Cheap And Easy Storage Ideas
by Brenda Spagnola
Shoe Box Containers
One of the easiest ways to organize small items under a cabinet or in
a closet is to purchase several shoebox size containers. They can be
found at just about any dollar store. But other discount chains (like
Walmart and Target) often put them on sale even cheaper.
I have many that I keep under my bathroom sink. I have some for
medicine (marked adult meds and children's meds), some for my
hair doo-dads, some for the samples that I get, and some for just odds-and-
ends. This keeps them organized and easy to find. They stack, which
keeps the area neat. And you can mark / label them any way you want.
I just wrote on mine with permanent marker, but you can put masking
tape on them and write on that. Or if you have a label maker, you can
mark them that way.
These containers are especially useful if you only have one full size
bathroom. You can get one or two container for each member of your
family and let them keep their personal items in them. They are long
enough to put shampoo bottles in (but only one or two at a time)
These containers come in a variety of colors, but I suggest the clear
ones. Just mark each container for each member of the family or get
different colored lids for each person. This makes it easy for
everyone, including children who cannot yet read. (My 2 year old
knows that the boxes with the blue lids are hers and the ones with
the green lids are her brothers.)
There are dozens of other uses for these versatile containers. What
do you use them for?
Decorative Baskets
Decorative baskets are another great way to increase your storage
space while keeping things attractive. They work in bathrooms,
bedrooms, and living areas, even the kitchen.
Baskets come in all shapes, sizes and colors (although changing the
color is a simple matter of spray painting them to match your decor)
You can even get baskets that are lined if you plan to keep items in
them that might get picked or hooked on the basket fibers
Bathrooms - keep towels, personal items, hairbrushes and barrettes in
baskets. Baskets that will be kept near the shower or tub can be
sprayed Scotch Guard to help prolong their life, as water can be
absorbed by the reeds causing them to rot. (Although many these days
are already coated.
Bedrooms - baskets are wonderful catch-alls for nightstands. You can
keep jewelry, book, tissues, change and a myriad of other things in
them. If you use one that has a top on it, then it is really easy to
hide any mess when guests come over. Just toss everything in the
basket, put on the top and viola! Instant clean!
Kitchens - baskets can really come in handy in the kitchen. I use
them for decorative storage. There is one on my counter that I keep
packages in, like gravy mixes and such. This gives me easy access to
them, keeps them all in one place and looks nice all at the same
time. I have another one on the top of my refrigerator that I put
open bags of snacks in. This keeps them out of the kids reach, but
still looks nice. Both of these ideas keep things organized and still
look pretty. You can even get plain baskets to put in your cabinets
and pantry to keep things nice and tidy.
Living areas - Here is where baskets can really spice of your
decorating. Baskets come in all sizes, from small keepsake size to
large hamper size to absolutely gigantic. The small sizes are great
for simple decorating and keeping a desk neat. Use them for paper
clips, binder clips, pens and pencils, business cards, etc. You get
the idea. Larger ones can be used for storing books and magazines,
mail, and odds and ends. The uses are only as endless as your
imagination. The really large ones are wonderful ways to store extra
blankets, pillows and sheets. Put on the top and no one knows what is
inside but you! And when guests come over, all the essentials are
right at your fingertips.
As you can see, there are no limits to what you can do with baskets.
Just think about what you want to store and organize and let your
imagination go wild!
Shelves and Bookcases
What could be easier to increase your storage space! This can be
something as simple as a few cinder blocks with a piece of wood
between them to a huge entertainment center with cabinets and shelves
built in. Before buying anything, though, you need to decide exactly
what it is you want to do and how you want it to look. It may take
some time, but it will be worth it. Nothing is worse then buying
something and then finding out that it won't work.
Shelves and bookcases can be purchased or built. If you are handy
with woodworking, I would suggest building your own. Then you can
stain the wood to exactly match any other furniture that you already
have. And believe it or not, it's really not as difficult as you
would imagine. Just time consuming. There are plenty of sites on the
internet that you can find to get ideas from. Borrow a woodworking
book from the local library, pick some up at garage sales or buy one
from a bookstore. Or consider buying unfinished pieces that you can
stain or paint yourself. This method will allow you to buy a better
piece at a cheaper price. Again, staining and painting is relatively
easy. Just grab a book to read up on it first.
Shelves and bookcases are great for displaying knick-knacks,
pictures, books and other items. Rough wood can be used to make them
for the garage and storage areas that others will not see. Even
adding a few in the closet will increase your storage space. Just
think about what you want and then go for it!
Double Duty Furniture
Don't let a piece of furniture's' original use keep you from thinking
you can't use it for anything else. Many pieces can be used in
unusual places for different things.
For instance, an old long dresser is ideal for use as a buffet. Put
it in the dining room and it has plenty of room for napkins,
tablecloths, silverware, serving pieces. And depending on how deep
the drawers are you can use it for serving dishes and platters. You
can even add a piece of glass to the top to make it look really nice.
An old changing table makes a great microwave stand and has lots of
storage space.
A chest of drawers with missing drawers can easily be turned into a
convenient place to store just about anything. Remove the drawer
runners, stain the inside and line and you have a place for clothes,
shoes, platters, blankets, cookware, etc. Put one in a closet for
extra storage for toys that are too big for the toy box, games,
models you are working on or have finished. Use in the baby's
room to keep all those extras you always need - diapers, burp cloths, sheets,
blankets. (Although I would suggest keeping it in the closet in a
small child's room so they won't be tempted to climb it.) And if
you are feeling ambitious you can spruce it up, install lights and glass
shelves and use it as a curio cabinet.
Old end tables can make great nightstands and vice versa. I have the
drawer side of an old desk as my night stand and have used it for
years. While it's not very attractive, it has more storage space than
most nightstands and it was absolutely free! Always a plus in my book!
Try using a discard door as a desk. Place on top of two filing
cabinets and you have instant storage and it's just the right height.
Plus, the door and the cabinets can be painted to match. You can also
attach a drawer underneath. Wire baskets make great drawers and are
fairly easy to install. You just need two small pieces of wood to use
as runners. Not only that, but using an old door will give you a much
larger desk than one you would normally buy. All you need is a
little creativity to give new life to gently used furniture and you
can have a whole house full of furniture that meets your needs, looks
great and didn't cost you a fortune.
The one thing to remember when looking for storage solutions is to
not limit yourself to the obvious. Be creative, ask your friends and
neighbors, look around and get ideas. Write down things you like so
you will remember them and then get to work! Storage doesn't
have to be fancy or expensive. In fact, the simpler you make it the better.
After all, the goal is make things easier for yourself not more
complicated.
Brenda Spagnola-Wilson is a moderator and community leader at BabyUniversity.com and lives in Texas with her husband and two children. She enjoys writing about a variety of topics, with her main focuses being home improvement & decorating, saving money, being a SAHM and general home care. Currently she is the Co-Editor of the At Home with Baby University Newsletter. Feel free to contact her at bspagnola@ev1.net with any comments.