In January, most of the population is either working out at the gym or organizing all the clutter in their homes. Since this is not a physical fitness blog (and I’ve yet to begin my resolution of working out 3x per week..oops), today we’re talking about organizing.
The photos I’m sharing today come from my house, my parents’ house, and a few fellow bloggers.
Let’s start with the kitchen.
Add an organizing unit to the inside of a door for easy access to important items.
Create a ton of extra space inside the pantry with a door unit like this one from Rubbermaid. The shelves are all adjustable so you can move them up and down as needed.
Also I love this creative idea for organizing pans by Crafty Texas Girls (my pans are such a mess!):
Also, Inspiration for Moms has a solution for organizing glass bakeware:
Burlap & Denim shares a great way to keep all your canned goods within easy reach: lazy susans in your cupboard.
Let’s move on to the bedroom.
Don’t miss out on all the unused space under your bed. And if you’re already utilizing that space, make sure it’s not all just crammed under there. You can go buy plastic storage bins specifically made for under the bed (which we use), and a couple weeks ago I found this organizer at Target for $3! It has a see-through top and room for eight pairs of shoes (or 6 if your shoes are big like mine). It would also be a great place for socks or swimsuits.
Turn an old TV armoire into storage space by adding shelves and baskets.
If you have a small closet, consider installing additional shelves above or below for more storage space.
I have a walk-in closet, and for some reason the builder put a giant window in there. Now not only do I not want people seeing me change clothes, but that window is taking up valuable real estate. Obviously the builder had no idea how much clothes or how many pairs of shoes I had. So last year I added a shelf above the window for some of my shoes. (I worked in the shoe dept. at Nordstrom in college and it was not the best place for me… let’s just say I stopped counting my shoes a LONG time ago.)
Ideally I like to keep my shoes in their boxes. However I have an assortment of flip flops and small sandals that don’t have boxes. They’re stored in a behind-the-door shoe holder (I’m pretty sure I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond). To the left are hooks holding all my scarves and a few headbands in the basket above. Is there anywhere in your home’s closets that you can add hooks or extra shelves?
I am not the world’s most organized person but I’m working on it!
Do you have any other suggestions for maximizing storage space in your home?
Jen
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Join these other blogs this week for more great organizing tips:
Monday, January 20
Tuesday, January 21
Wednesday, January 22
Paula@SweetPea says
These are all such great ideas! I really need to utilize the space behind my doors to better organize my closets. I like your hanging organizer for flip flops in your bedroom. Mine end up in a big messy pile at the bottom of my closet.
Tami @ Curb Alert! says
Great tips! My flip flops are like Paula’s, in a huge big pile at the bottom of our closet. I dig through them every time trying to find a match, such a mess. Happy to be organizing along with you on the tour! Have a great week!
~Tami
Laura @ Inspiration for Moms says
Thanks for featuring my organized bake ware tip, Jen! Great round-up of organization ideas! 🙂
Jeanette says
Okay Jen, you have me looking at our house with new eyes, looking for more places to organize. Thanks for the collection of great tips. ~Jeanette
Abby @ Just a Girl and Her Blog says
Love all of these great ideas, Jen! Pinning for sure! Thanks so much for sharing!
~Abby =)
Christy@confessions of a serial do-it- yourselfer says
Love all these ideas, Jen… especially the under-the-bed storage! I see you’re on the same diet as I am, donettes, cinnamon rolls, and sour patch kids 🙂
Amanda @ Burlap and Denim says
Thanks for linking my lazy susans! I heart organizing too!
Crystal says
Great ideas!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Christy @ Our Southern Home says
Wow, you really do have a knack for finding hidden storage! I really like that cabinet door organizer to hold items plus plastic bags! Fun touring with you! ~Christy
MEgan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
Such great ideas! I love all the hidden storage in areas that perhaps just aren’t being utilized. I think I must go to Target now for some of those under the bed organizers!
Becky says
Great ideas–I use a behind the door shoe bag in my mudroom for mittens and scarves.
Christine says
Don’t laugh, but if your couch has a skirt on it, the under bed storage idea works there, too. Easiest to access if you’ve a couch not pushed against a wall, because you can walk to the back, pull out your container and shove it back in. I guess if you have kids, this might be an idea for toys.
I added tip-out trays to my bathroom sinks. They’re undermount, so a drawer was out of the question. But there was so much AIR in there! Tip outs for Toothbrushes!
I don’t have a medicine cabinet, so I took a 9″ kitchen base spice drawer and put it between 2 vanities. When my 6’5″ DH was here, we’d planned normal, kitchen counter height vanities. Evidently quite the rage for all the undermounts. This gave me easy room to just sliiiiiiide the spice thingy in there. I bought a matching door. (Upper cabinet door for a W1230.) However, with him history, I’d love to have the vanities lowered. “I’d have to find a solution for my spice drawer, “she said, eyeing her circular saw.
Don’t forget using extra cabinet doors as an upcycled cabinet over the commode.
In awkward-sized kitchen cabinets, for example, one 18″ or 24” tall, add some of those wire, vinyl coated shelf things. Rubbermaid I think. Makes stacking plates much easier.
Ok. I’m done. I love the sandal storage Idea. I used it forever in my coat closet for mittens, globes, scarves and hates. Sandals, too! 🙂
Jen says
So many great ideas! Thank you for sharing, Christine!
Jen says
That’s a great idea! My boys’ mittens end up all over the place. Thanks for sharing, Becky!
Jen says
Thanks Megan! I was just at Target today and they still have those under-the-bed organizers in the dollar spot up front. 🙂
Jen says
Thanks Christy! I wish I could find even more hidden space, like enough for my own craft room! Haha
Lori @Vintage Charm Restored says
Wonderful ideas!! I so need to take the time to look around at some places I am not utilizing well!! Thanks for the inspiration!!
malia says
What a great post! I needed to read this today! Pinning for future reference.
