Pantry Makeover! Getting rid of those wire shelves with an Ikeahack

I've always loathed wire shelving in all it's forms... but I do understand why they are used. Lightweight, easy to install, and cost effective - they seem to be the shelving of choice for builders du jour. If you're stuck with unsightly wire shelving - I have the solution for you!

After trying to figure out a way to do built-ins on our own and without custom cabinetry, I turned to the trusted and faithful BILLY from Ikea. Billy comes in two depths (12 and 15 inches I believe), and by choosing the shallower of the two, I not only gave myself some extra space in our walk through pantry, but I avoided the "black hole" - where food items get lost and never used because they are way in the back. You'd never know these are budget bookcases - they look like they were designed to be in a pantry.

 This set up allows for two rows of jars or a bin which makes everything incredibly easy to locate and things don't get lost in Neverneverland. We trimmed out the bottom and the centre (where the two bookcases meet) with some simple baseboard trim to make it look like a single unit. Had we had more time in this house (oh, did I mention we are moving! Another post :) - I would have gone much further like some of the Billy built-ins I found on Pinterest and put crown on the top to really give it that built-in look. I also might have wallpapered or stenciled the back, but I was far too indecisive to settle on anything.

Before our pantry overhaul, my pantry sadly looked like this (can't believe I'm sharing this!).

Granted, I knew we were ripping it all out so I didn't invest any time in making it pretty - seriously, how big of a transformation is that?

Taking out the wire shelving, patching and painting was a bit of a task (the wire shelves were anchored with some pretty serious drywall screws) - but my husband and father-in law tackled it like pros.

I customized my shelf heights to the heights of my jars and was so happy how it all worked out - another big plus about this project is how easy it is to adjust shelf height to accommodate different sized items - something you can't do with wire shelves.

Despite the depth being absolutely perfect for this project, the width did not line up perfectly. I toyed with the idea of building in an extension so the pantry fit the entire width of the space - but instead opted for a chalkboard diy wine shelf (upcoming post!). The little gap (just less than a foot) was good for putting large Costco acquisitions before I had a chance to properly put away, but could also have used it to store a broom or a small foot stool.

While the pantry doesn't always look as clutter-free as these images, the reality is pretty darn close. I've found it really easy to maintain when you have a home for everything. I wanted to redo my labels prior to this post, but with the move ahead just didn't have the time. These labels are going on 2.5 years and still kicking - although some have definitely seen better days. I'm still amazed at how long they've held up though!

Have you ever used a Billy in a non-bookcase way? Do you have wire shelves you hate as much as I do?

Nursery Decor and Labels for Baby Girl

While I remain stumped on how to finish up the nursery decor, one thing I have not delayed on is getting some printables up! I figured the easiest way to jump start the nursery was to create some name wall art (I will share the actual photos of the name art once baby is here and the name is announced!) as well as some clothing labels and tags.

Baby girl's nursery has gone all-out girly and is as feminine and frilly as I could hope for. While I love the many mod nursery designs out there, I just had to indulge my girly side while I can (while I'm the one calling the decor shots and not a 3 year old into Frozen).

Using Photoshop, I've incorporated a watercolor effect on some of my favourite fonts as well as used some hand painted watercolor floral elements and am loving the look.

Looking for some affordable nursery art? I've just listed the clothing tags in the shop for $5 and the custom name art for $12. I'll be adding other labels for baby necessities like swaddles, receviing blankets, etc, very soon. See links below!

Baby Girl Clothing Labels 

Custom Watercolor Name Art

I haven't listed this gold monogram yet - but what do you think? 

New Pantry Label Collections | 204 Labels including Basics, Vegan, Gluten Free, Baking, Bins and more!

Three new collections.

Three different colourways.

Loads of organizing prettiness!

Introducing the "Starter Pantry", the "Healthy Pantry" (with vegan and gluten free options) and "Bins and Containers" in Chalk it Up (Chalkboard), Retro Blue, and Vintage Aloha (Floral).

I was so excited about these new labels that I spent an entire weekend stripping my pantry of all my old labels and re-labelling over 200 jars and containers. They are still similar to my previous labels, but just a fresh take on them, incorporating new fonts and a more customizable label format (keep as an easy to cut rectangle or square, or trim down to create curvy labels). Not to mention, these instant download files include so many pantry items that I think most kitchens will be fully covered and then some!

Stay tuned for a big post on my pantry re-labelling, including my experience with my previous labels that lived in my pantry for 2.5 years, as well as tips on storing in containers, durability of labels, and much more!

"Retro Blue" above, a fresh take on my classic "Vintage Blue" labels

"Retro Blue" mix and matched with "Vintage Aloha"

"Retro Blue" Collection

"Chalk it Up" Collection

"Retro Blue" mix and matched with "Vintage Aloha"

Keep the standard square corners (a la top right chalkboard label) or trim further and curve the corners for fancy detail!

