The Simply Organized Home – Learn ten cute ways to store your stuff.
Oh friend, when it comes to having a cute house you love to live in and look at, you really only have two options: either make sure your stuff is cute, or make sure your storage is. (I wish there were a third option, like something from Star Trek where you push a button and whatever you want either materializes or disappears, but sadly, I think we are still a few years from that.)
It’s great when your stuff is beautiful and you want to put it on display. But we all have those necessities of life that need to be stored out of sight, but not out of mind. (When I need that bottle of Tylenol, I want to know where it is, no matter how cute the storage is.)
So how do you have cute storage and find things at the same time? Here are some ideas to keep you – and your house – cute and organized.
I’ve taken a lot of these ideas from Melissa Michaels’s new book Simple Organizing: 50 Ways to Clear the Clutter. (Check out my interviews with her this Tuesday and Thursday on the podcast.)
The Simply Organized Home: Contain Your Stuff
Look around at the items you need handy on a regular basis and see if there is a way you can contain them in something cute.
Bathroom Toiletries
Use white canisters for things you’d like to hide, and clear, glass canisters for things pretty enough to display. (Cotton balls come to mind.)
Anything can look tidier when you put it in a container.
The stuff on my kitchen sink went from scattered to downright adorable once I put it all in this white enamel bucket from grove.co.
Laundry Supplies
One of my favorite ways to keep the laundry area tidy is to use a tissue holder to dispense dryer sheets. Also, having a little garbage can for used dryer sheets, lint and oddities left over from someone’s pockets is a way to keep things looking lovely. I use glass containers for my Homemade HE laundry detergent as well as my Method laundry pods.
Makeup
I love a good makeup caddy (this one is a lot like the one I use.) The key to a cute makeup caddy is to:
1) not overstuff it – just store in it what you actually use;
2) throw it in the dishwasher once a month to keep it looking great.
Cooking Utensils
My most valuable real estate in my house is my kitchen counter space. But I also love to have some of my tools within easy grasp when I’m cooking. Use crocks to store utensils on the counter for a fun, country feel.
Look at how Melissa stores her antique wooden spoon collection! Adorable!
Coffee Supplies
We are coffee lovers, and we don’t mind if the world knows it. We put our addiction out there for the world to see. We use glass canisters to hold our coffee and filters, and ceramic canisters to house our Splenda and KCups. I’ve turned this corner of my kitchen into my favorite coffee bar.
Office Supplies
Of course, my goal is to have as little paperwork as possible (because, the best-looking paperwork is NO paperwork). But for the papers I do need to keep, I use my galvanized bucket with file folders. For office supplies, I use a combination of fabric shoe boxes and filing boxes in neutral colors. So simple, so cute!
The Simply Organized Home: Embrace Every Day On Display
One of the concepts I love in Melissa’s book is the idea of “Every Day on Display,” which is simply the act of taking what you already have and arranging it in a beautiful way. Here are some ways to take everyday necessities and turn them into something beautiful so you can have a simply organized home.
Bulletin Boards
One of the things I love about bulletin boards is their ability to tell a story about your space. Don’t overcrowd your board, but leave enough space that it becomes a feature, and a focus of the room.
Silverware Caddy
When the handles of your silverware are this cute, you want to put them on display. (Plus, if you hate to do dishes as much as I do, you will feel like you’re cheating when you just dump your silverware into a basket.)
Buy Cute
When shopping for that new coffee grinder or your next pair of scissors, decide whether you are going to need to contain them or find something that is cute enough to be on display. Normal scissors? Boring. Pink-handled scissors? They demand to be on display.
Consider the Finish
If you decide on a finish for a room, and buy containers with that design, it can pull together the whole look of the space. Here are some of the finishes I have in my house that I just can’t get enough of:
- White enamel
- Galvanized metal
- Fabric
- Wicker
So much of the time, having a simply organized, beautiful space isn’t about your stuff – it’s about how you’ve arranged your stuff to make it beautiful.
Would You Like to Have a Simply Organized Home?
What’s your favorite way to stay cute and organized at the same time? Comment below, and you will be entered to win this Simple Organizing gift pack from Harvest House Publishers in celebration of Melissa’s new book Simple Organizing: 50 Ways to Clear the Clutter!
