Thinking outside the shoe box

Choosing the right containers and organizing products can be frustrating. The best advice is to do your organizing first (sort like things together, purge the things you don’t need, decide where you will be storing your items) and then figure out what containers or other organizing solutions you might need. It is difficult to predict what you are going to need until the organizing has been completed.

Figure out a budget for storage products. Set limits on how much you are going to spend, but remember to shop in your home first. You may discover that you already have some of the storage materials you need. Sometimes a laundry basket or other container you have around the house will do. It is not always necessary to spend a lot of money for storage.

Plastic shoe boxes can be used to store a variety of items. Some are clear, which is helpful to see what is inside of the box. Snacks or candy fit nicely inside them. Jewelry, small toys, art supplies or anything small can be stored in plastic shoe boxes.

Over the door shoe organizers are versatile and do not always have to hold shoes. People store a number of things in them from shampoo, blow dryers and hair clips in the bathroom to snacks in the pantry.

What are you putting in this container? A flimsy container may work nicely for some items, but not heavy ones. Boxes, either freebies from the liquor store or the banker’s boxes you buy at the office supply store, can be excellent for storage. Of course, if you have something you are going to put in a box and toss into a closet, it might not be something you need to keep.

Always measure before you buy anything. Eyeballing the space can cause you grief and you may end up with something that does not fit in the spot you chose for the container.

There are inexpensive semi-clear plastic storage containers with drawers on wheels that are great for storing all sorts of things from office supplies, crafting supplies, toys or clothing. Because the container is on wheels, it is easy to move from place to place.

Hooks and pegs work really well for hanging things. But they are only valuable if your family uses them.

Most people feel like they can never have enough shelving. Whether the shelves are added to a closet or simply put up on a wall, they are excellent storage solutions. Sometimes a combination of containers and shelves can be used if the items are not something that you want sitting out and collecting dust.

However you choose to add storage to your home, the purchase of storage solutions is something that must be carefully considered before you spend any money. After the area has been organized and the storage containers are in place, you will feel much better. You might just discover that you have more room than you imagined.