Welcome to Day 27 of 31 Days of Getting Organized by Using What You Have.
Over-the-Door shoe organizers are one of my favorite ways to organize certain rooms in my home. They’re inexpensive and can be taken down and moved to a new location easily. I like that they use the back of the door or closet door, a space that is often overlooked for storage. They can also be folded and easily stored when not needed, taking up very little space.
Since I don’t like to spend a lot of money on organizing I bought this on clearance at Ross for $1.99. I would have preferred clear pockets but I attached the stamped clothespins to the pockets labeled with the contents inside and it worked perfectly. I wanted all the pockets in easy reach, so I used Command hooks to hang the organizer lower on the door. Check out all the info here.
This organizer is on Ammon’s closet door to hold all his Power Rangers and small super heros. He helped me decide how to label them and what should go inside each pocket. I’ve also used over-the-door shoe organizers in the hall closet to hold hats, scarves and gloves, the bathroom to hold bathroom necessities and the garage to hold small tools and other supplies.
Here are more great ways to use over-the-door shoe organizers in your home:
Welcome to Day 26 of 31 Days of Getting Organized by Using What You Have.
I don’t like my phones exposed while they’re charging. I know it’s not a big deal but since it’s so easy to hide them, I’m going to show you how I do it.
This size is only for one phone, but you can easily use a larger box for more phones. Start with a pretty box or just a plain box and cover it with wall paper or fabric of your choice. I love this textured box I bought at Staples. It was only $2-3 and I love the rich texture.
I used my Big Bite Crop-odile to punch a few holes to make one large hole in the back of the box. If you don’t have a heavy duty punch you can use a box cutter or awl to make a hole in the box. The placement of the hole depends on your phone. Only make the hole big enough for the charger cord to fit through snuggly so it doesn’t fall out the back. I love that my phone is hidden now. Doesn’t it look great on my nightstand?
See you tomorrow for the next post in the series 31 Days of Getting Organized by Using What You Have: Organize With Over-the-Door Shoe Organizers
Welcome to Day 25 of 31 Days of Getting Organized by Using What You Have.
On day 24 I shared with you how I organize my home using labels. Today I am sharing with you even more ideas on how to use labels to organize your home.
Welcome to Day 24 of 31 Days of Getting Organized by Using What You Have.
Labels are one of my favorite things to use in organizing. There are so many options, from simply writing something on a piece of tape to making beautiful vinyl labels or using pictures. The expense is minimal, if not free.
I use chalkboard labels in my pantry because I never know when the contents of a container might change. It’s quick and easy to wipe off the chalk and write the new contents. I’ve attached the chalkboard labels to glass jars also. I love the way it looks in my pantry and my kids can even put groceries away where they go.
Sometimes a simple printed label will do the trick. A fish tag shows the kids where the fish food and cleaning supplies are kept.
Simple labels were printed on a piece of paper and cut to size for Emilee’s bins in her closet.
I labeled Ammon’s art supply buckets with vinyl letters cut out with a electronic cutting machine.
I made chalkboard tags for Zach’s under the bed storage using cardboard and chalkboard spray paint.
And I made clothing tags for Emilee using thin wood, scrapbook paper, and stickers.
I also attached tags with painted clothespins to the totes in the laundry room. By using clothespins I can move the tags or totes around if needs be.
My label maker is probably my favorite organizing tool. The labels are simple and perfect for all the containers in my craft room.
Now that I’m in a new home I have plenty of things I still need to label. I’ll be working on that this week. What about you?
See you tomorrow for the next post in the series 31 Days of Getting Organized by Using What You Have: More Organizing With Labels
Welcome to Day 23 of 31 Days of Getting Organized by Using What You Have.
If you’re new here or if you’ve missed any of the series, you can see the links to all the posts in the series here. Check it out, you won’t want to miss a day.
Every time you buy a new pair of shoes you end up with a sturdy box that can be used for so many different things. The only problem is that it’s not always the prettiest thing to look at. I love storage and organization but I also like pretty things so instead of just using the box, let’s beautify it a bit too.
I use these painted shoe boxes in my craft room to hold small spools of ribbon. I punched holes in the side of the boxes for the ribbon to come through. You’ll need a heavy duty hole punch like the Big Bite to be able to punch through the side of the box.