I love my label maker!!! I utilize generic clear totes and label everything. I recommend a label maker to everyone who is setting up their household. When I open my closet door and see neatly printed labels, it gives me encouragement to stay organized and put things away in baskets (if it is out in sight) or totes (if it is my closet). Keep up the inspiration!
I try to organize my home like a kindergarten classroom—like things together that are easily accessible; don’t forget labels.
I like to re-purpose items, particularly items others would throw away. I’ve use old dressers that still look nice as tool organizers.
I love Kids Art and always try to include it in my decoration and organising as it always puts a smile in my face ( I am a mom of three and an elementary school teacher, so I own a lot of art :o). I put laminated colourings on my folders, let my kids design the labels on neutral-coloured boxes ( don’t like it too colourful) and they”designed” a huge white porcellain vase with a special black marker for all the wooden spoons etc. in the kitchen ( also a very neutral colour scheme ).Thank you for this wonderful giveaway – I loved the podcast episodes!!
I got hooks to hang my coffee mugs right next to the coffee machine. Not only is it cute, but I don’t even have to go to the cabinet to get my cup in the morning!
One area I’ve struggled with for a long time is shoe clutter… “Inside” shoes everywhere by the door, “outside” shoes everywhere in the garage… My best ‘cute but effective’ organization for inside shoes has been to use a large basket for my husband’s and my shoes, and a basket each for my son and daughter’s shoes. Outside, I purchased a dresser with 4 drawers and each person had their own drawer. That worked for a while until the dresser went kaput, so I got a bookshelf, and individual baskets for everyone’s shoes. Either one was really helpful because of another problem we had outside: a dog who liked to chew our shoes! Now access was blocked!
Decluttering is my favorite organizational tool! ? I’ve found that the less I have, the more easily I can get and stay organized. But seriously, my favorite “real” organization tool is some nice baskets to contain things in my kitchen and dining room. They provide continuity while also containing lots of needed items near the locations where they’re needed.
Mason jars are one of my favorites for organizing. I like to be able to see the items inside.
I took my husbands old dresser he had as a child, and we had had forever, and painted the fake dark wood white. Oh it looked so pretty. It was a new dresser, a better dresser. I then filled the 7 shallow drawers with school supplies and art supplies (paper, crayons, rulers, markers, etc.). I love it, and it contains so much in a tidy space.
I use nice bowls in the bathroom for lotion and shampoo containers.
Choosing your favorite color as accenr helps to make organizing and decorating a little more fun!
Containing the clutter is my favorite way- using things in a different way. My old changing table is now a craft area.
I love using cute boxes from Ross or Marshall’s to store unexpected things (like pens laying down instead of standing up in a jar)
I am not very good at making my house look cute. I wish I was better at making it look put together and finished, so to speak. One thing I have that I like is two old Pyrex mixing bowls, one small, one medium. They remind me of my childhood and I keep them on my kitchen counter to contain all the fruit. I have young kids, we go through a lot of fruit!
My organizing is getting better. Need more helpful hints to stay at it.
Cute and organized doesn’t come naturally for me. All these wonderful ideas are extremely helpful
I love metal containers, but really anything cute and closed.
I love containers! Love the white enamel container idea. Right now most of my things are in cute baskets. I did use a beautiful crystal vase I got as a wedding present for the cotton balls in my bathroom. It is very pretty and functional. I put an old wooden crate next to the fireplace on the floor with clean white candles. Thanks for the great storage ideas!!
My son and his wife along with their cat and dog moved into my small house last week. I did major decluttering before they got here but we still need more space. We are working on that now. Can be overwhelming. I have been using jars and baskets to organize us. I also have made designated areas so everything has its place. So far it’s working for us! I could really use help in my craft room. Right now it has been the catch all room. We all said over Labor Day we would start to get it cleaned up so I can use that room to create and watch tv when I want to watch different shows from them. It will be my haven away from the noise of the world!! Would love to win.
Looks like a great giveaway. Hoping to declutter and get organized after the kids get back in school next week.
I love the idea of making even everyday tools beautiful. I’m going to focus on adding beauty in little ways. Really enjoyed listening to this podcast!
Thank you for all of your emails…..
