When it comes to home organization, small boxes, plastic bins and baskets are fantastic. However, sometimes you set out to go buy these items, not fully sure what you’re planning on using them for, and you end up spending way too much money and not really solving much. Here are a few tips to think about when looking for items to help you organize a space.
- Look at the space first and figure out what items you are trying to put away. Having a clear game plan of what exactly you are shopping for will help you pick the right size container for the items you are trying to put away.
- Remember vertical space. If you have a walk-in pantry or laundry room, even the inside of a tall cabinet door, don’t overlook useful vertical space. Adding hooks to a wall is a perfect place to store aprons and reusable shopping bags and keep them easily accessible.
- Be creative when shopping for items. Although boxes and baskets are the go-to items to store a variety of things, look beyond them. For example, one of my favorite things to use when organizing a spice cabinet is plastic crayon boxes. They’re super cheap, found in any office supply store and are the perfect size for seasoning packets, yeast packets, bouillon cubes and more. The snap-on lid keeps those items fresher, longer. Also, since they’re clear it’s easy to know exactly what you have at all times, and they’re stackable!
- Back-to-school is a great time to shop for storage containers. Back-to-school goes hand in hand with back-to-college and that means plenty of storage items are for sale. Remember how tiny your dorm was? Many storage items are released around that time and some creative and innovative solutions are available. Go through those aisles and see if you find the right item to help you tackle a space you’ve been trying to work on.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always use baskets for a variety of items, but I want to encourage you to look beyond the typical and see if there is something that is a better fit for the space you are trying to tame. Get creative!