Handpainted butterflies flutter into my niece's bedroom, each one offering a peg to hold little-girl treasures.
I helped welcome my niece, Caitlin, into the world when she came home from the hospital as a newborn a year ago. I was eager to offer assistance in any way during my visit, and you can imagine how thrilled I was when my sister, Jennifer, told me she really needed help finding hooks to hang letters in her new daughter's room. So being the devoted sister I am, I selflessly roamed the aisles of Michael's to find unpainted wooden pegs. Sweet butterflies and softly-scalloped flowers seemed perfect for Caitlin's nursery, so I spent a leisurely afternoon during our visit bringing them to life. All in service to my sweet sister and new niece, of course!
I purchased inexpensive wooden pegs and several bottles of craft paint at Michael's. Back at Jennifer's house, I sanded rough edges on the wood. Then I painted the hooks with two coats of white craft paint. I covered the flower pegs with pink and green polka dots to coordinate with Caitlin's crib bedding, and added delicate ribbons and rose buds to the butterfly pegs. I left the pegs to dry, and later my brother and father hung them in the nursery over the crib. Each morning since Caitlin has been greeted by a garden full of butterflies and flowers welcoming her to a new day.
For those of us seeking organization in the new year, simple wooden pegs could provide a way to combine form and function in a child's room. Inexpensive and easy to embellish, pegs can keep scarves, jackets and other essentials in easy reach of little hands. So if you're looking for little ways to declutter a child's room, hang some wooden pegs, and perhaps you'll find your son or daughter hooked on organization this year.