This giveaway would be awesome to win, but having you come stay at my house for a week would be THE BOMB LOL
I would introduce you to NM Chili and if you came first week of October, you would get to experience our International Balloon Fiesta 😉
check out the website: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/
But seriously, thank you for all you do
What great tips and so many that will be easy to implement! Looking forward to the challenge and the new book!
I thoroughly enjoyed the podcast with Melissa, thank you for the inspiration and ideas. Melissa shared that she displays her spoons on her counter in a crock. I have a collection of happy faced spatulas that I keep in a crock on my counter. Of course they make me happy as I flip grilled cheese sandwiches, eggs, or anything else.
I’m always looking at cute storage container/boxes. But I need so much help organizing, trying to work on the office right now.
I love using baskets to contain items out of sight.
Such great ideas! I’m at the beginning of decluttering so I can get to the cute stuff.
Thanks so much for this show.
I would love help organizing!
We have a very decorative large metal bowl on our center island that houses all fruits. It’s pretty, keeps everything contained and is an easy way for the kids to get a healthy snack when they want one.
With a family of 7 in a small house, we are constantly trying to declutter and stay organized. I LOVE using cute baskets to organize. I’m always on the lookout for cute organizing ideas. Btw, my mom’s name is Kathy Lipp. No joke.?
Baskets are my favorite! You can literally put anything in a basket, and it looks so much cleaner to have a shelf full of baskets than a bunch of random stuff.
I love to use apothecary jars, and glass hearts, actually anything glass….attempting to go thru 35+ years of stuff in advance of moving. Sure could use ANY help and advice I can get!
Lovely ideas I desperately could apply to my unorganized home.
This one is hard for me but I have started in the kitchen by picking a utensil crock that adds a pop of color and keeps my utensils within reach
I use cute baskets and containers in the kitchen and bathroom and plastic containers in the the closets, laundry room and pantry for organization. But my desk is the one in need of some ideas, and I truly need to clear out the clutter in every room. After moving a few months ago to a smaller home, I realized we had too much “stuff” and most goes unused, so it’s time for me to get rid of as much as I can ? Thank you for the ideas and the giveaway!!
I’m not creative so cute ideas would be most appreciated. I do have a pretty wicker basket I put mail in that needs attention, but could use a lot of help in other areas. Thank you so much for doing this giveaway.
I love having a coffee station set up in my kitchen!
I use a combination of jars and baskets, rather eclectic to be sure, depends on the room being organized. I have an office that is in dire need of work though!!
Thanks for sharing with us! It’s great to know I’m not alone with this organizing project, still longing for cute containers and labels. I’ve started creating stations for my favorite stuff and continue to unstuff along the way!
I finally have my very own place so I don’t need to live out if my big plastic bins…now I need help organizing. Would really love to be in picked for this give away. Thank you for offering it.
My favorite tool to display is my diy craft table with my colorful yarns in the different cubbies.
Btw. I call my stuff “creative chaos” 🙂 !
I’m definitely not very good at CUTE and organized. It’s mostly organize then hide it away in a closet, drawer, or box. Could definitely use some inspiration.
I’m definitely not good at CUTE and organized. I’m decluttering, but it’s taking me an awful long time. I really need some inspiration.
I love cute containers but my quickest way to a cute space is to clear surfaces and just have a little mason jar of fresh flowers in the middle of the table or counter. Nothing fancy because I have four kids and no gorgeous centerpiece would ever survive my house. I also love large wicker baskets for holding throw blankets and other items.
I love baskets, jars, pretty wooden boxes — a place for everything and everything in it’s place. Nothing sends me into a tailspin like random stuff just lying around. Loved the episode. Melissa was great. I’m a big fan.
Melissa Michaels described the first days of marriage and the problem with the dishes and wondering if parents would rescue her. My parents did everything so easily that I didn’t understand the thinking behind some of the chores they had us do or the routines they had. In today’s podcast, I loved hearing about Melissa’s routines and rituals. Lately my house seems like a bed and breakfast for millennials. This is coupled with a seeming early onset of memory loss as I constantly ask myself, what was I doing. One of the things I’ve found works very well for both my young houseguests and my perimenopausal brain are labels and pictures. Just like the block shelf in a kindergarten classroom is best organized with clear expectations and examples, my cupboards and counters also benefit. While the picture of all the bowls nested didn’t explain that ordering from biggest to smallest allows them to all fit, one of my houseguests recently expressed wonder in that discovery as he first tried to put the bowl back into the empty space between objects then looked at the picture. Sadly, the little reminders are just as helpful to me as well.
