getting rid of his crib would not only inspire me to start working on his big boy room, but would help him sleep in his own room on a regular basis! We wanted a modern bed that was low to the ground, sturdy, safe and would match with his robot themed decor. I came across the Arlington Petra Toddler Bed and got really excited but after seeing the price tag, a whopping $300 I was pretty bummed out.

Well, yesterday I started browsing on Craigslist for toddler beds and came across the listing "Designer Toddler Bed $150" I don't know what made me click on the link but can you believe it was actually the Petra toddler bed! I called the seller right away and asked if it was still available (it was) and if he would take $100 for it and he would, best of all the family lived about 5 minutes away from us. We brought the bed home cleaned it up and before we could even get it in the room, JD brought his whole bedding set out to the living room and laid in his new bed!

Last night I laid down with JD (the bed is very sturdy and supports over 300lb), watched cartoons and he actually fell asleep in his very own big boy bed for the very first time!

MAMMUT Children's Table & Stool

This week I stopped by Ikea in search of shoe storage and instead came across the cutest little toddler table. I’ve wanted to get JD a toddler size table that he can use for snack time, playtime and arts & crafts and Ikea's MAMMUT collection is perfect for all these uses, indoors or outdoors; it's sturdy, water proof and easy to clean. Last night we picked up a table and a few stools in light green to match JD's (future) robot room décor, which also happens to match his robot birthday party décor, so we may just be using the set for his party too. Here are a few pictures of JD helping me build his new set; as you can see he put his table to good use right away!

Robots & Space Art: John W. Golden

JD's robot room was put on hold for a couple of months (while house-hunting), but now that we are all moved in and his bedroom is a clean slate, I've started looking into Robot Art. This weekend while browsing on Esty.com, I came across this amazing artist, John W. Golden and I've become totally infatuated with his Robots and Space themed art. Now comes the hard part, picking which prints to buy! Here are a few of my favorite prints, but please visit John's Etsy Shop to see more.

Rocket Prints Set

Comet, the Solar Streak, the Japanese Star and the Red Cruiser

 Oscar Box Art Robot Print

Rayvon Raygun Tin Toy Box Art Print

Ted Box Art Robot Print