DIY Fashion Diva

I bought this chic white vanity from Target for less than 100 dollars while it was on sale. The design and color matches my style perfectly. I have it put into my pink and white DIY work room, so I can do all my make up, hair, and sewing there. The room is my relaxing and peaceful place; a comfortable and quiet environment can really inspire new ideas.

The vanity was almost perfect except for one little thing, the drawer was too small and there was no dividers to separate and organize my make up. I tried looking around for plastic and cardboard dividers in different stores. I realized there was no way I would find one that fit inside my vanity drawer perfectly. The size is awkward and the height is too short for most dividers you can buy at the store.

It seemed like designing my own vanity drawer organizer was my only option.  I was not about to throw everything into one big drawer and have to fish it out every morning. I came across a lot of organizing and drawer divider posts on my favorite DIY forums. The best part is this project will only cost about 5-10 dollars.

The idea is really simple.  Gather some used paper boxes, paper drink cartons, and place them together, then beautify it by cover it with gift wrapping paper. Here are the advantages of this project: it is very cost effective, the design and structure of the organizer, and the choice of wrapping paper.

Most of the materials are normal household items.  Including:

• Paper milk or orange juice cartons
• A shallow jacket gift box (separate top and bottom)
• fancy roses and angels wrapping paper
• paper clips
• wood/paper glue

This is perhaps one the the cheapest and easiest project I’ve ever done.

Step 1:

Measure the inside of the vanity drawer with a tape measure. Draw the design of your organizer.  How many slots or compartments would you like to have and what size?  Think about what combination will make sense for your make up. For example, I needed a couple long areas for my mascara and eye liner pencils while having a big space for all my foundation and face powder.

Step 2:

Start building the base of the organizer, I used a Christmas gift box from  the previous year. The gift box was a little too small and tall for the vanity drawer so I had to extend it by combining the bottom and top parts of the box. Use clear tape to hold the two parts together and cut off the excess height so it will fit nicely in the drawer.

Step 3:

Cut the milk and orange juice cartons to the desired height. Place them to get the desired compartments and shape for your unique organizer. Feel free to play around and try different combinations.

Step 4:

Once you get the shape you want, use the glue to stick the carton sides together.  Use paper clips on the edges and corners to hold it together while it dries. Allow time for the glue to dry completely, it will usually take about 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 5:

After the glue dries, remove the paper clips and do a test run.  Make sure everything is the right height and size.  You definitely want to make sure it fits before you go to the next step.

Step 6:

There is a trick to gluing the wrapping paper, start from the inside. Cut wrapping paper into appropriately sized pieces and cover the shorter parts first then the bigger parts and corners. Save the bottom and outside edge for last because you can cover up the imperfect parts at the end. Paper glue will work just fine.

Step 7:

Fold the paper to the right size for covering up each area’s bottom part. Glue this down last with thin layer of paper glue and the whole project will look professional and store bought.

Step 8:

Place the organizer into drawer for the last time. As long as you can easily close and open this vanity drawer, you can start placing the make up products into each section. Do final fixes only if it’s absolutely necessary.