"Vintage Aloha"

"Retro Blue" Collection

A BIG thank you to Shellyarm, moviemel, Joyce Sulit, Whitney, Kim, Diana's Life, Chapman family, katie, Gigi and Jen Jones for leaving your label feedback  - it definitely helped steer the direction of these collections! Please email me at thepapersociety@gmail.com and let me know which labels you would like gratis! 

Visit The Paper Society on etsy.

Label Input | Reward: Free Labels!

It's been a long time coming, but I'm hoping to revamp The Paper Society with some fresh new labels. Since moving and starting a full-time job which leaves little time for custom labels orders, I am hoping to add more "ready-designed" sets to the Etsy shop, but also want to make sure that customers don't miss out on the variety of labels that they need - so I'm asking you for help!

(My fridge does not actually look like this - see here for more)

1) What are your top pantry items that you would be likely to decant into a container and want a label for?

2) Would you prefer smaller rectangular labels, slightly larger square labels, or a mixture of both?

3) What colour(s) would be your preference for pantry labels?

4) Would you also like to see fridge labels and other household labels included in the collection?

5) What do you think of having different collections to choose from like "Baking", "Essentials", "Gluten Free", Vegan", "UK/Aus-Specific"? I get so many request for different types of labels that perhaps it would be nice to have  choice?

And to thank you for your time, anyone who contributes their two cents will get a code to use on etsy for a free download of any of my ready-designed labels (including the TBD new collections!)

Thank you all so much for your feedback! xo


And if it's looking different around here - it's because it is. This is my very temporary trying-to-get-through blog design until I actually get the time to revamp the blog as well!

Reverse Bow Art | Easy DIY Gift Idea

I spent the weekend crafting and playing with my new gold foil sheets and my Silhouette. Oh the fun things you can do with a craft cutter and some gold foil! I could have spent days playing around, but alas the weekend ended and I had to get back to real life.

One of my favourite creations was a simple gold bow on white paper - classic, perfect for the holidays and all year round, and definitely a nice bit of Kate Spade inspired whimsy.

While I was playing around with the bow shape I designed, and the many cuts I made, I had an idea. Instead of putting a gold foil bow onto white cardstock, what if I cut it out of the white cardstock, and put my gold glitter wrapping paper behind it? So I did.

What I love most about using this for a gift is that it can be personalized - a piece of wrapping paper from a bridal shower, fabric from a baby's quilt or a wedding dress, a newspaper or magazine clipping, pages from a favourite book ... the options are endless!

If you don't have a craft cutter, you could always try an exacto knife - or cut a simpler shape like a heart.

What's your favourite DIY gift to give?

Holiday Gift Guide | Gold, black and white all over!

As much as I love gift giving, I LOATHE gift buying. I may be a rare kind, but I stress myself out big time trying to find the perfect gift for someone. I am extremely indecisive, and usually end up buying multiple gifts for the same person before finally narrowing down what I'd like to give them. And I usually end up buying two of everything... one for me, one for you, one for me, one for you. Yup, I'm that person!

This year (okay, and last year, and the year before that), I'm loving all things gold and black and white. Such a timeless colour combo that melds my favourites- the holidays with a little old Hollywood flair. If you're stumped on what to get the ladies if your life, this round up covers all the bases, from affordable smaller gifts, to splurges for those closer to you. And of course, I would be thrilled to receive any of these gifts (well, except my own print, because, uh, that would be weird!).


From left to right:

Gold Confettit iPhone Case, $40 , LaFeliz on etsy
Gold Initial, $14.50, Chapters Indigo
Tres Chic Gloves, $58, C Wonder
Lip Tease Mug, $28, Reiko Kaneko on SHOP by Monika
Raison d'etre Print, $10 - $20, The Paper Society
Striped Throw, $128, C Wonder
Limited Edition Gold Brush Set, $29.99, Sonia Kashuk for Target
Bubbly Gold Decanter, $39.50, Chapters  Indigo
Voluspa Room Spray, $20, Chapters Indigo

FREEBIE | Ho Ho Ho Holiday Print

 I figured it was about time I start filling the empty frames in my house with something other than the stock black and white photo of a family of three whom I do not know. Graphic and typographic prints seemed like the way to go. I whipped up a bunch of designs to play around with - and now I wonder, why didn't I do this before? Such easy, classic art, and a great way to decorate for the holidays as well!

I have a selection of designs available in my shop (Etsy or my online store), but for those of you not scared of your printer, why not download and print for free!

Download the Ho Ho Ho print here and enjoy! And if you feel like sharing, use #thepapersociety to show me how you style your print!

Enjoy! xo J

Holiday Labels and Prints | The Paper Society

Once November 1st hits, I'm R-E-A-D-Y for Christmas! Who's with me?

Hubby isn't as keen as I am, so we are waiting a little bit longer to put up the tree - but that didn't stop me from creating some new labels and printables to get into the holiday spirit! Check out the first preview of my Holiday Collection below (just released on shopthesociety.com) - and come back this week for a pretty awesome giveaway and some free printables!

