Welcome! Do you have an unused lazy Susan hiding under a kitchen cabinet? Would you like to discover some charming ways to revamp that dormant lazy Susan into something both functional and lovely? If so- you are in the right place. For, today on Cotswold Kitchen Mom, I will be sharing my 3 charming DIY lazy Susan organization ideas with you all!
Naturally, new lazy Susans serve an organizational purpose, but they are sometimes lacking in aesthetics.
What if I told you, you could revamp a store-bought lazy Susan and transform it into an adorable organizational tool that serves three functions? Well, you can.
Today I will show you how I revamped a lazy Susan from Aldi to make a homeschool supplies organizer, a birthday party candy display, and a traditional spice storage unit- and all in the charming English cottage style.
Follow along for fresh ideas, fun stories, and simple crafting joys. I am glad you are here!
The Importance of Homeschool Organization: Cue the DIY Lazy Susan
If you are a homeschool educator, a schoolteacher, or a mom- you know that organization is vital in the home. However, sometimes this task of keeping things organized is easier said than done. Trust me, I understand that full well. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to share a homeschool organization tip that I learned from one of my thrift store visits. Allow me to rewind a little here and bring you along to the birth of the DIY lazy Susan idea.
Several months ago, I visited a local thrift store. After a bit of browsing, I got involved in a conversation with the owner of the thrift store…who, incidentally is also a homeschool mom.
As the conversation flowed, we eventually came upon the topic of organization. We were discussing using the dining table as our workspace- while trying to keep things organized for school and meals. It was in that moment that she brought up a wonderful idea that I had not thought of before. She revealed the fact that she uses a lazy Susan to keep all her school supplies organized.
Before starting her lessons, she simply brings the cady to the table each day… and then conveniently takes it away when the school day is finished. A simple idea, used by many, but I was not utilizing the idea in my own homeschool classroom.
I love how the sharing of good ideas can have a snowball effect and a positive influence. Indeed, it is my desire that this “snowball idea” continues to roll over into your home or homeschool arena in a helpful way.
A New Lazy Susan Gets an Old English Cottage Style Update
After our conversation- I was on a mission. A mission to find a suitable lazy Susan in a thrift store. However, this plan did not come to fruition, so I opted to buy a new lazy Susan to suit my needs. In the end, I ended up purchasing two brand new lazy Susans.
The first lazy Susan was helpful, but not made of quality materials, so it could not hold supplies that had any considerable weight. I was on the hunt again. Eventually, I bought a wooden lazy Susan from Aldi. This final lazy Susan was a better fit for the job as it was made of stronger materials.
Wanting to take my lazy Susan project a bit further, I decided to give my brand-new lazy Susan a bit of a revamp/mini makeover. Why not make my lazy Susan have a bit of the English cottage style charm?
First, I needed to lighten the wood finish. To accomplish this color change, I simply sanded the wood and added a white wax stain to the top of the wood. This treatment lightened the wood just enough to give a slight nod to the English pine finishes that are seen in many pieces of cottage style furniture.
How to Make a Mini- Bunting Flag Banner to Decorate a DIY Lazy Susan:
Trying to keep things simple, I decided to use some leftover fabric I had to make a mini-bunting flag banner. I also used some ribbon I had sourced from a thrift store. (Top tip: always check the arts and craft section of a thrift store… for there are treasures to be discovered there!)
How To Make a Mini-Bunting Flag Banner:
- Step 1: Make a small triangle template out of cardstock.
- Step 2: Use the triangle template to trace multiple triangles shapes onto cotton fabric. *Note: I used 19 triangles to create my bunting flag banner.
- Step 3: Carefully cut the fabric triangles out by following the marked lines.
- Step 4: Use the lazy Susan as your pattern to decide how long your ribbon needs to be. Then, cut the ribbon (having measured around the center of the lazy Susan).
- Step 5: Glue the tiny fabric triangles onto the ribbon.
- Step 6: Allow the bunting flags to dry before attaching to the center of the lazy Susan with a drop of hot glue.
Wa-la- an easy English cottage style touch was added.
DIY Lazy Susan Organization Idea #1: Homeschool Supplies Organizer
Because this DIY lazy Susan revamp was not drastic, I am calling this a mini-DIY makeover. Being thrifty, I wanted to add color, varying heights, texture, and beauty without spending a lot of money.
Naturally, I went to my cupboards-where many of my thrifting treasures are stored- and I went to work. Grabbing a ceramic vase here, a crystal flower vase there, plus a few jam jars… and I was ready to begin staging and stuffing my DIY lazy Susan homeschool organizer.
Vases and tall glass containers are perfect for holding pencils, colored pencils, markers, and scissors. Of course, you do not have to use decorative items to do this. You can simply use empty jam jars, molasses jars, pickle jars, and olive jars. Use what you have, what you find, and don’t forget to look in your refrigerator for those empty glass jars.
Kill two birds with one stone…clean out the refrigerator while putting empty jars to good organizational use.
Painting Jars to Use as Lazy Susan Storage:
Plain glass jars that are emptied and cleaned are perfectly fine to dress your DIY lazy Susan with. However, if you want to add a splash of color you can paint the glass jars before filling with your school supplies.
There are plenty of paints out there that are specifically made for painting glass objects. I had some chalk paint on hand, so this is what I used to paint my jars. I added one coat of paint, allowed the paint to dry, and then added a second coat of paint.
DIY Lazy Susan Organization Idea #2: Birthday Party Candy Display
As I decorated my DIY lazy Susan, I thought the sweet cottage style look lent itself to a sweet birthday party display. It was here that the idea came to me to use my lazy Susan as a birthday party candy display spinner (for lack of a better name). What better way for function and fun to meet?
Wouldn’t this birthday party candy display look swell on the end of a birthday table? This inviting piece of functional decoration would allow guests to serve themselves a colorful treat. Or, leaning into the more functional side, this DIY lazy Susan could be dressed with party silverware.
Basically, a beautiful, lazy Susan candy display could meet all your party needs for food or decoration.
Fun and function collide in this useful decoration.
DIY Lazy Susan Organization Idea #2: Traditional Spice Storage Unit
Again, leaning into the functional/logical side of a lazy Susan, you could obviously use this piece to help organize your kitchen spices.
If you are anything like me, your spice drawer can get a bit disorganized. The constant in and out of spices can quickly become a jumbled mess.
Enter the lazy Susan as a perfect spice organizer. Just a swift spin and your ingredients are at your fingertips.
One DIY Lazy Susan with 3 Unique Uses:
Well, there you have it…why have a lazy Susan with only one purpose? Obviously, there are a myriad of ways to use a lazy Susan in a home setting. How many ways can you think of?
First, we had a homeschool supplies organizer. Then, we had a birthday party candy display. And- lastly, a traditional spice storage unit.
Which do you prefer?
How would you use a lazy Susan in your own home?
(I would love to hear from you in the comments!)
Final Thoughts Until Next Time:
I will sign off on that note. Hopeful that this post has given you some more homeschool organization and DIY craft ideas for you home and life.
When we look for ways to be creative, I am convinced, the ideas will continue to stream in our minds. Like a Pandora’s box, once opened, the seeds continue to flourish.
Encourage creativity. Creativity is good for children and adults alike.
If you found this post helpful and would like to see more homeschool or craft resources, be sure to check out my beautiful education homeschool page here and my English cottage style crafting guide here.
If you are not already a blog subscriber, please do… and share my blog post with any who may enjoy reading along as well. For even more ideas and inspirations, see my Facebook and Pinterest pages.
I hope to see you all again very soon…until next time.
~Elizabeth~