I have a “tea space” with a small teapot, strainer and warmer along with several decorative tins for both loose tea and teabags. They are all in a small bookcase I have in my kitchen. I have been collecting tins for years, but when they get shabby, I get rid of them.
Thanks for the podcast and the generous give-away! My grandmother always had glass canisters on her kitchen counter. My grandfather ate a cookie after every meal and would often grab a “cake of gum” as he walked out the door so the canisters had the cookies and the gum supply in them. Today I use those canisters on my beverage station to contain my tea supply. Another favorite organizer is the cube storage in our living room. Some of the cubes are for displaying favorite items, but some have a basket to hide things. One basket holds our Bibles, journal, pens, colored pencils, calendar, etc and another presently holds office things until we get an office area organized. The basket are great because it is so easy to pull the basket out and drop things in it if unexpected company comes. Also, my husband is an electrician so he put all of the TV and various device cords inside the wall. We have one cord that is extra, not plugged into a device, just in case we want to plug in another device so I attached a hook onto the back of the cabinet under the TV and hung the extra cord on that hook. I really appreciate all the encouragement Kathi gives. I am slowly getting more organized and beautifying things at the same time.
Some good shelves. Can be used for almost anything.
love the cute containers and re-purposing old containers to be used. small galvanized bucket hanging under cabinet holds my sun glasses and another holds all the cords and plugs used regularly
I keep a basket on my nightstand to keep the stuff that accumulates there – lotion, hair ties, books, nail clippers, etc. It helps to keep the surface clear.
I use a pretty basket to collect all the paper that comes into my kitchen, like mail and school forms. That way they are all in one place and I never have to think about where I put a certain form.
I go through it once a week, making sure to pay any bills that need to be paid, filling out school forms that need to be turned in, etc.
Thanks for all the lovely suggestions! I have a serious case of “art brain” a.k.a. can never get the whole house clean at one time. One thing I have tried is to clear away all the stuff on a surface and just replace it with a thing or two I love. Recently, I grabbed a cake stand I never used and set it in the bathroom with a lotion, candle and fresh flowers from outside. It’s motivation for me to keep things pretty and clear my hubby and kids’ bathroom stuff away from my counter.
One of the fun things I used to stay organized with my kitchen utensils is an old coffee pot that I remember my grandma using on her stove. It’s now functional and fun for me to use and remember.
I struggle in organizing things. I recently bought some Oxo containers for my my pantry and love them. I am working on cleaning out the clutter. Love all the ideas you mentioned.
I’m not great at making my home cute and organized which is why I love Kathi Lipp’s podcast and books and why I need this book!! But one thing I just got and love is three simple white “frames” that have twine and clothes pins so I can display photos or my kids’ artwork interchangeably…or change it up with the season (i.e. display Christmas cards during Christmas)…
I love all the ideas on here!!
I like to make cute file folders by laminating a manila folder with a favorite scrapbook paper. Plus the lamination helps them last longer and not get dog-eared!
It’s not necessarily cute, but I buy furniture with extra storage. So my coffee table has drawers that used to hold my DVDs and now hide my kids puzzles. My TV stand has a cabinet on one side that I put clear plastic shoebox bins with my kids toys in as well. Keeps the living room looking less cluttered.
I love all these cute ideas!! My favorite thing that we use at our house is a really cute black edged split blackboard/bulletin board (with hooks at the bottom). We write our family verse of the month on the blackboard side, and then I write a list of everyone’s activities (and times) for the week and post it on the bulletin board side. It’s right by the door so everyone can check it and make sure they are prepared for whatever the week brings! 🙂 I color-code it because we have four kids, and then each child just looks for their color but can also see at a glance what everyone else is doing!
I use mason jars to help organize and I love them. They are easy to fit several in a drawer, easy to replace, and lead so I can see inside. I love clear storage so that I’m not the only one who knows where things go when things need to be put away or picked out.
I love using cute things that have multiple purposes like a cute bench in the kids room that has a wood basket for trains, a basket for books, and a basket for blocks underneath it. Cute and functional!
I love cute containers to store things. It make everything look cleaner.
