I did it. I finally completed Clara’s closet stamping project (you know, the one I started here)! And yes, if you couldn’t tell from the title, I made a potato stamp. It was actually really fun. Don’t roll your eyes. It was. And it was free. In fact this entire project cost me 99 cents since I used one tube of Folk Art Paint in Champagne (a soft and pretty metallic gold color) and two potatoes that we already had (never thought I’d list potatoes as existing DIY materials). As for landing on a pattern, last week I shared how my first idea, a $1 rubber stamper from Michael’s, didn’t work (the rubber stamp pattern was too fine, so it didn’t read at all in person (although in the photo it wasn’t as hard to see):
And then I moved on to a few freehand painted attempts like imperfect horizontal lines, x’s (aka: kisses), and random little rows of dots made by squishing a small craft paintbrush against the wall:
As for my potato stamps, I just tried a few shapes that I did my best to freehand (from a weird little quatrefoil-ish thing to a star and a bee-hive-ish hexagon). As for the bottom right stamp, I saw this on Pinterest (originally from here), and decided to give it a try. I just carved a circle first (using the top of a salad dressing bottle as a guide) and then made little pizza-slice slivers around it to leave the asterisk-like shape.
I also saw this celery stencil idea on Pinterest (originally from here) and gave that the ol’ college try too:
Then it was time to test all of my “stampers” out on paper with the Folk Art metallic paint (in champagne) just to see how they did:
Out of all the potential patterns, the little starburst circle one was our favorite. So off to the closet I went, just to see how it would look on the wall.
I learned that it worked a lot better if I brushed the paint onto the potato with a small craft store brush (so I could remove the excess and prevent globs) as opposed to stamping it into my plate of paint (like you would with a rubber stamper).
Here’s a good shot of how the paint looks really metallic from certain angles. So soft and pretty.
After about an hour I had done the wall with the door on it and about a fourth of the adjoining wall to the left as you face it. Then I had to pause for a Clara nap and the rest of the day got away from me. But she did love the part that I had done once she woke up from her nap:
No worries, I thought. I’ll just finish it tomorrow. But in the morning I realized something that sent me into a mild to moderate potato panic. My stamp had sort of withered overnight. Not too crazy like a raisin or anything, but the whole potato was substantially less firm than it was the day before. More like a sponge than a solid stamp. But I decided to give it a try just to see how it worked out (while holding my breath and crossing my fingers/toes/eyes). My method had to change slightly (since the edges weren’t as flat as they once were, I had to gently rock my wrist back and forth and up and down as I pressed it down to ensure that all of the starburst tips got applied to the wall). But miracle of all miracles it still worked.
So onward I pressed. Literally. I must have pressed that potato into the wall 500 times. But it was surprisingly soothing. I know you’re rolling your eyes again, but there are some projects that are extremely tedious that I’m not a fan of (heck, painting the closet was totally boring) but for some reason I got into a nice little rhythm with my potato and my paint brush so it was kind of nice. Brush paint on, press while gently rocking wrist back and forth, move over a few inches, repeat. Oh and as for my spacing, I just eyed everything, but each stamp is about 5″ away from the next one and I just applied staggered horizontal rows so if you connected the dots it would make a ton of zig-zag chevrons.
I decided as I was stamping to the oldies (yes, I had Pandora on) that it was as good a time as any to think back about the last almost-15 months with the bean. So I sat/crouched/stood in there stamping my heart out and thinking about hilarious blowouts and first words and lost socks and restaurant meltdowns and all the other good/bad/ugly/amazing parenting stuff that has come been flung our way since Clara joined the family. Not a bad way to spend two hours.
And guess what? Once it was dry and I granted Clara some closet clearance, she was so excited! She literally wanted to point to every last shiny stamp that was in there and squeal “stah!” (her version of star).
The total time spent on the project (including various rubber stamper/potato/celery experiments and two installments of stamping) came to around three and a half hours. So worth it for the magical little subtly metallic reading nook we’re on our way to creating.
Next, we added the white shelving systems back in (that we removed before painting):
And finally I loaded in all of her clothes, toys, and blankets. I even tossed down a fluffy faux sheepskin rug from Ikea and some pillows that we already had while adding some of her favorite board books to the little Clara-level corner shelves:
I still want to DIY a beanbag (I’ve pinned lots of tutorials and ideas) but it’s pretty darn sweet in there already. And Clara had some fun taking it for a test ride. I think she likes loves it.
As for John’s impression, this convo ensued:
Me: It’s cool, huh? What do you think?
John: Yeah, it’s really Sweet Sixteen in there.
