My daughter designed this simple DIY Makeup Organizer. I can't believe she is old enough for makeup. Kids grow up too fast! It can be made out of standard 1x4 boards from the home center, which are actually 3/4" thick and 3.5" wide. We bought the wire mesh trays and cups from the Dollar Tree in the office supply aisle. You can use just about any kind of saw, a hammer, and some nails. Power tools just make it easier and faster. Watch my video, then follow this Instructable to make one.

Visit my website The Carmichael Workshop to read my blog post on this project and to get ideas for other simple DIY projects!

Step 1: Cut the Boards

I used a wide poplar board that I had on hand, so I had to rip it into smaller 3.5" wide boards. If you buy 1x4s, you won't have to do these rip cuts. I cut 4 shelf pieces that were 12" long and two side pieces that were 26" long.

Since I used a wide board, I was able to cut an arched piece for the top. I cut this piece to 13.5" long and then cut notches in the bottom corners so it would sit on top of the sides. If you don't have a wide board, another straight piece of 1x4 will do just fine.

Step 2: Dry Fit the Pieces

I laid out the pieces to see how it will look. I decided to round over the bottom front corners of the side pieces. I also cut the corners off the top front of the side pieces. I've found that little details like these make projects look more custom, rather than just a bunch of rectangle boards nailed together. Adding curves also can improve the design.

Step 3: Assemble the Organizer

I used a brad nail gun and glue to assemble the organizer. I used a 5.5" spacer block to make sure the shelves were an equal distance apart. A regular hammer and finish nails will work fine. It helps to think ahead about how you will mount it to the wall. I glued on a thin cleat under the back of the top shelf so I can screw it to the wall.

Step 4: Add the Finishing Touches

I filled the nail holes with spackle, then painted it white using Rustoleum 2X paint. Sometimes knots show through paint no matter how many coats you apply. I spread a thin layer of spackle or putty over the knots so that the paint covers them up better.

To personalize it, I cut my daughter's initials out of thin black walnut on the scroll saw and glued them on. You can get wooden letters from the hobby store if you don't have a scroll saw.

Thank you for checking out my Instructable for this project. I hope you can use some of the ideas in this project to make something for somebody. Happy DIYing! Steve...