Tag: clothing

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Custom IKEA Closet

Built in closets look amazing and create so much storage but that generally comes with a hefty price tag. I was looking for a way to make our master closet fabulous without hiring a company that would charge me upwards of $8,000. IKEA happened to be the best bang for our buck. Here is the guide to our custom IKEA closet using both the PAX System and the Boaxel System.

Our Space

We moved into a builder grade house with a typical generic Master Bedroom Closet. The closet was large but not functional, it didn’t even have shelves. I attempted a mini closet revamp without modifying the shelving already in place. Check out our original mini renovation when we first moved in, DIY Built-In Closet Organizer. It’s amazing to see how my renovation skills have grown over the years!

First attempt at Adding Storage

The amount of wasted storage space in my closet was driving me nuts. Despite my fear of the unknown outcome, I began planning my Custom IKEA Closet.

Getting Started/Ordering

First, I measured the space and determined the size of the closet. Next, I designed the PAX section of the closet revamp on the IKEA website. IKEA is constantly out of stock for the PAX closet systems. If you plan to order check back frequently because everything eventually comes back into stock.

Pax Closet System

Finally, I placed my PAX Closet Organizer order. Unfortunately I did have to compromise on some things due to items being out of stock. For instance, I had to upgrade to the glass shelving which was more expensive because the regular PAX shelving was sold out.

Demo

Before
Before
Before

Once the order was placed, I got to work on demoing the existing closet. Everything in the closet was removed, including the baseboards.

Assembly

The PAX Closet System is essentially a set of mini closets with backs. Therefore, I did not have to patch any of the holes on the walls where the PAX system was being installed.

The most laborious part of the entire closet was assembling all of the PAX Wardrobe boxes. Once the assembly of the shells were complete, I placed them in the closet and secured them to the back wall.

Assembly and installation of the PAX Wardrobe boxes took an entire day. When it was all said and done, I assembled and installed 6 total boxes.

Once the boxes were in, I added primed wood trim to the top and bottom of all of the boxes. Because the wardrobe boxes were so long all stacked together, I had to connect multiple pieces of primed wood for the trim. In order to ensure a seamless appearance I connected all of the trim with a 22.5 degree angle cut.

All of the Pax Systems in Place with top Trim

To eliminate the seam between the boxes, I added 1×2 primed boards.

Before with the Visible Seam
After with 1×2 Covering the Seam

Making this closet look custom built was a big thing for me. In order for the closet to look complete, I cut and attached wood to the drawer fronts. The added wood fits seamlessly with all of the trim I installed. After the drawer fronts were installed, I installed black hardware.

Adding Wood Drawer Fronts
Wood Fronts
Wood Fronts Complete with Black Hardware

There are no windows in the closet, therefore I wanted to keep everything light and bright. I painted all of the trim and cabinet fronts white.

Adding Boaxel Storage

On the opposite wall of the PAX Wardrobes, I desperately needed storage for shoes and purses. I went back and forth over whether I should build the shelving myself or purchase it. One day, I stumbled upon the Boaxel organization on IKEA and decided to give it a try.

Boaxel Closet System

I ordered two complete Boaxel systems for the closet. Once the Boaxel system arrived, I got down to business installing. The Boaxel system was by far the easiest to install! Less than an hour of work to install each system.

Finishing Touches

After the Boaxel system was in, I began immediately organizing my shoes and purses. Just like that the closet was complete! Not to be dramatic but this closet literally changed my life for the better. I am already planning on adding the Boaxel system to the older boys closets in the near future.

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Buying and Selling with Poshmark

Like any woman I LOVE to shop! Clothes shopping on a budget is hard. I generally put myself last in line for new clothes. The kids need clothes because they are constantly growing and my husband always needs something for work so my needs generally get pushed to the back burner.

After moving, I realized I had tons of designer clothes and bags I did not want or use anymore since having children. I could donate the clothes but I would not be able to replace them anytime soon with our current budget. I decided to sell my old designer clothes, bags, and shoes online to make money to buy new clothes for myself. 

