DIY - $3 Fridge Organization

I would consider myself to be OCD when it comes to certain things... School work? Definitely. Closet? Not so much. Kitchen? Most assuredly. Here is a picture of my refrigerator prior to my organizing of it:

"Not so bad" you may say. Well to Josh and I (and our about 30 square foot kitchen), the clutter was starting to take over. I have never been big on the recipe card boxes... lets be real; most websites print off your recipes on an 81/2 by 11" piece of paper. I like to be able to grab my favorites right off the fridge and have the whole piece of paper handy so I can see the entire recipe at once. Regular magnets wouldn't hold these recipes up, so I was forced to use some magnetic pictures I got from the classes I interned. I was getting very annoyed very quickly about this lack of organization so I decided to come up with a solution: a DIY "letter holder" of sorts. This project cost me nothing (since I already had the supplies) but about $3 for the magnets!

Here is what I used:

Modge podge, foam brush, two pieces of scrapbook paper, magnetic strips, and a cardboard box. 

First, I assembled and cut the box to the desired shape that I wanted. This Little Debbie's box was perfect because it was the length that I wanted to use.

I then used pieces of the scrapbook paper to cover the box. This was kind of tricky, but one of my roommates and I did the same technique on a journal for a gift before, so I had somewhat of an idea as to how to make corners. Just cut diagonally from the corner of the side you are folding and it will give you a nice edge. 

After I covered the sides, I coated the whole thing with a few coats of Modge Podge to not only give it a little bit of a shine and protect it, but also to make it stronger. Note: You can paper mache a layer or two  first then add the scrapbook paper to make it even stronger. 

After it was completed, I attached the magnetic strips. I ended up having to glue it with some Liquid Fusion (you'll hear about that later) even though the magnets had tape on the back. 

And here it is up on the fridge! It is now home to all of my go-to recipes. 

Now, I had some left over paper and decided to make magnets that actually stayed on the fridge. I got this idea from a post I came across here: NotMartha . All that is involved is magnets, flat clear marbles, decorative paper, and clear, strong glue.

First I traced the marble on the paper, and then cut out the shape. Each one was slightly different, so I did the whole project one at a time.

Next, I glue the paper onto the underside of the marble using a glue called Liquid Fusion. It is good for a lot of different projects... kinda like super glue but washable. After letting that dry, I glued a magnet on the back of that.

Let dry a few ours and, viola! You have yourself some magnets!

Here is a look at our organized fridge now. Makes me so happy to know that I spent virtually no money and have made completely functional items that I will appreciate for our apartment!

-Sara