Taking Advantage of Storage Bins

The Milk Crate

One of the best and cheapest storage bins available is the ubiquitous milk crate. Inexpensive, sturdy and stackable they are great for everything from magazines to shoes and just about perfect as garage storage bins.

They are not great if you need to keep moisture out or if you are transporting or storing (long term) anything of great value, but they are great for just about everything else. They are also great for heavy items.

A storage bin tip: put you're heavier items into your smaller storage bins (like a milk crate). This will keep you from overfilling storage bins with heavy items and creating a hazard for your back, or that of the sucker helping you move!

Vertical Storage

Don't be afraid to go up, up, up! There are a lot of options if you start thinking about vertical living. Maximize upper shelving with baskets and bins that can hold small items like hats, scarves, games and toys. Consider a ceiling high shelf (about 8 inches from the ceiling) in your kitchen or living room for bowls, knick knacks or canisters.

Look for wall mounted storage solutions for your spices, dishes and even your silverware! Check out media solutions that take your CD's to a new art form by slyly holding them on a wall that doesn't take up floor space. The possibilities are endless if you just think up!

Think Out of the Box and Out of the Closet

All too often we are willing to stick with the status quo. Take your closet for instance. Do you have a front hall closet or a linen closet that you consistently cram stuff into and shut the door with your eyes closed? Are you thinking the only solutions or storage units will be too expensive for you to afford? Don't be so closed minded!

First make sure you have gotten rid of all the old clothes you don't really need and then figure out what you really need to use the space for.

• Maybe its time to split your closet between shelving and a clothing rod?
• Maybe you have wall art to store and you need several long, tall and deep compartments in which to slide your artwork?
• Maybe you need a series of pegs or a series of shelves and bins to hold art supplies and smocks?

Check out your local hardware store for inexpensive shelving options and implement! It will be worth far more than the small investment in supplies.

Home Work Shop Organization

Have your tools gotten away from you? Do you have ten DIY projects going at once because you can't find your needle nosed pliers or precision flat head screwdriver?

What you need is to get organized with a proper work bench and supply area. To begin with, you need a proper work bench made with heavy duty wood or steel. It should have a perforated backer board area and plenty of shelving.

Depending on what kind of project and materials you keep in your workshop, you may want a cabinet as well. By having proper storage you can hold your tools in separate areas and you can create storage areas for items like nails, screws and other bulk utility items. A great storage tip: take a 2 x 4 plank and ten pickle jars. Unscrew the lids and attach the lids to the 2x4. Mount the plank on the wall and screw the jars into the lids. You now have storage for any number of small tool parts.

Storing Your Shoes

If you have a bunch of people coming in and out of your home, shoes may be an issue. If you like people to take them off when they come in the house, do they pile up at the front door?

If you need a place to stow the household footwear, how about a shoe storage bin and a bench for the front door combined?

Storage for footwear and outerwear is a valuable commodity and if you find the right piece of furniture you will have created a welcoming place for your family and guests and created a terrific home organization area to boot.

Kid's Storage Bins

Toy storage is the bane of many a parents existence. Unless you have a dedicated playroom, toys can quickly get out of control so the key to organization is kid's storage bins.

If you have a storage wall unit, your best bet may be baskets or bins as drawers in your wall storage unit. By putting the kid's bins on the lower levels, you give them access to their toys and room to put them away. They also disappear into the decor if you plan correctly and then when the kids are up, the room is theirs, but when they are away from the room it can be reclaimed by the adults.

The other great thing about dedicated storage bins is that when they outgrow the storage space, you know you need to clear out the toys they no longer play with!

Using Wall Storage

In your basement, you don't have to worry so much about attractive storage options, so feel free to use perforated backer board at will. This is the board that you can mount on your wall and has many little holes in it. You can use hooks and hang hand tools and other useful items. This is a great application of vertical space.

If you want to use this concept in the kitchen, consider using stainless steel mesh or a grate. Mount this on a kitchen wall and use hooks to hang utensils, pots, pot holders and aprons from the wall. The stainless steel will give a great clean and modern look and you'll use vertical space to your best advantage. This and a ceiling mounted pot rack will go a long way in a small kitchen.

Storage Racks 101

Storage racks can make a huge difference in your overall home organization. Although not ideal for smaller items, they can work especially well in your garage, utility areas, bathrooms and kitchens and you have tons of options.

When you are looking at storage racks, or at reorganizing your home, make sure you don't shop backwards. Meaning, don't choose the rack and then figure out where it goes, look at what you have and find the right rack. You are going to have various sizes, materials and general purposes from which to choose and it can get overwhelming quickly. Get your measurements and needs in alignment first and then shop 'till you drop!

The Joy of Storage Bins

If you have a lot of your childhood treasures and you need to store them securely, don't depend on a cardboard box or a trash bag in your basement. Stackable rubber tubs with lids are really the way to go. Not only are they portable, they will keep your treasures safe from moisture and any basement flooding that may occur.

A tub storage bin tip: don't just toss stuff into your bins - organize the contents by year or type of item and label your bins. Make sure you label them on the front or on one side and uniformly - this will allow you to assess the bins and what is in which bin if you need to access stuff later. Don't be afraid to label the rough weight of the bins either (light/heavy/super heavy) as warning!

Using Your Dresser

Are you making the most of your drawer space?

Here's an example - check out the width and depth of your drawers. Cut two or three pieces of cardboard that are equal to the space in your drawer (length and width). Fold all of your shirts using those cardboard guides so your shirts actually use all of the length and depth of your dresser drawers.

Try this with one drawer and see how many more shirts you can fit in that drawer! Duplicate the process with other clothes in your drawer and you'll be amazed at how much space you suddenly have!

Wine Racks - They Can Grow With You

Are you a junior sommelier? Have an avid wine drinker in the house? If that's the case, you know you need the right wine rack.

If you are just starting out, you may just want a small wine rack, but if you like wine, go with something that can be expanded! Stackable modular wine racks are the answer for you because as your collection grows, so must your wine rack.

The racks may work well in the basement or in your kitchen depending on your space concerns. Make sure you choose a wine rack that is reinforced with metal - it needs to be able to hold the weight of your collection!

Using a Wood Rack

A lot of people have converted to gas fireplaces, but if you still burn wood, you need to store it to keep it dry and usable. Lots of people end up with a wood pile in the back yard and a tarp over the top, but that isn't the most efficient wood storage method. Additionally, if you have the wood up against your home you are basically issuing an invitation to termites and carpenter ants.

Now you can get specially designed wood storage racks that keep wood off the ground and that are made of metal designed not to rust and to weather winter. They also come with specially designed covers to keep the wet off your wood.

Food Storage Bins