I saw several advertisements online for the website Poshmark, Poshmark is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell new or used clothes, shoes, and accessories online. I decided to give Poshmark a try. The first step in the process is signing up for Poshmark and creating a profile.

www.poshmark.com

Getting Started with Poshmark

Poshmark is a very easy to use straight forward application. Once you create your profile, Poshmark will link you up with people selling brands you indicated you liked during your profile application. As a seller, you will gain followers based on the item brands you post for sale.

Before you start selling you should familiarize yourself with the companies guidelines and expectations. For every item you sell under $15 Poshmark takes a flat rate of $2.95 from your purchase earnings. For every item you sell over $15 Poshmark takes 20 percent of your purchase earnings. Poshmark covers the cost of shipping for all items 5lbs and under. Poshmark provides the seller with a pre-paid pre-addressed shipping label for every item sold. If the item you are selling is over 5lbs you will have to pay for the price difference at the post office.

Poshmark does not provide you with shipping boxes. Do not pay for boxes to ship! I am a huge Amazon shopper. I save all of my Amazon boxes and reuse them as shipping boxes for my Poshmark sales. If you do not have any shipping boxes sitting around your house, you can pick up free Priority Mail boxes from the post office at any time.

Listing Items on Poshmark

Now that we know how Poshmark works lets talk about listing your first item. Once you have the item picked out you are going to sell, it is time to photograph it. Getting a great photograph for your item is very important, you want to catch someones attention and stand out. Photograph your item with a visually appealing background and take as many detailed photographs as possible in good lighting.

Example of one of my sales photos

Once you are happy with your photographs, you will upload them into the Poshmark application where you will be asked several questions about the item. Poshmark has you list information about the item you are selling including brand, size, and color. It is important when you price the item for sale you are not overpricing it. Be reasonable and be prepared to drop the price of your item if it is not selling to generate views and new buyers. After you complete all the prompted questions you will post the item for sale and wait for buyers to contact you.

Be aware that most people will offer you a lower price for your item than what you originally listed it for. Poshmark allows you to counter offer, decline, or accept buyers offers. I have declined several offers from buyers on Poshmark because their offers were so far below my original list price.

What to Do After you Make a Sale

After you make a sale, Poshmark will notify you by email and send you a pre-paid shipping label. Download and print the shipping label.

Make sure your item is clean and folded nicely; I generally wrap my sale items in tissue paper to make it look more presentable. Place your item into your shipping box and tape it up. Attach your pre-paid shipping label to the shipping box with tape. Drop your shipping box off at the post office within two days of the sale of your item if possible (obviously there are holidays and weekends that can cause delays).

Once the item is shipped, you can track your package through the Poshmark app. The buyer has three days to review the purchased item and decide if they will accept the item. If they decline to accept the item it will be shipped back to you. If they accept the item the money from your sale will show up in the My Balance section of your Poshmark profile. Once the money is in your Poshmark account, you can request a check, request a direct deposit into your bank account, or use your Poshmark balance to purchase other items on Poshmark.

Buying Items on Poshmark

If there is certain item you are looking to purchase, you can use the search bar to try and locate that item.

If you find something to purchase on Poshmark, don’t feel like you have to buy it for the price they are listing it for. Try and get the best deal you can and make them a reasonable offer for their item. Be aware you will be required to pay for shipping. Poshmark does offer several deals throughout the year that include free or discounted shipping, so keep your eye out!

My Poshmark Experience

Eight months ago I listed my first item for sale on Poshmark. Since then, I have made $535 in cash off of items that were taking up space in my closet.

Although I have made a decent amount of money these last eight months, my sales did not happen overnight. I have some things that have been listed for sale that sit waiting for the right buyer while others fly off the shelf.

Poshmark allows me to make money with minimal effort. If you have a bunch of clothes sitting around collecting dust and you are wanting to make a little extra money, give Poshmark a try you will not be disappointed.