I use my hall linen closet for all my storage needs. 9 clear bins all marked for travel, medicines, lotions, shampoos, hair, nails, etc. One shelf for sheets and pillow cases. Top shelf for light bulbs, flash lights, etc. All so easy to find even in the dark!
I found cute baskets at the thrift store to hold things that continually seemed to be accumulating on the counters in my kitchen and bathroom. Now, Instead of looking like just a pile of stuff, it looks purposeful, and allows me to have those things out and accessible, and it was very inexpensive to do.
As far as the kitchen goes, I try my best to rinse the dishes right away and run the dishwasher as soon as it’s full. I have the kids put away the silverware and I unload and reload the dishwasher. Ü
I use a rolling cart for our homeschool supplies so I can roll it out of sight if i need too!
I wanted to get a new crock to hold my kitchen utensils on my stove top…but instead decided to repurpose a heavy-duty (blue) glass water pitcher for a summer-y alternative.
I like cute containers!!!
What has helped me the most is using what I have and waiting to replace it. I don’t need 4 extra deodorants when I now live 5 minutes from a store.
I also donated a lot of extra toiletries and hotel souvenirs.
What is left can fit in color coordinated plastic baskets.
Same thing with my pantry.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Baskets!! This is one of my favorite ways to organize. They look cute and functional. I am loving the idea of treating your home like a hotel, just main streaming it. I already have a mental plan of what I will be purging from some rooms! Sorry if this is a duplicate – my comment is not showing as posted.
I love cute containers and storage bins. They look pretty and are fun to use.
One of my favorite ways to organize is baskets! You can display them yet it looks cute. I loved the thought of treating your home like the hotel- get rid of the fluff and keep exactly what you need. I have already started the mental plan on purging more things in the bathroom.
Lots of great ideas here. I got rid of all of our glasses in the kitchen and now we just use mason jars. With four kids, mason jars are easily replaceable and multi-functional.
I enjoy using baskets.
I love using decorative glass canisters in my bathroom for cotton rounds, makeup sponges and even hair clips/accessories.
I love to do craft projects, and had a problem having piles everywhere of projects in progress! Now, I buy these cute decorative cardboard boxes that look like books from Michaels that have magnetic closures. Each project has it’s own box and they stack nicely on top of each other on a shelf!
I love to use vintage cabinets and containers to organize my “stuff “. Somehow it looks less cluttered when it is contained beautifully.
I love Mason Jars and decorative boxes.
I love to use baskets to organize with. They look nice everywhere.
Please enter me in the give away. Thank you!
I’m working on organizing my home office and my favorite purchase is a rustic box that hold s my Life Organization File. I purchased a box of fun colored folders and love how it all looks and keeps me organized.
I love cute storage! The problem is the price tag.
In the bathroom, I use blue mason jars to hold cotton balls, q-tips, and manicure tools!
I like the colorful $2 boxes at Michaels to organize my desk and the kids use them to organize their art supplies
I use wicker for the cute organization. I have wicker file boxes with lids, wicker trays, wicker trays, and wicker baskets. My walls are light colors and the wicker is a nice color balance.
My husband used to take up countertop space in the kitchen with his stuff. I cleaned out the top drawer under the countertop so that he can store his stuff there. Kitchen is clean again…in that area. I am still uncluttering my home.
Now I need to figure out how to incorporate my Mom’s stuff with ours. She moved to Assisted Living, and we are now getting her mail, and cleaning out her apartment. Hard to figure out what to keep and what to donate. And where/how do we store what she needs? Feeling just a bit overwhelmed.
My favorite organized place is the bathroom closet with totes that have labels on them. It keeps everything organized and in its proper place.
I love to organize with all kinds and shapes of baskets
I love cute storage bins from the dollar tree they have many great colors and sizes and I love command hooks for my measuring cups to hand inside my cupboard and they are easy to get too.
Great ideas, and within budget too!
I love your pod cast and blog.
I use baskets to store/hide things! I had a number of baskets from home parties in the early 2000’s so I put them to good use instead if just displaying them! Now I know where everything is and it looks cute!
I happened upon the coolest terracotta herringbone leather tote and had a brainstorm to use it for my 2hr. firelogs (its lined in cotton), the long matches box, and it even has a pocket for the lighters when I use ’em! Found a copper-colored puffy heart (a repurposed ornament) to hang from the handle in front–great texture and interest, and its so snazzy!
