About KathyKathy is the editor of Up to Date Interiors and when is not blogging, spends most of her time being a mom and Marine Corps wife, teaching piano lessons, or delving deep into DIY projects and interior decorating. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
6 great ways to store items (unexpectedly)
As an avid (and little OCD) decorator and organizer, I am constantly trying to find new ways to store items (for free) and feel the need to have a home for everything. There is a place for everything and everything has it’s place, right?
A great lesson that I seem to have to repeat every day for my kids (and husband). =) I love finding objects around my house that are not getting any love and using them for something unexpected. Here are six examples for storage I currently utilize throughout my own house.
1. Use that tiered plate stand or serving dish for something other than food! Recently, I felt the need to display all of my jewelry in hopes that I would wear it more. My thrift store plate stand finally came out of the cabinet and holds all my beaded necklaces on my dresser. You could also use something similar to corral office or craft supplies.
2. Speaking of plate stands, a cake stand is another great option to keep out on your kitchen counter to corral items you use everyday AND you will feel better about getting more use out of it. I promise.
3. Another kitchen item that can be used out of the kitchen is a small wine rack. Why not fold pretty scarves or towels in them for display and functional storage? I love using mine on the back of the john for hand towels and toilet paper.
4. Baskets are great for anything!! We have a pathetic broom closet for a master bedroom closet and tight quarters for much of anything else so I am constantly trying to make my life easier with organizing clothing and accessories. My dresser holds a really cool wire basket (that used to hang on a wall) and is filled with all of my belts and scarves rolled into ball shapes and topped with a pretty glass ornament.
5. The kitchen in our beach house is tiny too and there is not much cabinet space. Using a old wooden Coca-Cola crate my mother gave me against the wall gave me vertical storage for my spices, butter dish, and salt and pepper shakers without taking up to much counter space. It also gives a nice warmth to the aqua counters and white cabinetry. Bonus!!
6. Keep the paper clutter off of your kitchen counters. I struggle with this everyday. The best way I know how is to immediately open everything (addressed to you of course!) recycle junk mail and anything else you don’t need. Have a place for bills or anything else that needs filing (or try to go as paper free as you can) and then for those invites, birthday cards, postcards, and special items, display them!
An easy, inexpensive way is to string across a wall, window, or whatever other place you fancy, some picture wire between two small nails (I hammered them in first and then wrapped the ends of the wire around them) and hold your cards with little safety pins. How cute! Enjoy looking at them everyday and when you have seen enough (or the event as occurred), recycle. This is also a great way to temporarily display holiday cards with ribbon and push pins.
My mom uses hanging wine racks in her guest bath for hand-towels…. it looks so pretty!!!!!
I love #3, #5, #6 and will be incorporating them into my home! :)
I use a cake stand in my bathroom to hold makeup and other small items.
Great ideas. I especially love the use of the bottle crate as a spice holder and the wine rack as a towel holder.
What great ideas! I especially love the wine rack as a towel holder and the bottle crate for a spice rack.
I just fell head over heels for that wine rack towel holder idea! I think I will be implementing this in our downstairs bathroom so I can keep fresh, clean hand towels neatly available for guests.
I love the idea of the tiered plate!
These ideas are so neat. I love the photo idea and have done it.
I really love the photo idea!
I like the wine rack in the bathroom idea.
I love how you repurposed that wine rack!
Great ideas Kathy, Thanks! I like the Coca-Cola crate turned spice rack best!
Those are cute. Thanks for sharing those ideas.
Those are some great tips!
I love the idea of displaying and holding jewelry on a tiered cake plate stand!
There is never enough storage space. All of your ideas are usable. Especially like the Coke box idea, but Coke boxes are hard to come by.
Such great ideas for storage. You are very creative. Great job.
I love the crate as a spice rack. So much character in reusing something like that.
I love the Coca Cola crate idea!
That’s so cool, the wine rack is my favorite.
These are some great tips and ideas I definitely will try as we’re always looking for creative ways to organize.
Pretty neat idea on how to use the wine rack!
Thanks so much Amber for publishing this!!
So many great ideas! I love the spice rack!