Our master closet was in need of serious organization (see before picture below). We hated our builder's grade wire rack that went around the whole closet at eye level. You couldn't add a rack below or above. Initially, we were going to hire California Closets or Closets by Design. They create beautiful closets, but costs thousands. I also looked at systems from Lowe's and Home Depot. Again, I would be spending at least $1500-$2000 for a closet of our size.

After scouring the internet for different options, I came across Ikea's Expedit shelving group. The units come in a variety of sizes and are inexpensive. I like options. We desperately needed more shelving storage. With a little planning here is what we came up with. The hanging rods are Allen and Roth white curtain rods from Lowe's. The brackets and shelves that accompany the rods are also from Lowe's. 

We purchased two units that were $70 each and stacked two units that were $40 each on top. They are secured to the wall with included brackets. Our ceilings are 8ft. high.

I added another cube in the center of the closet for a place to fold clothes and extra storage...You can't have too much!

The cost of the below wall was $80. $30 for the grey piece of furniture and $50 for the white shelving. There are four shelves, two on each side stacked, from Lowe's. Everything else I already owned. To see how the furniture was painted visit this post: Focal Point Furniture.

Ikea offers a variety of doors, drawers, baskets, and bins that all fit perfectly into each cube. You can customize it as little or as much as you need.

For my shoes we purchased a Billy bookcase from Ikea for $50 with a $20 height extension unit. In order to maximize the space in your closet you must go up! Use all of your wall space from floor to ceiling and purchase a stool. The bookcase comes with optional doors.  

The paint color is Scandinavian Sky, Olympic brand (low odor, low VOC) from Lowe's. 

This wall is my husbands. The rest is all mine! :)

One last look at the before and after (click on image to enlarge):

I chose cool blues and greys for the closet. Lowes offers a new brand 'My Color: Inspired by Pantone' of already mixed paints. It is low odor, low VOC, and costs about $10. The paint is ideal for furniture as the primer is already built in. Color = 'Griffin'.

Give the piece a light sanding and paint using a fine bristled brush. I used a cabinet roller for the top and sides. Two coats was perfect. I even have some leftover.

Here is a preview of the finished closet! CLICK HERE to view post.

I'm sure many of you have seen these wreaths on Pinterest. One video tutorial said it cost $35-$40 to make this project. It makes sense since you will need around 80-90 Christmas ball ornaments to complete it (I used 82 to be exact). For a cost effective way to craft, take the route I did and get your ornaments at the dollar store! The finished product will not look like a dollar store discount, trust me. 

*** I took these photos with my cell phone, please excuse the quality. The wreath looks even better in person***

Dollar Store Supplies:

Step 2:

Put a piece of tape at the hook end to keep ornaments from sliding. Then start adding a bead of glue around ornament tops to keep them from popping off.

Step 3:

Begin sliding ornaments on wire hanger. I noticed it looks better to try and follow a pattern. I didn't follow a pattern with color since my ornaments didn't differ greatly in color.

Step 4:

When you have the whole wire full, put back into circle and make a hook to secure ends. 

Step 5:

Stuff any gaps with the tinsel and hang with ribbon. Tip: I did not hang it from the top where the hook was because it tended to sag into an oval. I kept the hook part on the side.

Finished Product

Cute: Yes. Worth paying $150: No. We left Nordstrom inspired to re-create this look for less. Here's what we came up with...

The 'Amanda' Pump

The 'Carrie' Pump

How did we do it?? A pair of Target pumps + rhinestones & feathers from Michael's Arts & Crafts = Shoe la la, a one of a kind fabulous shoe!!

We ended up spending $4.19 on the rhinestones and $1.99 on a bag of feathers. One pack of rhinestones will be more than enough to do two shoes. I cut each sheet in half so I had an even amount of each size for each shoe. Mighty-Mend-It or super glue will work to adhere the "flair" (I think we used both).

We found the suede shoes at Target for $29.99 and they came in an array of colors. Payless also had inexpensive options:

Attention teens!! You could easily use this idea to create fun prom shoes at a price mom can appreciate. Or, why not add little sparkle to your holiday, office or New Year's Eve party shoes? Kiddie shoes would also be a good application. When baby starts wearing shoes, I'll be sure to add a little bling to hers too :)