Thanks for the ideas all, and for the giveaway too, Kathi!
Baskets are my favorite go to item for decorating/storage. I love seeing all the great ideas that everyone is sharing too!
We have three huge bookcases in the living room and they house various items in bins with books in between. Gives us lots of room for storage without being visually overwhelming.
We were forced to dramatically downsize our living space so our family of 7 is living in 1400 sq. ft. apartment. That means that we have stacks of cardboard boxes everywhere instead of cute storage. I’m slowly sorting through the boxes and reducing what we own (45 of those boxes are my precious books that used to live in bookcases lining our family room walls). I have some patterns to make really cute fabric storage items that will contain a lot of our items and once I get my sewing tools organized I’m going to start on that. As a bonus, that will use up some of the fabric in the 12 bins stacked on my balcony.
I love all things galvanized, enabled or glazed; buckets, canisters, pots, and even bread pans come in handy.
Hi Kathi! Love the ideas, they are so cute! I have started by back to school organization and will defuse these ideas!
Hi Kathi! I’ve started my back to school organization. There are some cute and practical ideas for me to use! I’m going to use them!
I love the wire baskets with hooks at the command center to organize mail, bills, pens, etc!
I’m currently organizing my house like this after living here for a year. I’m looking for ideas and would love to win this gift! The move made me realize how much stuff I don’t need and want to donate!
This isn’t a “cute” idea, but to de-clutter, I use the containers you can put under the bed to “hide” things.
I have a lined basket on the back of my toilet with extra toilet paper, tissues, and reading material. I also have a large red material tote in the top of my hall closet to house all of our hats, scarves, gloves, etc in the off season. Nice pop of color, easily accessible, but corrals everything while we are not using them.
We are preparing to downsize and move to a smaller home…so we are tackeling one area at a time. Have incorporated dividers in drawers and baskets where we can. Looking tidier, but I need to purge and condense this time around!
Thanks for the great suggestions and opportunity to win a prize!
I keep storage simple- then I can decorate it as my mood or space suits (if I ever get the chance!), but it’s a clean looking space at least. I’m going to revamp my storage layout soon- I’m tired of working within the current constraints, so sometimes you just have to start over!
I bought a small cute bookshelf for my books that I keep in my room. (They used to be in a pile by my bed.) When my bookshelf gets full I have to discard books before adding new ones.
Thanks for the chance to win! I’m not very organized, but I do have an old silverware caddy and small set of drawers in the bathroom to try to keep the countertop under control.
As I keep decluttering I look for cute ways to store what I am keeping. I love to use baskets with lids. Recently I repurposed a cute glass shallow bowl to hold my watch, rings and hair clip in the bathroom when I shower, better than just cluttering up around the sink.
When I am looking to organize or “contain” something, I look around the house for what i have already that I could use, if not I head to the store to find something……and whatever I find, is must be cute and functional. It makes it so much easier to keep things organized long term if I like it and is functional.
I recently bought a cute glass dish at a thrift store. It sits on my bathroom counter to hold my watch, earrings, rings etc overnight or while I am showering.
I use plastic drawers, like the ones that hold 8.5×11 paper. I put pretty paper in the front spot to make it look nice. I use these for bathroom products, kitchen items and office/paper goods.
I love to use bright colored containers to stay cute and organized.
I struggle with this and tend to pick utilitarian storage items. However, a few years ago I picked up a painted wooden milk delivery container. It’s is similar in size to a silverware caddy. It has French sayings on it and it adorable. I use it to house pens, pencils and car keys. I use it and enjoy it everyday.
Use containers for related items.
Get rid of things you don’t use. Have a box to add to of things to donate
I love the idea of buying cute. Recently, whenever I’ve had to replace something I own (or upgrade), I’ve looked for what I actually want, and what will make my home mine, rather than just what is functional.
This has made decision-making more fun, and my home feel more like a home.
Sounds wonderful. One of my favorite books is Overwhelmed. Thanks for writing it and for all your wonderful posts to keep us motivated.
I sure love baskets to corral like items – particularly woven earthy looking ones that go with any decor. But I’m still working towards having less of everything so I have less of everything to organize!