"Bisous a Tout (kisses to all)" Print (perfect for under the mistletoe!) and

 "Cheers to the Holidays" Kraft Seals

"Ho Ho Ho" Print (shown with upcoming DIY glitter deer print)

"Petit Holiday Stickers" 

"Cheers to the Holidays" Kraft Seals

"Petit Holiday Stickers" 

These and a few others are listed in the shop (soon to be on etsy as well), with more items coming next week! Stay tuned! #shopthesociety

Freebies | Printable Heirloom Recipe Cards

Sure, it's Thursday, but I'm filing this one under Freebie Fridays, k? Thank you for throwing me a bone.

I'm sharing my thoughts on passing down recipe cards today over at Modern Parents Messy Kids. Go take a peek and let me know what you think and how you recipe keep. You can also checkout the free download on my Freebies page.

For our recipe box, I customized some cards with our last name. I think this makes a great gift and have already made these for a bridal shower. Stick a set in my upcoming recipe card box DIY, and it is the PERFECT gift!

How do you keep recipes? In a binder? Box? Online? Let me know!

FREEBIES | Printable Holiday Tags

It's the time of season where Christmas cards are posted, presents are mostly wrapped, and you only have one difficult person left to shop for. It's also the time where you probably realize you need something to label your Christmas presents with. Please, I beg of you, don't go buy the cheesy tags from the dollar store. Unless they're for close, non-judgemental family members. However, for friends, and co-workers, those tags just will not do.

Free Printable Holiday Tags

I was in need of some tags the other night, so I whipped these up. In case you're in a bind too, try giving these a whirl. I've designed them in a "shopping tag" shape, however you can also cut off the top to make it a square if you fancy (I did both versions and they turned out lovely). Hole punch at the top and thread a ribbon through, and ta-da! And for beginner printers wondering what to print on, I recommend a heavier card stock (at least 80 lbs) to get a nice, professional feel.

Happy Holidays! And I would love to see your gift wrapping so please tweet/instagram at me @thepapersociety or post on my Facebook page. You just might win a prize! :)

DIY Metallic Hand Painted Christmas Cards

You may have noticed my recent obsession with all things gold and polka dotted if you're following me on Twitter or Instagram. I la la la la looove gold polka dots.

So, I decided to get crafty and bring my own touch of gold to the holidays. I had so much fun stamping away, that I made enough cards to last a lifetime. Or, since I've already done the majority of my Christmas cards, to sell on etsy...

They turned out even better than I imagined in my head. I like the mix of ink and paint and kraft and white. It's a beautiful combination.

But no need to buy mine! Make your own! Nothing makes me happier than an easy DIY :)

For this project, I bought blank cards and envelopes at Michael's, ran them through my printer to get an oversized and slanted "Merry", and then used my Martha foam circle sponges and craft paint to create gold dots. I mixed a gold and silver metallic paint to get the "perfect" gold.

I think the kraft cards look great with a white envelope, and vice versa, so we did a little switcheroo!

The best part? You can be as random as you like with the dots! If you don't have a perfect pattern, like the one above, you can just make it look like confetti! 

Have you crafted your own Christmas cards before?

Inside your Pantry | The Paper Society

Every time I get an order on etsy for The Paper Society, one of the first things I do is check out the invoice and see where on earth my labels are going to end up. I am BEYOND fascinated that in this crazy world, I can have my label designs in pantries from Australia, to the UK, to Texas. It. Blows. My. Mind. I know it shouldn't, because that is the nature of the international web marketplace, but still, I am amazed.

Even my husband (who gets the paypal notifications to his email) comments when he sees an order and says something along the lines of "Hey hunny, your labels are going to Germany! You're my idol! Want me to make you some schnitzel?"...Ok, I made up that bit.

I also love hearing and seeing what people do with my labels and how they organize their pantries. There are some very talented and organized people out there and I have seen a fair share of magazine worthy pantry makeovers. Melanie's has got to be one of my faves.

Melanie lives in NYC, and if that isn't enough to make you a wee bit jealous, she's also a very driven entrepreneur. Her company Elizabeth and Clarke is little bit genius, a lot bit functional. I don't live in the city but I do get the hassle of running around from shop to shop trying to find staples. Elizabeth and Clarke takes all the hassel and guess work out of stocking your wardrobe with the essentials. Ease and affordablity- I like that.

Back to pantries! Melanie has used the OXO pop up containers that I absolutely adore. They seal perfectly airtight, and in a day and age where so many things are short lived and disposable, I do feel like these containers will stand the test of time. I only have a couple but hope to one day outfit my pantry with some more of them!

The jars for the vinegars are also genius! I have a handful of sparkling wine bottles with this type of lid that could so easily be repurposed. And, decanting keeps everything looking the same, so what's not to love!

Are you having pantry envy yet?

I sure am ;)

xo J