Do you have problems with keeping track of library books or other books in your house? I am forever paying library fines because I get busy and forget to check when they are due back. I came up with a cute diy craft that uses a flower box planter to help organize our library books AND for everyone to know when they are due at the library. Love it!

If you want to stop paying fines at the library this is the perfect craft for you. I’ve got a tutorial for you along with the tips and tricks I used to make it just a little faster. 🙂

Craft Supplies:

• Wood flower planter
• Acrylic paint
• Chalkboard paint
• Stencil(s)
• Paintbrush and/or small roller

Start by painting your entire flower planter whatever base color you want. I went with white because it matches the magazine holders I made earlier this year. I knew this library book bin was going to sit next to the magazine holders and I wanted them to go together.

Decide on what shape and size you want the chalkboard area of your bin to be. I made my own stencil for this part. Then I got smart and came up with a great way to paint everything at once and not have to wait for the drying times! Love it when I figure things like that out!

(This is all pictured above)Place your chalkboard area stencil where you want it to go. Cover the opening of that stencil with painter’s tape. Fold up any edges that hang over where you want the polka dots (or whatever pattern you have selected) and tape them down. Place your stencil on your bin and paint. You can paint the whole box and not worry about accidentally painting in your chalkboard area.

When you are done painting your pattern (polka dots in my case), pull up your stencil and release the tape on the chalkboard stencil where it was folded over and taped down. Remove the painters tape that is covering the opening.

Paint your chalkboard area with chalkboard paint. You will need to paint 3 coats of paint and you will have to wait for the chalkboard paint to cure. Usually it is at least 24 -48 hours, but just read your bottle of paint and follow those directions.

Make sure to season your chalkboard surface before you use it. You do that by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk on the chalkboard surface and wiping it clean. Now you are ready to use your new bin. Use the chalkboard surface to mark the dues dates of the books.

Now we just have to learn to look at it so that the books are on time and we have no fines!

Our library book bin sits in our upstairs hallway on our bookshelf right next to the diy magazine holder I made. They look cute together and it seems a little crowded to me, so I may find another location for one or the other of these things.

I had fun making this craft. I’m really hoping it helps solve my problem of paying a few too many library fines. The library may not like my solution…I might be funding a new branch. Lol!

Do you have any great solutions to organize your library books? What about keeping track of the due dates so you don’t pay fines?

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