Me: What does that mean? It’s cheesy? Over the top?
John: No you know… (long pause)… expensive. Like the Louis Vuitton cakes they get. It’s really cool.
Sherry: Huh? (equally long pause) This might be our strangest conversation to date.
I’m so glad we all love it (even if some of us don’t really know how to put that love into words coughJohncough). And even my cheap-o work-with-what-you-have self is kind of shocked at the difference that 99 cents and 3.5 hours made in there (well, more like 5 hours if you count the closet-painting phase too).
Ok, so who’s surprised that I got all old school and made a potato stamp? I totally had flash backs of middle school while doing it. Who out there has stamped a wall instead of just painting or stenciling it? I must say there’s a surprising freedom to it since you don’t have to carefully place the stencil and make sure that there’s no paint on the back of it and that nothing gets smeared or anything. You just eye it and go. And it kind of looks like handmade wallpaper (imperfect, but kind of perfect because of that). This might be one of my favorite solo projects that I’ve done in the new house. Just because it’s from me to the bean with love. And quite possibly because it inexplicably reminds John of an expensive Louis Vuitton cake. Sometimes it’s the little things…
Leslie Ann says
A few people have mentioned that it reads as polka dots from a distance, and I agree. I love polka dots just as much as the next girl, but I don’t know how I would like them on my walls (maybe I would love it! who knows :) )However, do I realize things can read differently in person than they do in pictures, especially shiny metallic things like the pale gold paint you used.
My question for you: does it read like polka dots when you are standing there in person, standing a bit back from the closet? If it does read like polka dots IRL (in real life), are you happy with the dotty look?
YoungHouseLove says
It reads sort of like little shiny asterisks or daisies or stars when you’re standing back in real life- although in the pics they look more polka dotty. There’s definitely a starburst shape to them, but they’re placed in a sort of zig-zag polka-dot pattern, so I can see how it reads that way in photos. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Leslie Ann says
Yea, that does help. I definitely think I would need to experience it in person to make an opinion on it. :)
Stephanie says
I love this! I just did a post on Tuesday for our new Toddler Tuesday posts about making Potato Stamps. I would have never thought about using it for painting on a wall. Great idea, that celery flower that you made is pretty cool too, but I really like the one you went with. Before scrolling down I was voting for that one too. = )
Jaimie says
Oh, that is just lovely. And I love the shot with all her clothes hanging, they’re so tiny! It just makes me smile.
barb says
the triangle beanbag tutorial on grosgrain, that someone translated from Russian was super easy! I made it when you posted the pinterest challenge… and then forgot to take after pictures :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh so glad to hear that! I love that one!
xo,
s
Mindy M. says
I wasn’t crazy about the patterns you tried before, but I love the little starburst. From the wider shots it reads like metallic polka dots (which I also love). What a cute, inexpensive way to gussy up Clara’s closet-slash-reading nook.
Calypso says
AWESOME WORK. The fact that you were able to space them out so evenly and well astounds me. WOW.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
The potato stamp is nostalgic! I want that closet for myself. Seriously :D
sara says
omg! clara’s getting so big! and looking more like john everyday!
Hollis says
Where is Clara’s adorable outfit from anyway? I just pinned the closet … so perfect! I used to read in my closet when I was little, so this is very nostalgic for me : )
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from Old Navy on clearance. Probably got it two months ago? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Beth C says
Cutest closet ever!
tracy a says
oh potato stamps!! a few years ago i potato stamped our christmas cards. i made the stamp and was so pumped at how good it looked…then realized the writing was meant to be done in mirror image. Oops! Oh well, the re-done version was just as good (not to mention readable).
Closet looks great, especially with Clara sitting in there reading!
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
The closet came out great. It’s such a cute/cozy place for Clara, who by the way, looks so much bigger now that she’s standing in all these recent pictures!
Kristen says
I’m not sure if this was already said but I think it is very Sixteen Candles/Pretty in Pink (the movies)! I mean come on, can’t we all picture this closet as Samantha’s or Andi’s?! A soft pink with a champagne design…yes please! Great job Sherry, as always!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that could totally be the reference! Never thought of that.
xo
s
Ali says
Love Clara’s closet! Beautiful! :) I read a previous poster’s comment about adding hooks for dress up and I second that suggestion! My daughter started wanting to dress up at 18 months and has a growing collection of creative dress up costumes…some that I even DIY, some of her dress up I bought after Halloween on sale and some were birthday gifts from family!