I am so organized, I’m disorganized! I have lots of baskets and boxes but can’t find a thing I’m looking for!
I have cute boxes and baskets that I have things stored in to look organized …..unfortunately when I need something I can’t remember where I conveniently hid it!
Boxes that match and labeled on the outside
Medicine
Aspirin , cough syrup etc
Brushes /combs
Kitchen
Small baskets from dollar store
Fir steak knives
Bigger spoons
V
My favorite way to stay cute and organized at the same time is with baskets with lids. I was into the Longaberger basket craze years ago and bought many that had handmade lids with them. I don’t like my “stuff” laying out so if I use a basket for the most part I want it to have a lid, except the basket I use to house my kitchen utensils on my counter. Otherwise, baskets with lids displayed strategically make for great decor and for great storage as well.
Hi Deanna! Congratulations, you won the giveaway! I will email you for your mailing address. Thank you for participating! Enjoy your prize!
Love the white container for kitchen sink supplies. Cabinet under the sink is home to a garbage can and big recycling bin, so all my other stuff gets shoved to the back where it’s very inconvenient to get to.
I like to reuse items to stay organized. An old pickle jar or candle jar can turn into a cute way to organize things. I also love using baskets.
I get very excited whenever I can use an item in a new way, even to organize! Besides giving me the chance to feel creative, It saves money, too.
i’m learning that the more i can do w/o, the better & easier it is to stay organized.
I love the idea of using my favorite colors in my bedroom in particular. I chose turquoise and fuchsia containers that match my bedspread and other decor. Also, the pretty scissors concept made me smile. Rather than store them in a drawer I wanted mine within easy reach. So I bought scissors in lime green (which I adore), and put them in a cute upright basket on my nightstand along with pens/pencils, markers, and a pen with a large peony attached popping out of the basket. Anything with flowers on it makes me happy 🙂
I find that when I use beautiful organizational items like neat baskets, galvanized metal, and neutral linen bins, that it really encourages me to put things back where they belong in order to keep the space looking pretty. Spaces can be functional and beautiful!
I have an board in the kitchen where I keep weekly menu, calendar, etc. and that has helped not only me but the family.
This summer I organized my pantry. I bought clear containers and plastic bins from the dollar store. Now when I open the pantry everything has a place and it doesn’t look so messy. It works well with the kids too. All of their snacks are in bins and they can grab and go.
When you need to do a quick de-clutter I like to use wicker laundry baskets. I have a really deep one that I have put in the corner and it is not overflowing so just looks like an accent piece.
When we moved to our new home we no longer had sufficient bookshelf space. We did, however, have an empty built-in linen closet. We moved all the childrens books, and some of ours, into the closet and now my son (6) and daughter (3) enjoy going to the “library” to pick books. For my sanity, I am happy to be able to close the door and hide the haphazard collection whenever we don’t need to access what is inside.
I love the idea of using my favorite colors throughout my bedroom in particular. I chose turquoise and fuchsia containers that match my bedspread and other decor. The pretty scissors concept made me laugh. Rather than storing mine in a drawer I wanted them within easy reach, so I purposely bought a pair of scissors in lime green, (which I adore) so I could display them in a cute basket on my nightstand w/ pens, markers and a flower pen popping out of it. Anything with flowers on it makes me happy 😀
In the bathrooms I use a cute basket on the back of the toilet, which holds an extra roll of tp, a can of Lysol, and a box of Kleenex; mason jar to hold toothbrushes and toothpaste, and cotton balls and Q-tips on the counter. All my envelopes of photos, small photo albums, etc., I put in baskets on shelves in my kitchen. All the controllers and chargers for (so many) R/C cars, in a picnic basket on a corner table. Cooking utensils in a basket beside my stove (when it’s dirty, I just replace it). Loving the ideas posted!!
any time I can store things vertically instead of horizontally it is a huge help!!!!
I started to teach myself to sew. I decided that I wanted to keep everything organized so I bought a armoire from someone off of let go that I am going to refinish. I have it filled with my projects in the meantime of getting it refinished.
I am obsessed with Mason jars! I use them to organize dry goods and spices, as penholders by the phone, and as soap dispensers. Oh yeah, and for canning too, lol!
I have some lidded wooden boxes and an antique thread drawer that I got from my mom and my grandmother that I use to store a lot of my sewing and craft supplies. They’re sentimental and useful.
