A Wicked Awesome Mud Room

We live in the Northeast. As anyone who lives in this part of the country knows, mud rooms are essential. When we bought our house last year it didn't have a mud room. It still doesn't have a mudroom, but when we first saw the house we had a brainstorm. We could make a built-in mud "area". There was a random closet just inside the back door and another closet that seemed to be out of place in the room behind so we thought that we could just open them both up and make a six foot long mud bench. We found out the hard way that wouldn't be possible due to an airvent that ran up between them. So we just converted the closet by the back door into a mudbench. The other closet will become a built-in computer desk. But that is a story for another day.

I tell you the mud bench was one of the best things we've done since we moved in. And it's sooo cute too! The hubby built it by lining the interior with bead board - one of my favorite things. He left a cubby at the bottom for a basket that holds our shoes. I am still looking for the perfect basket, so for now we are using a laundry basket. Aargh! But I made a fun little sign with a chalkboard that I purchased at Michael's Craft. I drilled a couple of holes in the top...added some great check ribbon...and voila! the ugly laundry basket is not so bad anymore!

The cushion was made with an old crib mattress. I took the plastic cover off and sawed the thing in half using a trick that I saw on HGTV...I used an electric carving knife! Why not? Heaven knows it nevers gets used on a turkey or anything like that. Then I sewed a fun little cover using check fabric and $3.99 linen from Joann's. I added the ruffle along the top seam to give it a more custom look. The cute bumblebee pillows are an old IKEA find but they looked perfect!! (I just love bees...they're so french...and so Martha!) The basket was a lucky find at Christmas Tree Shops! (For those of you who aren't on the East Coast I truly mourn that you don't have Christmas Tree Shops...they are wonderful...and affordable!)

Then because only one of my children can read, I added tags with their photos so they would know which hook was theirs. This was a fun and easy project...I just printed the photos out...didn't even bother to use photo paper...pasted them on some card stock..."laminated" them using clear contact paper and tied more check ribbon through the top. Then I thumbtacked them to the crown moulding. Yes, I did say thumbtacks! But at least they're clear and not multi-colored.

All in all, not a bad little project. As they say in these parts...it's wicked awesome!~