DIY Storage-Solution Plans
By Karina | February 1, 2010
Even though it’s been a solid 9 months since I’ve moved in with my partner, I am still struggling to get all of my stuff unpacked and put away. Partly it’s because I’m lazy! and it’s easy to ignore a mess when you’re riding a motorcycle around or reading lots of books or canning food in a separate room of the house. We were really busy last summer doing fun things (see also: why our attic is not yet insulated), so I still have a few things that need better homes. Just last month I actually managed to empty the last box in our craft room, but it’s still not organized well enough to actually, well, USE the craft room. And there’s an unsightly plastic tub full of pocketbooks and other small bags in the middle of our bedroom floor which I haven’t yet unpacked.
(An aside: one of the biggest problems I’ve found with moving in with someone who’s already pretty settled is that you feel like YOUR stuff is causing all the problems, and that YOU have lots of junk that you don’t need - when in all actuality, HE has got plenty of junk too, and it’s just all hidden away in the good nooks and crannies.)
So after tossing around ideas for a few months but not actually fixing any storage problems, I thought I’d share my problem spots with you all so you can help me figure out the best way to store some awkward items.
- First: my pocket books. As I mentioned above there are a bunch in a big tub, and a bunch more on the floor under my dresser. What I’d like to do is store them all on a rack of some sort, so I am thinking of driving nails into the wall behind the bedroom door to hang my bags while I’m not actually carrying them. Then I got the bright idea of getting a bunch of beautiful coat hooks - and there’s lots on etsy - and using THOSE instead of a rack. Any other suggestions?
- Next, and staying in the bedroom: I have a lot of scarves. LOTS AND LOTS. I have some in a tote bag on the bottom of my wardrobe and more in the attic in a box of my winter clothes as-yet-unused this year. If they were all in one place I could see them and choose which to wear on any given day. I was in a Muji store this weekend and saw a clothespin-style hanging rack that would allow me to hang the scarves in the closet, but I didn’t want to buy a new thing. Would it be possible to get a bunch of clothespins and fashion an object that hangs from the wall (again, near the bedroom door) so I could both display and store my scarves at the same time?
- The third big problem area is my jewelry. I have a bunch, mostly earrings and necklaces. I have a couple of jewelry boxes but if I don’t see things, I don’t think to wear them. Plus right now the top of my dresser is covered with things that don’t otherwise have a good home, so it’s hard to get to the jewelry in order to pick out what to wear in the morning. I have had this problem for years, though - so I’ve got a large picture frame and I’m all prepped to attach screen to the back of it in order to make a hanging “portrait” style jewelry storage - like this - but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet!
- Most ridiculously and equally pressing is the issue of my unfinished sewing projects. I have a bunch! at least 3 or 4 dresses that have been started and never finished. I would like very much to finish these dresses. However, the unfinished projects are all over my sewing table right now, making it foolishly impossible to set up my sewing machine and finish the projects. Darn it! So my big question is: should I just go ahead and suck it up and plan a couple of days where I wade through this unfinished work and get ‘er done, or should I do something like make up project envelopes out of stashed scrap fabric to keep the projects neatly together and ready to go? These boxes are ultra cute too, and made from plastic canvas just like the boxes my gramma used to make - but on the other hand, I’d have to go out and buy plastic canvas to make these boxes, and I’d rather not buy any new craft supplies (that I’d just have to store).
What do you think? do you have any great ideas for me? Do you have any storage problem areas you’d like to discuss? post them in the comments!
[[Photo via creative commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoppingdiva/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]]
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i feel your pain!!! my suggestion would be to attack the sewing room with great vigor, and get it in a mood to sew again, then you can feel more relaxed about doing what you want at the moment!!! <3
Pocketbooks: If you have time, in my experience thrift stores often have the accordion style hooks so you won’t have to buy anything new. These tend to work great for bags and can support a lot of weight. If you buy some hooks– if it is the kind that is connected it’d probably be best to get something that can be adjusted, i.e. some bags are larger than others and need different hang space. Also hooks that are angeld or have broader tips to prevent the bags from flying off if they get pressed into the wall behind the door. I store mine in clear bins in my closet, but this is not a perfect solution as I switch bags rather frequently and don’t put them back in the bin. Could you use a similar clothespin or carabiner approach mentioned for scarves and attach to a dowel or hanger and just clip the bags? Also– does it make sense to have it in your room or would it make more sense for the storage to be downstairs where you tend to leave your bags? As per my system mentioned above– part of the reason it doesn’t work is because the bins are not where I tend to have my bags.
Scarves: I loop mine over hangers– fold scarf in half, drape over the hanger, put the “loose” ends through the looped end and tie a loose gentle knot. They haven’t gotten mangled.
(Maybe you can attach a peg board–either the metal or cardboardy-kind- to the back of the door and then you can get the hooks for it so you can fully customize the back of the door?)
Sewing– if you empty the pocketbook bin first you’ll have a bin to hold the projects lol! Could you hang some rods or dowels and carefully drape the projects–it’d free up some space to organize the area but would also perhaps be a good motivator to see them. Or for the time being use some of your reusable bags and put some cup hooks in the wall to hang the bags. You can pin a little note about what dress is in there. I would avoid making the envelopes for the time being, as that’s just avoiding the task at hand, which I am an expert at. I think it’s a great idea for down the line.
Jewelry– that’s an awesome idea!
Scarves: going with the clothespin idea you could glue one side of a clothespin to a long board (paint board or pins if you want) and the mount it to the wall to hold scarves. Or run clothesline or another cord between to eyehooks in the wall and use pins to clip the scarves to the “clothesline”.
All great questions…
For the scarves, what if you made a quick version by taking clothespins and a regular metal hanger and pinning your scarves to it? Then they’re all in a single place, look pretty, and you’ll know exactly where to put your scarf when you take it off? In fact, I think I’m going to do this, too! I have so many scarves and they’re in at least three locations now… I’ll just hang this on the coathook by the door. Then I just have to use it. Will report back.
PS I wrote about that jewelry frame awhile back but still haven’t made it. You’re ahead of me, at least you have the frame for it! :) I’m thinking that with variously-shaped screwhooks attached, it can also hold rings and bracelets and necklaces…
Now you know I’m a big fan of the jewelry frame!
http://cheetahvelour.typepad.com/cheetah_velour/2008/11/the-family-jewels.html Trust me, it doesn’t take any time at all to put together, and you’ll wonder why you put it off. :)
Maybe you could have a SnB with your friends, a roll of screen and a staple gun so everyone could share supplies & cost. :)
This is a GREAT IDEA, Rox! :)
RE: sewing
Don’t try to finish it all, but don’t put it all off, either. I suggest putting all but one project away- if this means a project per plastic re-used bag, just do it!- then set the sewing machine up. Whatever you do to make yourself get things done, slot that one project in. I have a 15-30 minute period dedicated every day to working on the undone stuff lying about the house. Once you have one project done, you can feel accomplished and take the rest at your own pace.
I had an extra curtain rod (one of those standard, flimsy white ones) and installed it on my hallway wall. I drape my many, many scarves over it and they’re easy see and pick through. I have enough that they cover the ugly curtain rod.
OMG, that photo. Waaaaant. I’ve got empty CD boxes floating around the place, too!