I took a regular coat hook white strip from Target and hung 2 of them side by side low on the wall in her bedroom and it made the precious place for her to hang up (clean up) by herself even from a very young age! She could get it down on her own and clean up herself after creative play! It turned out to be colorful and organized solution! My daughter is now 4 1/2 and still loving being creative and dressing up! :) I think its adorable and I love that she cleans up on her own and feels so big and helpful!
~ Ali
Violet says
How cute is that?! Love the closet curtain fabric! So the potato stamp really does work out pretty darn good, thanks for showing another great creative idea! :)
lisa says
very cute little room for clara.
hopefully she won’t want to climb the shelves like my kids used to do, or pull all of the clothes off the shelves. now, that she is very mobile, she may have a lot of fun doing that.:)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, she definitely has fun taking down all of her books and blankets within reach and showing them back in a crazy pile. We just make sure there’s nothing she can really hurt (or hurt herself with) and know that the shelves won’t look that pretty for long – haha.
xo,
s
Zoe says
I love that Clara loves it. That must have made it extra lovely!
BTW, here’s a beanbag tutorial you may find useful http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/1999/01/rollie-pollie_28/.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that one! In fact I already pinned it. Haha.
xo,
s
Sheila Zeller says
I love this! …and no, I’ not surprised you tried the potato stamp – you never surprise me anymore… just inspire me instead! Great DIY :-)
Natalie says
Babies LOVE closets right! And that closet rocks!
Diana says
Wow! I love that closet! It is like a little girl’s dream-come-true space!
Shannon Lambert says
I stenciled Fleur-de-lis on a wall in my tiny, old bachelor apartment (I believe they call it a studio apartment in the states. No bedroom, just one small main room plus a kitchen and bathroom).
Here’s the only decent picture of it. I apologize for the cruddy, weird picture. This was 5-6 years ago and I no longer live there http://tinyurl.com/3voutlb
People said my apartment looked like a Tiffany box.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s a really fun pattern!
xo,
s
Relevant Notes says
This is such an adorable idea. I would have loved a closet-turned-reading-nook when I was younger. Saving that idea in the back of my mind for when I have kids someday!
MelissaG says
That looks amazing! I love it and I’m sure your gal will for years to come too!!
Allison says
Hi YHL, I wanted to put forward a suggestion… if its possible it would be so awesome if you put before and after photo next to each other at the end of blog posts like these ones. Its prob a lazy suggestion from me because I could just look it up, but just thought I’d ask anyway. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the request! We try to put before & after pics next to each other for projects like painting the kitchen paneling. So I’ll have to remember to do that for posts like this too!
xo,
s
Dara Jarvis says
Random thought of the day ….. I used to think Clara looked like John but in these pictures I now see Sherry.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooo! That makes me so happy. So many people say John, so when someone says me I practically do cartwheels!
xo,
s
Carissa says
I’ve always thought about making a potato stamp but every time I’d mention it I’d get the raised eyebrow from my husband.
Score one for the ladies!
Caitlin says
I’m a primary (elementary) school teacher. So I’m super impressed that you’ve used the good ol’ potato for your project! Way to go!
C. says
I still use potato stamps to make wrapping paper quite regularly – just pop them in the fridge and you can stamp the next day without the mushy effect! (Don’t forget to alert others that they’re not for eating :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s always a smart warning so they’re not gone by morning. Haha.
xo,
s
Samantha says
Seems like you are really reaching for projects these days. This is really tacky and I would expect more from you guys, this is your job afterall!
YoungHouseLove says
Clara loves it, we love it, and 320+ commenters love it so we’re psyched. Our blog’s just a DIY diary (remember it took us 4.5 years to “finish” our 1st house, so we’ve never shared giant projects every day). We just tackle things slowly over time as our budget allows (HGTV we’re not). Maybe Resolution #4 of this post will help!
xo,
s
FaithofAllCrafts says
I’ll comment in number form as I have a few things:
1. LOVE THE CLOSET!!
2. Clara has a TON of clothes.
3. If you want to iron your ribbon chandy, use your hair straightener & you can do it while it’s hanging. (Note: I’m totally lazy & don’t want to set up the iron/board)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I love the hair straighter idea. As for Clara’s clothes- she gets hand-me-downs like crazy since she’s the 5th baby within one year in our family. Haha. There are perks to being the youngest!
xo,
s
Carmel says
If you were up to another sewing project perhaps you could try this instead of a beanbag? http://www.livingwithpunks.com/2010/05/tutorial-land-of-nod-inspired-floor.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah I love that project! Actually pinned it already!
xo,
s
Krissy says
This is positively darling! Well done! This is my FAVOURITE thing you’ve done in your new house so far. And it’s adorable that Clara loved is so much too. Makes it even better, doesn’t it?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, I’m wrapped around her little finger. If she likes anything, it automatically sold. Haha.
xo,
s
Wendy says
Suggestion for the wilted-ish potato.. try soaking it in a bit of cool water to refresh it and then press it out a few times to let go of the moisture.
