Mitten and Glove Organization – A Painted Box

When it comes to organization, I think many of us make it more difficult than it has to be. I know I am naturally drawn to organizing projects that create an individual place for every item in the house. I have certainly pinned my share on Pinterest, but I am facing a reality that might cause a collective gasp in the organizing blog sector: Our main form of organization is piles. We pile the mail. We pile our clothes. We pile toys. If there is a place for the pile, my family is very good at putting it in that place. If not, no one thinks twice about dropping an item anywhere they feel like it. That has been a problem with our winter gear which ends up strewn about all over the foyer.

We have around 10 pairs of gloves and mittens between all of us. We needed somewhere to pile them all ASAP. We have quite a few baskets, and I wanted something a little different this time. I also have a preference for decorating with natural materials.

I lucked into a solution when I went to pick up a free croquet set at a friend’s house. (Anyone up for a game of croquet in the snow? I didn’t think so.) This box was available. It needed some TLC, but I knew it would be perfect for winter storage in the foyer.

I suspect that it had been used outdoors because it had potting soil remnants inside. I also found a fascinating insect cocoon village on the bottom,. For the squeamish, the cocoons were all long empty.

I actually thought the faded logo was cute for an informal use such as mitten and glove organization. The original plan was to clean the crate really well, and then use wood oil on the outside to freshen the finish.

I cleaned the metal banding with Brasso. Unfortunately, the Brasso did not reveal nicer metal as I had hoped. It remained rusty in some parts, and the finish was removed in others. In addition, after cleaning the wood with a tsp substitute, the wood still had a glossy finish on it in some parts, and using wood oil would not create the look I desired. I applied a deglosser, but the results were the same. I really did not think the piece was worth the work of sanding or staining.

Plan B was Chalk Paint. Chalk paint is matte finish paint mixed with a little Plaster of Paris and water. It is all the rage for furniture painting. It creates a rustic look with a silky feel when it is done properly. In my mind, I saw the crate painted butter yellow with a black chalkboard paint label. It would read “Mittens and Gloves” in beautiful cursive.

Then, I remembered that we are filthy people. A yellow bin would be a mess in no time, especially at floor level, since it would be placed by the door in the winter. I was also going to have to befriend someone with beautiful cursive since my handwriting looks like a 2nd Grader. Plan B was impractical.

Plan C was to head to the hardware store to see if I would become inspired by something. Some people go to the mall for fun. I go to the hardware store. I considered spray paint first, but I could not find a color that I liked in a matte finish. After a bit of wandering and waffling, I chose a stock color paint called Colonial Red. It was $6/quart. It was nothing fancy, just like me.

I painted with a low quality brush because I wanted the finish to look rustic like a beloved red wagon instead of perfectly polished. The end result is a functional organizational tool that will be able to take an accidental beating from six people plus a dog.

I do need your help though. Now that the crate is painted, the metal banding looks really rough. Would you:

1. Paint it Black
2. Paint it Red
3. Leave it alone
4. Paint it another metal color?

Also, I do have black chalkboard paint. Would you go ahead an put a label panel on the crate?

Before I end this post, I also want to to let you know how the One Room Challenge is going. If you recall, I expanded the time limit for completion to December 15 which is, gasp… today. The room is primed, and partially painted. We have run into a few snafus with paint color choice, the electrical and the storage system I intend to build. The room should be usable by the end of December. It has been an ambitious project for us even though it initially seemed as if it would be very easy. That is just how life shakes out sometimes. I will have more thorough updates with progress pictures very soon.