Hello my friends! I’m back today with some really simple and quick tips that I use around the house to coral the clutter a bit. We talked about clutter last week and I found the comments really interesting!
It may have sounded like my house was a clutter disaster after reading it and it’s really not, I swear. ;) But I struggle with it on a daily basis like so many of you do.
I have a few tricks I’ve implemented over the years that have really helped and I thought I would share a few of them with you today!
I like to utilize things in an unusual way AND I hate wasted space so this one a good mix of the two. I started this project by painting magnetic paint on the insides of a couple of our cabinets doors, but that was a fail. I can’t get that paint to hold anything but supersonic magnets, even with like six coats.
So plan B was to adhere some metal sheeting (make sure it’s magnetic!) to the cabinets instead:
Obviously we keep the take out and delivery menus there (CHUYS!!) but you could use it for a grocery list, receipts, whatever. I’ve seen really clever ideas of using the inside of your cabinet doors for hanging measuring spoons and cups as well. We can’t do that because the middle panels on our cabinets are too thin to screw into, but I love the idea!
You can see more of how I did this and the materials I used here. It’s a great way to get some of your smaller items out of the way and out of sight.
This next idea is one we’ve used for YEARS and I LOVE IT. I think I shared it with you a looong time ago but it’s worth mentioning again. Instead of keeping DVDs and CDs (all old, we haven’t bought a CD in years now) in their cases we now do this:
BOOM.
Seriously…I cannot express how much space these save! We have the smaller versions that hold about 130 disks:
We have one for CDs and software, one for Halloween and holiday movies, one for our movies and one for the kiddo’s movies. We actually need to get another one because as I’ve gone through things lately I’ve realized we have a ton of movies.
This is a bigger version of ours (it holds way more) and this one is just a bit more than what we spent on ours but holds even more (more than 200 instead of our 130).
When we buy a DVD now it immediately comes out of the case and into a sleeve. I can’t even imagine how much space these would take up still in their cases! By the way, you can’t typically recycle the DVD cases at regular recycling locations. There are some that will take them so do a search in your area. Also, I know photographers can usually use them so you could ask around. (Or is everything digital now? Could be.)
This little storage container is another one of my favorites – I was giddy when I was filling this thing up:
When I first shared this many of you mentioned alphabetizing it and I’ve since done that. After you said that it was giving me hives.
I got this sorter at Lowe’s and it’s meant to hang up on a peg board or something. Honestly though, after having filled it up I’m not sure it would hang well. Mine is so heavy I’m pretty sure the plastic would break. BUT it’s still the bomb – those drawers look tiny but they are deep. I can fit so much in there. It’s awesome to have a spot for all of the little doodads that I need day to day.
OK…so the paper issue is HUGE, right? I have to say – I have tried so many “tricks” over the years to get it under control. I tried binders, drawers, boxes…and they would work for a few weeks or even months and then it would get out of control again.
But I’ve found the solution. And it’s earth shattering, so hold on to your seats. I’m about to blow. your. mind…
A basket:
One basket. That’s it people. That’s. it.
We keep our recycling bins in the garage, so I do my best to sort through ads and junk mail as I come in the door with it all – but sometimes I don’t and I just dump it all in the basket. When it gets full I go sort through and file the important stuff and recycle the rest. Yes, I could just do this when I walk in the door…but I don’t. I have learned this about myself and have embraced it. :)
It is a wondrous thing, the big, deep basket. Seriously, when I had a spot for five different things it was too much and I stopped doing it. One spot? My brain can keep up with that. I’ve also started using those white boxes from the Container Store for the Bub’s school projects. I have one for each grade -- I put the ones I love in there and then when it gets full a month into the school year half way through the year I sort through that too. I’m trying to be better about that stuff – as some of you mentioned on that post last week, who am I keeping these for? Will he really want these as an adult? Will his wife frame them and hang them on the wall? I’m guessing no. So I am trying to be more deliberate with what I keep.
But you know, try the basket thing. It’s revolutionary I know. ;)
And finally, a biggie this time of year in our house – the gloves, hats and scarves. They used to land ever.y.where. Again…first of all, let’s address how many we have. How many sets of gloves does an adult really need to have? I’ve cut us down to about three pairs of gloves each. I get a few more scarves cause I’m a girl and I like my scarves.
My solution for what we really use is a shoe organizer at the top of our coat closet:
Another tip for the coat closet – use the back of the door:
I use drapery tie backs for hanging scarves and bags because they are deep and hold a ton! Most of them I’ve had around for years but I’ve even started buying them specifically for organizing instead of drapes. ;) I like using simple ones like these that have a good open “hook.”
So there you go – five of my biggest clutter busters that WORK. At least in this house. I’ve used each of these for quite some time now and they help to declutter the stuff that used to clutter up our house. Any simple tips you use and love?
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