DIY - Do it Your (own damn) Self!

Sooooo, I'm going to be honest with you. I went over budget on the house. Poor Mr. Mel, he had no clue what I had gotten myself into and was, understandably, shocked when the final bills rolled in.

I had big plans for furniture and decor but, with the moolah gone, I am left brokity broke and in need of some creative ideas to get it all done on a tight tight tight (did I mention tight?) budget.

Mr. Mel has agreed to pay for a new living room sofa...and the rest he has insisted must be on the cheap. That in mind, I have been scouring blogs, the internet, and magazines and have found alot of really inspiring ideas that I hope I can parlay into some awesome and totally unique decorating touches. I am hoping to share some of my ideas, and also share the results of my DIY projects!

I know it's small, but my first DIY for the house was jewelry storage for my closet. I love necklaces but have never had any way to store them that didn't end up in them becoming a tangled mess of chain and beads. Here's my solution:

I started off with a 24" shelf that I picked up from a discount store for $5, and cup hooks from WalMart for $4.
I measured for two rows of hooks, with each hook 2" apart. I staggered the top and bottom rows so that the necklaces on the top row would hang between the hooks on the bottom row. I drilled holes in the shelf with a small bit and had Mr. Mel screw in the hooks for me with his big, strong man-hands.Voila!