I have used a ceramic cookie jar for years to keep all my favorite cooking utensils close by in the kitchen.
I use containers and baskets to make things less scattered….it pretties things up and organizes at the same time.
I have several longaberger baskets that house my files, toiletries, hamper, pens, sewing. ..just everything.
I have several large cookie type glass jars so i can see what I’m storing and cabinets with glass doors for pretty stuff and less dusting.
I have a collection of old suitcases that I store just about everything in. A stack of them in the family room holds DVDs, books, movies we just can’t let go of and watch/read occasionally. I used an old picnic basket case for cards at my daughter’s graduation open house. When we were done we stored her cards, master list, pens, thank you cards and stamps in it to grab when we went somewhere we had to be but knew we’d be sitting/waiting with nothing to do. My mom gave me some mini-suitcases I store my sleeping aids in (supplements, sleep mask, ear plugs, ear buds). They look cute on my nightstand!
Containerize, containerize, containerize. That’s what I try to do and I love to use baskets to do that. I’ve got baskets for paperwork, books I want to read soon, bible/devotional items, pantry items, remote controls, chargers, my daughter uses them for her clothes on shelves instead of having a dresser, I use them for organizing inside my desk drawers. I use them for so many things. Some are from the dollar store, some are from Target or Michael’s but all are useful and functional. Love me some baskets and love me some Melissa Michaels.
I bought 2 cute wooden baskets from Amazon and in one I just throw clutter from my mantle that is in my bedroom. The other is on my bedside table and it holds many of my medicines that I take at night. They are so cute. I hope that I am sending the link below:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KKSJS5O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I love to use decorative stacking baskets they look pretty and keep a multitude of things hidden BUT right where you want them. I also love using cubes to hold games, photo albums etc. they also double as extra seating
What an awesome giveaway! My mom makes fabric bins/baskets and they are perfect for DVDs and as a catchall by the front door.
I like to use plastic or metal trays in my kitchen drawers to keep all the gadgets separated and easy to find. I do the same in my bathroom drawers to contain toothbrushes, makeup etc.
Loved this post and would love to win the new book!
Repurposing! My teeny 1910 bathroom has no place for any kind of a toilet paper holder. My solution….a large, but short, wooden black candle holder….perfect! Sits on the floor in the corner and it’s adorable! No more reaching behind and twisting our shoulders! REPURPOSE!!
We recently renovated two bathrooms in our home. We have 21 people in our family (nine kids, their spouses, grandkids) with five of the (single) kids still living at home. My biggest pet peeve was when people would use the bathroom, go in the cabinet drawers to use something, and then just throw it in the counter or put it in another drawer not to mention the overall clutter! I went to the store, bought cute little wire baskets in several sizes, and placed them in the drawers. Now toothpaste and floss are in one basket; hairbrushes and combs in another; tweezers and nail clippers have their own basket as well as my makeup. Plus it makes me happy when I open the drawers and see neatness!!
I need all the organizational help I can get!! I like to use baskets and mason jars for storage.
I love to be organized and a few years ago I made myself a “command center” in my kitchen. I highly recommend one if you have kids and activities!
Now, after getting divorced due to years of my spouse cheating, I am moving in 2 weeks. I am purchasing a house with my mom. I have two kids (12 and 13). We are going from roughly 3600 square feet to 1716 square feet, including the finished basement. I would love the ideas and tools here to help me have a clean and organized space even though there is less space available. Thanks for keeping me inspired to purge and only keep what we actually need!
Kathi, I really look forward to getting anything from you in my email inbox. Thank you for your diligence, heart, and ideas as it really feels like someone cares enough to walk alongside us in our overwhelm. Blessings to you!!!
I finally have a china hutch. It gives me easy access to my China so I can both use it and store it beautifully.
So many cute ideas! Thanks for your understanding also; you know exactly how difficult it is to exercise dominion in our homes!
I am always looking for new ways to help me become clutter free. I use pretty mugs to store pens. Love all the ideas!! Thank you Kathi for the fantastic giveaway!!
I love making organization cute and functional. I love adding decorative trays to drawers to keep them organized.
I am finally ready to be totally clutter free after a move across the country and realizing I don’t *need* all of this stuff! Love these ideas!