Storing Pot and Pan Lids! And Adding Chalkboards

I've made a few simple changes to the camper already - here's an easy way to store the lids for pots & pans -

The racks are made with two uprights and

a cross piece of thin plywood (luan) that is long enough to span the lid. They are held in place by screws on the side pieces. The top one is made deeper so that it can hold two pan lids, since the doors are too narrow to allow them to be side by side.

Basically, the side pieces are about 5" long. They are shaped like a triangle with the top cut off. The thin plywood is nailed to the flat part. Predrill the holes for the screws so the wood doesn't split. The cross pieces can be as long as your cabinet door will accept and still be able to open & close.  Glue/nail the cross pieces on with brad nails. 

If you don't want to make wooden pot lid organizers you can use a towel rack like this -

Mount it on the inside of your cabinet door and slide the pot and pan lids into it. Make sure you get a size that fits the door as it opens and closes!

To mount the lid holder: If you have two doors next to each other as I do, you can close the door you want to put the lids on. Then open the other door and mark where the shelves, etc are on the door you want to modify. This way you'll know exactly where to put the lid holders. Remember to put the cross piece high enough that the lids don't interfere with the door's ability to close.  If you don't have two doors next to each other, it may be more trial and error.

Keep from banging your head:

The edge of this cabinet is right as you walk in the door. Hubby occasionally leaned over to get something and banged his head on the sharp edge of the cabinet. 

Pipe insulation is fantastic for childproofing (or hubbyproofing) sharp edges. It's basically like a pool noodle but it is a split lengthwise with adhesive on the edges. You can get it at any home improvement store. Unfortunately I think it only comes in black. I cut a piece of pipe insulation the length to wrap around the cabinet. Before putting it in the camperi I hot glued fabric that coordinated with the camper to it, and then hot glued it to the edge of the cabinet. This way, if you do bang your head it doesn't hurt as much :)

On the camper cabinet doors I used some contact paper that I had sprayed with Walmart flat black spray paint to create a chalkboard surface.

 If you wanted to do it right and spend a little money you could get

Con-Tact Brand Self-Adhesive Multi-Purpose Chalkboard Liner, 18-Inches by 6-Feet

I can mark on each door what is in the cabinet there and it helps me keep track of where everything is. I always think I will remember where I put things, but this makes it much easier. It's also very handy to write notes, shopping lists, etc. Again, if you use that link, I get a couple cents :) so thanks! It would just be grand if my blogging could pay for a couple nights at a campsite but so far it doesn't even pay for a cup of coffee.

The center door doesn't match exactly, because originally it was a mirrored panel with a clock on it. I removed it and made a door so that it is easier to access that storage.  

next post I'll show more progress on the new couch where the dinette used to be!