stay organized
keeping organized isn't always easy. so here's to getting inspired from others, in visual format.
Building a desk out of file cabinets and a door is an awesome way to build a cheap and spacious desk—I love mine, seen here and here—but lack for small drawer space. Hanging drawer organizers give you small-object storage (via Hanging Drawer Organizers - Office Supplies - Lifehacker)
Blogger Patricia Zapata, who does a lot of recycling projects, cooked up this repurposing hack with a cereal box and some craft paper to cover the outside pictures (it doesn’t need to be thatpretty, but the least you could do is hide that giant picture of Tony the Tiger). She even used some of the cardboard to create a divider, with which she could separate smaller objects (pens, paper clips) from larger ones (scissors, tape, stationary). It fit perfectly in her IKEA drawer, though you might have to make some adjustments—keep in mind there are many sized cereal boxes out there. Make a Cheap Drawer Organizer from an Empty Cereal Box
We certainly love cheap around Lifehacker HQ, and this hack is about as cheap as it gets: instead of buying a drawer organizer, you could just cut up that old Lucky Charms box and let itorganize your office supplies instead.
Shoe In Stop shuffling through boxes; stow frequently worn pairs on a rack that won’t warp shoes’ natural shapes. Slide magazines or wrapping-paper rolls inside tall boots so tops will stay upright. Plastic containers (with airholes to let fabric breathe) can hold delicate individual pairs along with matching clutches or bags, protected by tissue paper or a pillowcase.
Space Saving Organization Ideas by Tammy Moore (Jul 1, 2005) I have just come out of the closet…literally! That’s because my scrapbooking “room” is IN my closet! When we needed to find a new apartment last year, I wanted to find someplace that included a
Space Saving Organization Ideas
by Tammy Moore (Jul 1, 2005)My tips for creating a little closet scrapbooking “room” of your own:
- Measure twice, buy once. With a space this small, moving a piece of furniture in only to find it’s too big is a real challenge. My scrapbooking desk, actually made for a child’s room, was perfect in depth, and was very reasonably priced as well.
- Go up. Floor space is at a premium in a closet, but closets are made with vertical storage in mind. Visit your local organizing store for wall-mounted grid systems, baskets, boxes, and shelves. Use the hanging rods provided to hang baskets, shoe pocket organizers, rolls of ribbon, etc. When I needed magazine/idea book storage, I opted not to use traditional magazine holders (which can’t be stacked on and can be hard to handle up high), but flat magazine boxes which I can stack as high as I need to. They’re clear, so I can easily see which issues are in each box, but I’ve labeled them by magazine name as well.
Use those totes. If you’re like me, you have a few large totes purchased for transporting your crop supplies, but you probably aren’t using them much now that you crop at home. Use those totes for storage! I keep my paper, letter stickers, and extra-large idea books in them! These are great too, closed shut, to hold current projects, or those new purchases.
When wall shelving is maximized, try bookcases. I found a small three-shelf bookcase fit perfectly under my lower closet shelf. These are a fabulous use of space, and are very affordable.
With a little work and a lot of creative organizing, even the smallest space – a closet! – can be turned into the perfect hideaway…er, I mean…scrapbooking room!!a separate scrapbooking room. Unfortunately, an extra bedroom was out of our price range, so my search became focused on finding the largest master closet I could, in order to create my own scrapbooking “room.” Luckily, the apartment I had fallen in love with just happened to have a very spacious closet, and I was able to move my scrapbooking from the coffee table in our old apartment, into my very own nook. My favorite thing about it?? My room has doors!! My tips for creating a little closet scrapbooking “room” of your own: Measure twice, buy once. With a space this small, moving a piece of furniture in only to find it’s too big is a real challenge. My scrapbooking desk, actually made for a child’s room, was perfect in depth, and was very reasonably priced as well. Go up. Floor space is at a premium in a closet, but closets are made with vertical storage in mind. Visit your local organizing store for wall-mounted grid systems, baskets, boxes, and shelves. Use the hanging rods provided to hang baskets, shoe pocket organizers, rolls of ribbon, etc. When I needed magazine/idea book storage, I opted not to use traditional magazine holders (which can’t be stacked on and can be hard to handle up high), but flat magazine boxes which I can stack as high as I need to. They’re clear, so I can easily see which issues are in each box, but I’ve labeled them by magazine name as well. Use those totes. If you’re like me, you have a few large totes purchased for transporting your crop supplies, but you probably aren’t using them much now that you crop at home. Use those totes for storage! I keep my paper, letter stickers, and extra-large idea books in them! These are great too, closed shut, to hold current projects, or those new purchases. When wall shelving is maximized, try bookcases. I found a small three-shelf bookcase fit perfectly under my lower closet shelf. These are a fabulous use of space, and are very affordable. With a little work and a lot of creative organizing, even the smallest space – a closet! – can be turned into the perfect hideaway…er, I mean…scrapbooking room!!
Get More Done by Organizing “Just Enough”
Getting caught up in the idea that your desk, work bench, house, or office must be in perfect shape for you to really get stuff done can just as easily result in getting nothing done. Learn to recognize what’s good enough.
