Pretty-fying Your Bargain Make-Up Storage!

So, since I play with make-up frequently..it tends to accumulate. Especially since I started watching and making youtube videos. Now, I had bought a Caboodle train case which, at the time, was sufficient for my make-up storage needs. However, my make-up collection has grown and some products have been replaced with bulkier items and so my collection no longer really fits. My make-up has started ending up EVERYWHERE!...I  mean that literally...since I don't have enough room anywhere for my make-up really, I tend to leave things lying around... my frequently used products ended up on a shelf with some books, individual lip balms have wandered their way into various rooms,  my larger eyeshadow palates got tossed on top of the pile that is my dresser, and my mascaras have gone every which way depending on where I pulled it out last for whatever reason. I am not exactly the neatest person in the world, never have been, but even I was getting annoyed with my lack of a real home for my make-up, so I finally decided to take a stand. Unfortunately, I am limited with how much I can do because there is very little space for me to work with. So after a late night cleaning spree in my bedroom, and a trip to Target and Michaels, I have added a special place just for my lip products..well..until they outgrow that one anyway.

So, first thing's first, I went to Target after getting off of work in order to pick up an athletic, fitted shirt for an adult ballet class I am starting next week. Now I took dance lessons for 14 years growing up, but after a six+ year hiatus, much of my old attire is no longer with me. So, to target I went, unfortunately the one I had my eye on was no longer available, but I did find a suitable alternative on clearance, leaving me extra money to play with. Then, I popped by the ELF section to pick up a product I had seen on youtube that intrigued me, and then I found another thing that caught my fancy....actually several things, but I only bought one other product. Then I realized..I keep buying all this make-up even though I have no place to put it...to the storage!

    So, I found one of these small desk-top three-drawer Sterilite devices that I decided would be good for my lip products....

BUT! I decided it was boring and plain, which made me sad so I decided I want to make it pretty. Since Target doesn't really have a great craft section.... I traipsed over to the nearby Michaels! I initially was gonna get some stencils and paint..but upon looking at the stencils, I realized stickers would be less-messy and more time-saving...so I found some pretty stickers from the scrapbooking section. Then I figured stickers wouldn't stick so well to the plastic so I got some Modge-Podge to seal them onto the device...the bottle I got has GLITTER!

(please to cock your head to the left until I get around to fixing the rotation on this one)

Of course, I needed an tool to spread the Modge-Podge..I opted for an inexpensive paint brush because I figured it would work the best for my task, but for the really budget conscious, you can pick up a sponge on a stick for less than $.50

So I got home and took a long nap since I had just gotten off work, when I woke up I started my project. I stuck the stickers on..they actually stuck better than I expected them to, but I wouldnt trust them for very long. They were vinyl stickers so they probably were a bit stickier than more traditional ones.

It looked pretty good, but I decided something was missing still.

So I found some old rhine stones! These I've had for a long time, I think I bought them the time I was making a masquerade mask for a dance when I was in college.

No, they are not self-stick, so I needed some glue. Alas, I didn't know where my tacky glue was, so I used a flexible adhesive instead and I applied it with a toothpick. Again, theses are items I happened to have at hand, I actually bought the adhesive to re-attach my character shoes' soles as I couldn't afford a new pair and I needed them...they are still holding strong!!!!!

Once I got the sparklies on the knobs, I modge-podged it up! The glitter delighted me...probably because I am currently sleep deprived due to work, but you can get modge-podge without glitter and in a variety of finishes. Modge podge is relatively inexpensive, but on a real tight budget, you can mix Elmer's liquid glue with some water and it'll accomplish the same thing.

Then I let er dry. I was concerned the finish would be tackier than I wanted, especially since the bottle suggested using an acrylic sealant to make the surface not tacky and I had another modge-podged craft tat was a bit tacky...but it DID NOT! I don't know if it was just the type of material or what, but I find it hardly tacky at all so I'm gonna run with it.

Now, let's tally up my costs for this project

Drawer Device...$6.99
Stickers... $1.99 per sheet
Glitter Modge-Podge (2oz)... $3.49
Paint Brush....$2.99
Rhine Stones...$0 since I had them already
Lock Tite Flexible Adhesive...$0 again, since I already had it
Toothpicks...$0..my house is almost never without them

MY TOTAL = $17.45 (plus tax) for a customized and durable make-up storage device...less than a hard-back novel!

Of course, depending on the products you use and what you happen to have lying around, you might spend a little more or a little less. Many of the products can be replaced with something cheaper (i.e...sponge for brush and glue for modge podge)..but I also like to think of purchases as an investment. Sure, a brush could be more expensive initially, but you can re-use it and it will hold up longer than a sponge would. The rhine stones I have had for years and I still have some left over, same thing with the modge-podge. So it's important to think of things that way as well, not just what might be cheap initially, but what will be inexpensive in the long-run.

Happy organizing!