Tuesday Tips-Make life easier (and cheaper)!
You may have read my post here about re-using materials you already have to organize your home. Today I’ve got more ideas for recycled organization.
Sure you can spend money for things that look a little better, but if the budget’s tight, why not save that money for something else?
Cereal Boxes-Take advantage of the extra space in your kitchen drawers by storing small items in the bottom part of a cereal box.
Icing Containers-Store makeup brushes or toothbrushes in a recycled icing container.
Tissue Boxes-Use a recycled tissue box to store your plastic shopping bags.
I use these as trash liners in my bathroom so I don’t have to clean the trash can.
Do you use any recycled materials for organizing? Leave a comment. 🙂
You May Also Enjoy:
We make cereal boxes into school paper holders & use glass jars to organize art supplies.
Love all of the great ideas!
I use toilet paper rolls to keep my tongs closed in my kitchen drawer.
I just slip the roll over the tongs.it saves a lot of space
I use empty butter or cool whip dishes with lids as sewing sorters. Spools of thread in one, bobbins in one, elastic and trim in one, buttons in one, etc. Painted, they stack up really cute on the sewing desk because of their odd sizes.
You can also pain them funky colors and use them to sort girls’ hair accessories and makeup items like lip glosses and eyeshadows.
I like it!
I don’t know if this will be a clear description but you know those wooden crates that tangerines come in during the winter months? Well I use those to hold my spice bottles because my top shelves of my spice cupboard are just impossible to get into without standing on a chair.. and even then I can’t see very well. So this way I can pull out a crate and see every bottle, then slide the whole crate back in.
I also use empty diaper boxes for all sorts of storage, and a friend of mine actually went so far as to glue fabric to the outside so they look all coordinated and like professional storage solutions. (i.e. those expensive canvas bins)
Oh, and I don’t know if this is really recycled/upcycled but I bought wreath hooks/hangers that go over doors? Well I bought them after Christmas for 10cents each and I use them in the bathroom for towel hooks, and on every closet door for jackets, etc.
Another thing is those plastic parmesan cheese shakers? Well I use those empty jars for various things. Legos, q-tips for travel, crafty things, crayons for in the car, etc. I also recycled one of those flavored coffee creamer bottles and have used it over and over again making my own homemade flavored coffee creamer with it.
We use cereal boxes as magazine holders for the kids rooms. We cover with contact paper or my 12 yo daughter uses wacky duct tape that she’s bought with money saved in ‘spending envelope’.
Plastic peanut butter jars with lids are for Legos when running errands. Egg cartons for the marbles in my sons desk and barretts in daughters bathroom drawer.
Thanks for the tissue box idea, I’m going to try it with an paper oatmeal tub and cut a hole in the plastic lid.
That oatmeal tub sounds like the perfect thing. Thanks for all the great ideas Shela. 🙂
I “upcycle” those tiny zip locks that come attached to garments with extra buttons inside to store earrings so that pairs don’t get separated. I use empty spice containers to keep glitter and confetti for my daughter’s art supplies (see here http://corynscatclub.blogspot.com/2012/06/crafty-organization.html) and I’ve found so many uses for the various glass jars that food products come in that I’m never throwing one of those away again.
I’ve never used cereal box bottoms as drawer dividers (though I now plan to!) but I have used the bottom half of lidded plastic containers like strawberry bins, the plastic snack bins from Trader Joe’s etc. I sometimes use binder clips to secure together these little drawer dividers so they don’t slide around in the drawer (if there’s empty space without dividers present).
I save pill bottles and use them for corralling small items. I have one in my kitchen “junk drawer,” for example, that holds rubber bands that I use for securing opened bags of food. I also have several that hold my daughter’s tiny doll accessories (like Polly Pockets). This has the added advantage that she can’t open them and scatter the tiny accessories all over the house where they will get lost or eaten by my baby son.
I stuff my underwear in tissue boxes so I don’t have to fold them. I’m obsessive about folding everything else so perfectly, but it’s refreshing to have one item I can just shove in a box in my drawer. 🙂
Oh, and one more thing. I save the plastic bags that things like sheets and baby onesies come in. They have either a zipper or snap at the top. They’re more durable than disposable zip-top kitchen bags. I use these bags for corralling various things that I don’t want loose in a cabinet, like the accessories to my food processor, toiletries, etc.
I’ve never used cereal box bottoms as drawer dividers (though I now plan to!) but I have used the bottom half of lidded plastic containers like strawberry bins, the plastic snack bins from Trader Joe’s etc. I sometimes use binder clips to secure together these little drawer dividers so they don’t slide around in the drawer (if there’s empty space without dividers present).
I save pill bottles and use them for corralling small items. I have one in my kitchen “junk drawer,” for example, that holds rubber bands that I use for securing opened bags of food. I also have several that hold my daughter’s tiny doll accessories (like Polly Pockets). This has the added advantage that she can’t open them and scatter the tiny accessories all over the house where they will get lost or eaten by my baby son.
I stuff my underwear in tissue boxes so I don’t have to fold them. I’m obsessive about folding everything else so perfectly, but it’s refreshing to have one item I can just shove in a box in my drawer. 🙂
I recently started using a mason jar for our toothbrushes. Our old toothbrush holder was a color I didn’t like anymore and the holes were too small for our toothbrushes anyways.
I really like that tissue box idea! I do the same thing for bathroom trash liners. But now I have to buy a box of tissues.
LOL Emily!
I tried your idea of using a toilet paper tube to corral my hot rollers cord and it works beautifully. Thanks! I got “free” shallow boxes from Costco and used them to organize my pantry shelves. White, wire shelving causes items to lean over or fall through. The boxes keep everything on a level surface and nicely organized.
Love the idea about the icing container. I was just looking at it and it would look really cool w/ some scrapbook paper around it- designer brush holder. Thanks for the inspiration!
That would look great Jennifer–thanks for the idea.
the bottom part of “velvetta” boxes make awesome drawer organizers. have used them for years.