Here are more great ideas on how to decorate and use shoe boxes as storage containers:
Moving to a new state means new creepy crawlies. Living in the desert means even creepier creepy crawlies. Can you tell I have issues with bugs? It doesn’t help that the first morning in my new house I found 2 spiders and 3 cockroaches. They were all dead (belly up) but I was still a little freaked out since I wasn’t used to seeing dead bugs lying around on the floor. I’ve heard scorpions have been found in houses around here too. I’m so happy to report I haven’t seen one yet (and hope I never do).
My boys on the other hand are totally excited to learn as much as they can about these little things that freak me out. Orkin believes the best way to control pests is to learn as much about them as possible. They’ve been studying bugs for 100 years and have used science to help them in their work and keep them on the fore front of pest control.
Even though bugs aren’t my thing, I have to admit I was taken in and wanted to find out more information about some of these little creatures. The Orkin Ecologist website is full of interesting information and photos. It’s perfect for younger kids and older ones alike. At one point we were all standing around the computer and looking up new and interesting facts about these little creatures. Some of our favorites were the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, the Dung Beetle, and the Cricket. Did I mention we’ve seen quite a few crickets too? Can you believe a spider that can eat birds? That is one spider I don’t want to see! Ammon’s favorite was the Dung beetle. He’s 10, so there’s probably no more explanation needed.
My boys love games and bugs so why not combine the two and make a tic-tac-toe game you play with bugs. We chose to use cockroaches and spiders since that’s what we’ve been familiar with lately. We learned about how spiders make their amazing webs and read about how remote controlled cockroaches are helping in neuroscience. And, of course, we learned almost everything there is to know about the Dung Beetle. Visit THe Orkin Ecologist website with your kiddos to learn about their favorite little creepy crawlies.
Back to the project: We spray painted the spiders orange and the cockroaches green. They don’t look quite as creepy painted. The tray was painted with black glitter spray to add a little spooky sparkle. My boys couldn’t wait to play tic-tac-toe with their new creepy crawly friends.
Now I can’t keep them off The Orkin Ecologist website. I love that they love learning new things and I love companies that encourage learning in the sciences. Ammon would love to do a science fair project on spiders (their body parts and how they spin amazing webs). Just as long as we don’t have to catch a real spider, I’m in.
The Orkin Ecologist website is a fantastic resource for teachers, parents and kids of all ages. Check it out with your kids to get some great information and maybe your little one will become a pest specialist. Do your kids love playing and learning? Check out these Top 10 Bug Apps to keep your little ones entertained while they’re learning.
Welcome to Day 21 of 31 Days of Getting Organized by Using What You Have.
You can buy a clipboard for under $1 and with that you can get multiple organizing uses. Keep them as is or dress them up. Because of their shape and size they’re easy to use, transport, and store.
We’ve been using clipboards for the kids homework for at least 10 years. They clip reading sheets, permission slips, homework papers, sports or scout papers to them to keep track of the papers until they need to be turned back in. Since the clipboards create a hard surface they are perfect for doing the actual homework on too. I attached a mechanical pencil to the board to keep it handy. I mod podged scrapbook paper and an initial to each board to give them more personality.
Here are more great ways to use clipboards to help you stay organized:
Welcome to Day 20 of 31 Days of Getting Organized By Using What You Have.
Do you save the bags your purchases come in and always have ziploc bags on hand? Do you need more ideas on what to do with all of them? Here are some great ideas on how to organize your space using all those bags you’ve been saving.
I think it’s awesome sheets come in matching fabric bags. And since I couldn’t just throw them out, I made them into Shoe Travel Bags. They work beautifully to keep your shoes contained and your clothes clean. If you’d like to make your own Shoe Travel Bags check out the quick and easy tutorial.
I like to use zip lock bags when traveling. It helps keep everything organized and I have everything planned out before hand. Here are some more of my packing tips.
Welcome to Day 19 of 31 Days of Getting Organized By Using What You Have.
Having a bunch of little things on a counter or dresser can look messy, but put those same items on a tray and it can look beautiful and organized. Trays come in all shapes, sizes, styles and colors so it’s a good bet you can find one (or several) you like.
This tray on my kitchen counter holds things I need close at hand and use often, plus it’s pretty. And I love the color it adds to this area of the kitchen.
We keep our drinking cups organized on this tray next to the refrigerator. The letters are the initials of the family members living in our home right now. You can check out the tutorial here.
This S’more tray quickly became our favorite tray of the summer. I added jars full of s’more makings to a tray to make it convenient to carry to and from the grill. It easily stored in the pantry when not in use.
Trays can be used for more than just trays. I sprayed this one with chalkboard paint and it became a front door message center.
Here are a few more ideas on using trays to help you organize:
