We organizers love for there to be “a place for everything and everything in its place.” And very often that place is a box, bin, basket, or bag. Now, if you were to buy such a thing for every category of item you own, you’d break the bank! Being organized is all about using resources wisely, so we advocate saving money (not to mention energy and materials for manufacturing) by looking around and using containers you already own to corral your vitamins, light bulbs, and pencils.
The possibilities are
endless. Here are a few examples:
Drawers – An open shoe box in the center of a medium-depth drawer divides
the drawer into three sections: the middle and either side of the box.
Use each to store a different category of accessory – e.g., light socks, dark
socks, and underthings. Use the shoe box’s lid the same way in a shallow
drawer.
Cabinets – If you’re short on drawer space in the
kitchen, a 6-pack carrier can hold plastic wrap, foil, wax paper, etc.
Stand the boxes vertically and stow in a cabinet. Also, the cardboard
core of a toilet paper roll, cut lengthwise down the middle, fits around a roll
of gift wrap to keep it from unraveling.
Floors – The previous examples may not need to be
pretty since they’re behind closed doors, but you can easily spruce up a
out-in-the-open box by covering it with paper as you would a gift. A
medium-sized shipping box covered with a kid’s finger-painting masterpiece
makes a great toy box for the corner of a room. A newspaper-covered box
can hold reading materials.
One last tip – create a “home” for storing reusable
containers until the right purpose presents itself. If you have room for one
box on a high shelf, that’s your limit; recycle whatever doesn’t fit
there. If you have more space, curate a rotating store of organizing
possibilities!
http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/HomeOrganization/Pages/tips-for-reusing-items-as-organizers.aspx
Article submitted by Chapter Vice President Molly
Boren of Simplicity Works Organizing Services: www.sworganizing.com