Not sure if this will work. I’ve never tried it, but it seems logical. (I have no potatoes on hand to test this out either right now..)
Peace.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! I’ll have to try that next time!
xo,
s
chrissa says
I LOVE this S&J! it looks so pretty, so dainty and magical.
And funny that John said the “Sweet Sixteen” bit, because that’s exactly what I was thinking when I saw this
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks! I’m glad John’s comment made sense to you!
xo,
s
Danielle from A Few of My Favorite Things says
It turned out wonderfully! And as the person responsible for subjecting the world to MY SUPER SWEET 16, I’m flattered that John used it as a positive means for comparison! Hope Clara has lots of fun in her sweet new space.
YoungHouseLove says
Woah- are you the creator of My Super Sweet 16 or something? That might blow John’s mind. Haha.
xo,
s
Cecy says
Very cute idea and the finished closet is adorable.
Samantha Shew says
I love the potato stamps! What a fun idea. It turned out great!
Kaytee says
Looks great! I’m working on a reading nook for my 3 year old at the moment, I just wish our closet was a little bigger. Good luck keeping those blankets and clothes tidy on the lower shelves! Olive loves to fold and rearrange clothes, so those shelves would be a major target! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, Clara likes to “help” take things down and put things back up- but we don’t mind some wadded up blankets and haphazard piles of board books. Haha. We love letting her “decorate.”
xo,
s
Kaytee says
I have a mini laundry basket in Olive’s play kitchen that has some of the clothes that she has grown out of, it satisfies her need to “fold” clothes without totally wrecking her dresser drawers :) I know it just feeds the strict gender roll rules that 3’s are obsessed with, but she loves her laundry.
YoungHouseLove says
Such a cute idea!
xo,
s
Kristy says
You. Are. Genius! :)
Mindy says
I love it!! Every little kid should have a book nook of some kind. Awesome inspiration. :) (Our little Liv loves sitting on blankets/rugs to look at books. Too cute.)
Tiffany says
Very cute idea! When we painted our daughter’s small closet a few years ago when she was about 2, we put her hand in the paint and let her put hand prints on the closet walls. Of course we didn’t do as many hand prints as your stamps, but it’s kind of cute to see how she’s grown.
Lace says
Long-time reader, first time commenter. (I tried so hard not not to type that but I just couldn’t stop myself. Sorry.)
You mentioned making a beanbag for the closet and I stumbled across this tutorial (http://www.livingwithpunks.com/2010/05/tutorial-land-of-nod-inspired-floor.html) and immediately thought of Clara’s reading closet. It seems a perfect match for the small space, perhaps a little more manageable than the traditional bean bag shape.
I checked your Pinterest (as I am equally obsessed) and didn’t see it amoung your pins, so I just thought I would mention it. Sorry if it’s a duplicate.
Cheers.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much! Love it!!
xo,
s
Johanna says
I never grow tired of little girl’s closets. Such miniature clothing and I love the little reading rug. Adorable!
jeannette says
did you see this DIY beanbag tute?
http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/1999/01/rollie-pollie_28/
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- love it so much! Already pinned it. Haha.
xo,
s
Bridget says
I think your closet is wonderful, so cute for your little baby girl! All children like cozy spaces to curl up in or play.
JoDi says
That is totally adorable! Expensive is a good description. It reminded me of a repeating logo on a designer handbag so I laughed when I read John’s description. It’s something about the metallic paint, I think. It looks very classy!
Dara says
Great job! The stamps are perfect and it is a nice cozy spot for her. Ya did good!
becky says
It’s a little delayed.. but I found this website today and thought of you guys.
https://www.cocooncouture.com/
It has a ton of cute kid’s bean bags for your little bean.
It may give you some more ideas… :D
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo,
s
Leslie says
I love this! It looks awesome and what a sweet, little cozy spot she has. Thanks for sharing the ideas!
Megan says
This is absolutely beyond amazing. I want one, now!! And not for my girls–for ME!!! You’ve totally inspired me. Great job. Oh, and my husband gives out really interesting compliments as well. Once he tried telling me my eyes were sultry and beautiful and when I laughed and said they were simply tired, he said something that came out like, “They make you look like a burned-out prostitute.” PLEASE tell me which part of that was complimentary! Thankfully, I just laughed.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha. Hilarious.
xo,
s