Jenni @ Sweet Pennies says
Love these tips! My space is so limited in our old farmhouse and I have to be super creative. I’m always looking for new fun tips. I like the way the glass bakeware was organized…I’ll have to find some of those dividers. Also….did I spy a pair of Indy Colts flipflops. 🙂 Go COLTS!!
Jen says
Thank you Jenni! Yes, my husband is originally from Indy and I lived there for a while too. We’re big Colts fans- they had a great year (although it ended a little too early)! 😉
Michelle says
Love these ideas! I use the pantry door organizer on the door to my closet in my master bath. I have no drawers for storage in the bathroom! I put all my bathroom stuff on the shelves. Works great!
Donna Donason says
Love it! I use lazy susans for my spices! I’ve also seen them in the refrigerator. I want to try that one.
Betsylou says
I lived in an old house once with no storage at all. I put shelves up above each bedroom door, to hold rarely used but important items, paper files, seasonal items etc. It’s surprising how much you can get up on a 3′ by 12″ shelf between the top of the doorframe and the ceiling. I put everything in cardboard boxes wrapped in wrapping paper or wallpaper scraps to match the room so it either blended out of sight, or added a decorative touch. Didn’t look like storage at all.
Michelle says
WE BOUGHT AN OLD DRESSER AT A FLEA MARKET, REMOVED THE MIRROR, AND MADE A “MEDIA STORAGE UNIT”. WE INSTALLED IT IN OUR LIVING ROOM UNDER OUR WALL-MOUNTED TV. THE CENTER (CUPBOARD PART) HAS OUR DVD’S IN IT, ONE DRAWER HAS CANDLES AND LIGHTER FOR POWER OUTAGES, ONE HAS EXTRA WIRES (RED/WHITE/YELLOW TIPS), EXTENTION CORDS, POWER PACKS, ETC., ONE HAS HAND-HELD ELECTRONIC GAMES, ONE HAS WII/XBOX/PS GAMES. ON TOP OF IT, WE HAVE OUR DVD PLAYER, DISH BOX, GAME CONSOLE AND A COUPLE OF NICE DECORATIVE ITESM.
WE ALSO HAVE “ALOT” OF DVD’S SO WE STORED THEIR CASES IN THE ATTIC IN A RUBBERMAID BIN AND HAVE PURCHASED THE CD “BAG/3 RING BINDER” CASES AND HAVE PUT OUR MOVIES IN ALPHA ORDER (ONE BAG WITH KIDS MOVIES, THE OTHER WITH COMEDY/ROMANCE/ACTION….MOVIES. THESE BAGS GO IN THE SHELF/CUPBOARD PART OF THE “DRESSER”.
IN THE BATHROOM, I HAVE RUBBERMAID STACKABLE DRAWER BINS. ONE DRAWER IS LABELED 1ST AID WITH BANDAIDS, NEOSPORIN, THERMOMETER, GAUZE/TAPE/SCISSORS….ANOTHER HAS POISON IVY REMEDIES, ANOTHER IS OINTMENTS (BEN GAY, PREP H, STEROID CREAM….ONE HAS “EYES/EARS/NOSE/THROAT” ITEMS (EYE DROPS, EAR DROPS/FLUSHING BULB, NOSE SPRAY, THROAT LOZENGES….ONE WITH NON=PRESCRIPTION DRUGS (SINUS, PAIN RELIEF, ANTI-DIARREAL, ANTACIDS, ONE DRAWER ALSO HOLDS COMBS, TWEEZERS, NAIL CLIPPERS, SHAVER “COMBS/GUIDES”.
IN MY KITCHEN, WE HAVE A BAKER’S RACK. I LOVE DIFFERENT,INTERESTING BASKETS. ON THE SHELVES, IN BASKETS IS ONE FOR CANDIES/GUMS, ONE FOR GRANOLA BARS/POPCORN BAGS/CHEESE & PB CRACKERS, ONE FOR THE DOG’S TREATS, ONE FOR POTATOES, ONE FOR BANANAS/APPLES/ORANGES. ITS EASY TO GET TO, ORGANIZED AND DECORATIVE.
WE DON’T HAVE A DRAWER FOR SPICES, SO ABOVE THE KITCHEN SINK IS A SMALL CABINET THAT WE HAVE PUT A DOUBLE LAZY SUZAN THAT HAS ALL THE SPICES AVAILABLE TO YOU IN A “TWIRL”. I GOT A KUERIG COFFEE MAKER LAST YEAR FOR CHRISTMAS AND HAVE ANOTHER BASKET NEXT TO IT FOR THE COFFEE PODS/SUGAR SHAKER/FLAVORED CREAMER CUPS.
I LOVE THE FLIP FLOP OVER THE DOOR HOLDER IDEA. I DID USE ONE IN EACH OF MY BOYS’ ROOMS FOR GLOVES/SCARVES/HATS AND ALSO SMALL ITEMS LIKE BATTERY CHARGERS/DS GAME AND LITTLE GAME CARTRIDGES/CAMERA/PENS & PENCILS/CRAYONS….ANY SMALL ITEM THAT GETS “LOST” ON A DRESSER OR UNDER THE BED.
SORRY I GOT CARRIED AWAY. I LOVE YOUR SITE AND AM SO EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ORGANIZING TIPS. WE HAVE A SMALL 1200 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE WITH 2 ADULTS, 2 KIDS, 2 CATS AND 3 DOGS! I NEED ALL THE IDEAS I CAN GET.
Jen says
Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas Michelle! Happy New Year to you! 🙂