Storage Solutions For Small Spaces

=====Living rooms, play rooms, offices and more all come in many varieties. However, when the room is in a small space or odd shape, it can be ch...

Storage Solutions For Small Spaces - Living rooms, play rooms, offices and more all come in many varieties. However, when the room is in a small space or odd shape, it can be challenging to make the most of it. Things tend to end up where they don't belong and clutter appears where you least expect it.

The solution is creating more storage. You may not see it now, but with a few DIY storage and organization ideas, you can store all the little things simply and stylishly.

Get Rid of the Junk

I'm not sure why, but the minute an area starts to clutter, it seems to spread quickly throughout the room. A piece of mail on the table can suddenly turn into a stack of items that never made it to the recycling bin. An old scarf on the floor can grow into a pile of outdated clothes.

The first step in creating better storage in your home is getting rid of the things that shouldn't be there. If there's clothing you haven't worn in the last six months, maybe it's time to donate them. Go through old papers and mail to see what needs to go into the shredder. Put items that belong in other rooms, back in their places. Organizing will make it easier to create a place for what's left.

Accessory & Jewelry Storage

Traditional ways of storing clothing and accessories take up a lot of space and end up disorganized. Try using unconventional items to store jewelry accessories. Repurposed desk organizers can easily keep jewelry from getting lost. Necklaces are hard to keep from tangling, especially in jewelry boxes. A unique jewelry storage idea is to use a towel rack and shower curtain hangers to give each necklace its own hook, making it harder for knots.

Are ties, scarves and hats a problem area in your closet? For an easy DIY storage solution, grab a sturdy hanger and some curtain rings. Attach the curtain rings to the bottom of the hanger and begin looping through scarves and ties.

Craft Storage

If you're an avid DIYer, you likely have little pieces of craft supplies all over your house. Finding a place for these items is important. If you're missing the right tool or material, the project may not be completed as desired. As someone who crochets frequently, I'm often trying to find places to put bulky rolls of yarn. One solution I discovered is using a shoe organizer on the inside of a closet door to keep it out of the way and there when I need it.

Another great idea is to use small curtain rods to hang items that come in rolls like wrapping paper, ribbon or washi tape. By putting it on an unused wall in a small room, it prevents them from getting damaged or lost, and is a colorful addition to your wall decor. For those small items like buttons and pins, look to common kitchen storage, like spice racks to give everything it's perfectly labeled place. For more tips, see Triple The Scraps for how you can create your spice rack into useful storage.

Office Supply Storage

A home office should be a place of focus and productivity and loose papers can be its biggest enemy.  One of the keys in small space storage is to utilize wall space. This is especially true in a home office. Create a file system for mail, documents and other school papers using cubby shelving and hanging vertical files. There are many stylish ones available and they keep papers from cluttering the desk or areas around it.

Clear the officer supply clutter by using pots or mason jars to store highlighters, pens, paper clips and anything else that may be taking over your desk space. Choose holders in colors and designs you love to help inspire you as you work.

Toy Storage

Cleaning up children's toys can be a never-ending task for a parent. You can make it easier on yourself by finding proper storage spaces where it's easy for children to put away when they are done. Cubbies are a great way to start. Use PVC pipes in different sizes and stack them to create an intriguing place to store toy cars and stuffed animals. Here's an example from Frugal Fun 4 Boys.

For puzzles and other small toys with a few toys, use pencil pouches organized by color. You can store all of these items under a couch or bed and save space in your small room.

Other Clever Storage Ideas

Keep home organization DIY and budget-friendly by recycling items you may not think to use for storage. Before you throw away an empty egg carton, consider using it to store Christmas ornaments or other fragile items.

Old toilet paper rolls can be the perfect thing to clean up the mess of cords in your living room. Add a bit of paint to style them how you'd like and place over wrapped video game or power cords to keep them from tangling.

If keeping tissue paper straight is a challenge, reuse a disposable disinfectant wipe container to gently keep the tissue paper intact and looking great for the next gift you give. Again, you can use some paint if you want to give it a crafty feel by giving the container your own design.

Conclusion

Creating an organized room can make it feel like you have a whole new living space and this is especially true for the small areas of your home. A few simple DIY projects can take your space from drab to fab in a matter of minutes.