Have you ever bought a roll of wrapping paper at the store and wrapped about two gifts before the roll ran out?  Or it tore as you were wrapping it?  Well, you won't have that problem using Kraft Wrapping Paper. When I saw this at Archiver's, I knew would be more cost effective, less frustrating, and much cuter than my usual wrapped gifts.  One roll costs $2.99 and contains 37.5 square feet of paper.  It wrapped all of the gifts you see in the picture, with much more to spare.  Then, I had my boys help me use alphabet stamps as we practiced spelling out the names of the members of our family.  Now with my shopping finished and these gifts wrapped, I am officially in the holiday spirit.  Merry Christmas to all! 

If you know me at all, you know that once I get an idea in my head, I cannot let it rest.  So when I decided to display my framelits on a magnetic board for easy use, I was not going to let my first failed attempt stop me.  So after a brief explanation of the laws of magnets that I obviously didn't grasp back in high school, I went on to the next idea.  I saw a few ideas on Pinterest that were possibilities:  using magnetic sheets to cover the failed attempt; an 8 x 8 scrapbook with magnetic sheets slipped into page protectors to store them; using a magnetic sheet to just slip into the original packaging that the framelits already come in (which eliminates the sticky tape); or using strips of magnetic sheets to hold them rather than covering a whole board. 

I decided on a combined approach of some of the above.  I already had some Magnetic Sheets on hand which someone had bought me off my amazon wishlist back when I was planning to make magnetic business cards.  So I decided to put those to use.  If I wanted to cover my failed attempt, I would need to buy another pack, so, I decided to keep the failed attempt a chalkboard and find another place to use the magnetic sheets.  Since my basement has paneling, I figured I could cut the magnet sheets to fit the width of one piece of paneling, going from floor to ceiling.   

First, to cut them.  I was surprised at how easily a trimmer could cut these sheets.  Next, to hang them.  Of course, I assumed the white backing was adhesive, but should have known that would be too easy!  So I trekked to Michaels with the two toddlers in tow and was told they do not sell 8.5 x 11 sheets of adhesive.  The store worker suggested Command Strips, which I bought quickly, not really sure how they worked.  They adhered easily, and I just used a small piece at the top and bottom of each strip of magnet.   

I was quite pleased with the finished product, just in time to hang my new framelits, the Deco Labels, Floral Frames, and the new Banner Framelits from the upcoming Occasions Catalog.  I decided not to show it to my children...It took two days for them to discover it on their own and then had to give them the stern talking to that they are not to play with them.  Yes, I know I am probably foolish for putting them at arms reach of a two year old, but we'll see...I think this will work! 

My desire to have all of my framelits out for easy use led me to Pinterest where I saw many ideas.  My plan was to use the crawl space covering in my basement craft room and convert the whole thing to a magnet board to store all my framelits.  

I have seen friends use magnetic paint to cover a wall in a kids' playroom to make it fun for kids, so I assumed that was the way to go.  I went to Lowe's and found a can of Rust-Oleum Magnetic Primer for just under $20.  I then came home and found it on amazon for the same price, and spent a lot of time reading the reviews.  A few tips I picked up there suggested:  have the paint shaken at the store; use about eight coats for best effect; make sure to use a tarp, in a well-ventilated area, because it is messy and odorous; and make sure you paint over it since it is just a primer which can peel.  So because I wanted to have the can shaken, I went back and bought it at Lowe's and had it shaken there.  My helpful husband painted it for me in the garage with the door left open.  He painted one coat, and then let it dry for 30 minutes before applying the next coat.  After each trip back in, he said, "I don't think this is going to work!"  After the suggested eight coats (four hours later), he left it overnight to dry.  

The next morning, we discovered that some magnets did stick to it, but not my framelits, the whole purpose of this project!  So we proceeded to spray paint it with black chalkboard paint I had on hand.  Worst case scenario, it could be used as a chalkboard.  When we got it back up in the basement, I do have to say I like the look of the framed chalkboard, a better disguise for our crawl space hole.  Now, I need to figure out a back-up plan for storing my framelits.  Stay tuned...