| Need to get rid of that clutter but don't have a lot of | | | | them to be seen. Put handles on them so they are |
| money to spend on storage solutions? Before you | | | | easy to pull out. We did this with my daughter's crib |
| throw anything away, see if you can salvage and | | | | and stored extra blankets and diapers in it. We made |
| reinvent it as a storage container. | | | | the drawer slightly smaller than the crib and painted it |
| Do you have an empty but pretty cardboard tissue | | | | white to match the crib and put wheels on it. If you |
| box? I use these to store my disposable gloves. I | | | | don't want to make a drawer, then take a flat board |
| use disposable gloves for cleaning around the house | | | | half the width of the bed, put a handle on the edge |
| so I keep them in a couple of spots. Just stuff them | | | | (and wheels on the bottom if you like), and place |
| into the box and they are easy to pull out when you | | | | your boxes on it. You can place several side by side |
| need them. Also, if you are a caregiver you go | | | | the length of the bed. At least you can pull out the |
| through a lot of these gloves...this is a good way to | | | | boxes easily by just sliding out the board. Store |
| store them. They can also be used in dresser | | | | shoes, out of season clothing or your scrapbooking |
| drawers to store knee-hi pantyhose and kids' white | | | | materials here without having to crawl around on the |
| socks (this only works if they wear the same kind of | | | | floor to pull things out from under the bed. |
| white socks all the time - like we do at my house). | | | | Here's a tip for storing extra blankets and pillows you |
| This saves a ton of matching and folding pairs of | | | | don't use often: Spread your extra blankets and |
| socks. | | | | comforters between the mattress and boxspring. Put |
| Milk crates...sometimes you can get these from your | | | | the extra pillows into your pillow shams you use for |
| local grocery store or for some reason you will have | | | | decoration on your bed. Or fold the blankets up and |
| one or two in the garage. You can buy paint | | | | use them to stuff the pillow shams! Then you aren't |
| especially for plastic now that works well on these if | | | | using valuable closet or drawer space to store these |
| they aren't in good shape and they work well for | | | | items and they are accessible at a moment's notice. |
| kids toys, books. If you cut a wooden plywood seat | | | | If you don't have room to store everything away |
| to fit the top, then cut smaller blocks in a square | | | | out of sight, use baskets to store personal articles, |
| under the top that will fit within the top of the crate | | | | extra underwear, socks, and makeup. Boxes with lids |
| to hold it in place and pad it then cover with cloth, | | | | are another option. If they aren't pretty, cover them |
| you have made a little seat for your child that also | | | | with pretty wallpaper or decoupage cutouts or |
| holds his or her toys. | | | | photographs to the boxes. There are easy |
| Do you have empty plastic pencil boxes? Use these | | | | instructions on the internet for this. |
| to organize all those pencils, pens, screws, batteries, | | | | If you don't have a lot of cabinet space for pots and |
| and such in your kitchen junk drawer (don't pretend | | | | pans, build a simple pot rack out of scrap 2X4 lumber |
| you don't have one). Then when you need one of | | | | and hang it from the kitchen ceiling over your |
| these stray items you can find it! Be sure to label | | | | workspace using chain. You can paint or stain it to |
| what is in each box. You can also use those | | | | match your decor and buy hooks from which to |
| Gladware or Ziplock plastic bowls and containers - I | | | | hang the pots and pans. Or if you want a more rustic |
| use them a lot for this purpose. | | | | look, use an old multi-pane window frame that is |
| How about under your bed? Do you have room | | | | missing the glass for this purpose. Just screw short |
| under there? If you have those rolling plastic drawers | | | | pieces of chain into the frame, hang the hooks onto |
| that's great. If you don't and have some scrap | | | | the chain, hang your pots onto the hooks. |
| lumber lying around you can make your own to | | | | More ideas on how to organize for little or no cost |
| custom fit under the bed. You can even stain or | | | | coming soon! |
| paint them and make them decorative if you want | | | | |