Family Message Center

After many hours of searching through Pinterest, I decided to create a Family Message Command Center.  My biggest problem was where to put this command center.  I do not have an office in my home (I use my dinning room table as a desk), I never liked having my desk in the basement, so I was at odds as where to put this.  I have a galley kitchen and didn't want to make it seem smaller by adding white boards, etc to the kitchen wall.  I think my biggest problem was that I didn't want all my personal papers visible to everyone who came into the home, so after a ton of consideration, I decided to use the staircase wall that led to the basement.  It was unused space, the doorway is connected to my dinning room which is where I do my paperwork anyway, so I thought this would be the perfect spot.  Now if anyone comes over, all I have to do is close the basement door, easy as that.

The first item on my list was to have a hanging file, that was big enough to house folders. I found this one at Marshall's Home Goods Store (my favorite place to shop) for $24.99.  I have seen other ones (not as nice for more money) so I grabbed this one.

I knew I wanted a magnetic board and saw many ideas on Pinterest on how to make one from sheet metal, but this one I found at Target for $12.99 already framed in black, wound up being cheaper to do it this way.  It did have brown corking around it as well, all I did was paint it black to match the frame. The black & white magnets also came from Target for $2.50 for a large pack.

Painted the brown corking black that framed
 the magnetic white board

I loved the ideas of the hanging buckets, and when I was at Target (shopping for the White Board) I found the metal buckets in the dollar bin.  Woo hoo!

Bows are hot glued onto buckets & bows are
tied on the file baskets

This takes me to my 2nd favorite store the Christmas Tree Shop (owned by Bed, Bath, & Beyond) which carries a lot of the same items, but at a substantially lower price.  I picked up this curtain rod for around $6.00 to hang the buckets.  While shopping I ventured over to the College Section and found the New York City vinyl clings for $3.99 and figured I could use them to accent my message boards.  I also picked up the black frames 11x14 for $1.99, 8x10 for $1.69,  and 4x6 for $.89.  What a deal!

The wooden letters I purchased at Michael's for $1.49 each, of course using my coupons to save more money.  The black & white ribbon was found for $1.00 in their dollar bins - more great deals.

Letters glued onto contact paper -
 made my own subway art

I made the black & white New York City subway art myself as well as the two smaller quotes from Coco Chanel.  I felt her quotes fit right in with my theme.   The backing on frames is contact paper I had left over when I re-did my linen closet.  I purchased it from either Walmart or Target, not sure which.  The blog post idea frame, I also printed on my computer, covered the matt board in matching contact paper. Use an expo marker to write directly on the glass, then wipe off.  I matched some file folders as well, covering them also in contact paper.

Blog Post Ideas printed - matt board covered
in contact paper

Coco Chanel quotes printed on computer and
 glued on top of contact paper

I covered standard manilla file folders
in contact paper to give
a uniform look

So there you go, my new message center.  Get creative - happy organizing <3

Tina