Monday, April 2, 2012

Organization Tip: “Intended Purpose” is Just a Suggestion

I don’t recommend using your iron to make grilled cheese sandwiches, but do keep an open mind about uses for things.  Sometimes using an item for the “wrong” purpose is the perfect solution to an organizing problem.

The intended purpose of ice trays is to make ice, but they also make excellent organizers for jewelry.  They work especially well side-by-side in a shallow drawer, or you can stack them.

Here's another jewelry storage idea.  A mesh letter tray hung on the wall will hold a LOT of earrings.  This one came from Dollar Tree and cost - you guessed it! - just $1.



There are all kinds of shoe organizers on the market.  Too bad they're less than useful for sizable goth footwear such as Demonia platform heels or New Rock boots.  I use two sizes of wire stacking shelves for my shoes.  ClosetMaid vertical organizers are perfect for boots.

Perversely, I’ve used an IKEA shoe rack to hold towels because it was shallow enough to fit the small bathroom space.

How about an Estee Lauder faux crocodile makeup bag...very posh. ;) I bought it new at a thrift store for $3.

It makes a luxurious home for my spools of ribbon.


What kinds of creative storage are you using?

28 comments:

  1. Those are all great ideas! Hrmm, I use a tackle box for make-up, but I think Kaboodles marketed that idea ;) Hehehhee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They did indeed. :) I got one of the original pink Caboodles as a birthday gift in 1987 and was still using it in college. No better solution when you have to carry all your makeup around.

      Delete
  2. The mesh tray..... genius.

    I'm famous for going into Home Depot and asking where to locate XYZ object by describing the object, as I never know what it's actually called. I am then asked "What is it used for?" Hell, I don't know. I can tell you what I plan to use it for... jerryrigging something together. Intended purpose? Not a clue.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Home Depot is THE place to get thingamabobs for which you have a creative plan. :)

      Delete
  3. I like the idea to sort the shoes, I think I'm going to copy it.

    They're fantastic ideas!!!!!!

    Greetings.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You sure are a super organizer! Clever ideas all of them! The ice boxes are so nice. I have my jewellery in little boxes but I always have to seek around a while before I find the one I want

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm slightly obsessed with organization. :) I especially like systems that allow you to see many options at once, like the ice cube trays.

      Delete
  5. I use diaphanous screws box for my jewelry components and stuffs x) ...
    I also use some old bottles for my beads, and sometimes empity C-vitamin boxes for my half-finished jewels and the components I want to use also.
    But these ice trays really inspired me :) !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, bottles and jars are great because you can easily see what's inside. Spice racks with their multitude of little jars are perfect for beads and jewelry bits.

      Delete
  6. The mesh tray idea is excellent! I might try that myself, as my collection of spider earrings is getting slightly out of control.

    Whenever my hubby goes to a thrift store or flea market, he picks up cigar boxes, which I then stuff with sewing supplies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Must corral those spiders! ;)

      Mmmm... boxes. :D I love boxes. I can't resist when I find them at thrift stores. I have more decorated boxes than I have stuff to put in them.

      Delete
  7. Well, now I feel stupid for recently spending $20 on flocked jewelry organizer trays to store my earrings. They do look quite a lot like ice cube trays, now that you mention it... And I just stuck them in a dresser drawer where they can't even be seen. Duh! *sigh*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, no, don't feel stupid. :( With automatic ice makers almost ubiquitous now, ice cube trays aren't exactly top of mind for most people.

      Delete
  8. Ice cube trays... fantastic!

    I have a trouser/pant hanger which should hold four pairs, instead I have it holding all my neck scarfs, I can get several on one poll, all neatly in my wardrobe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good solution! Scarfs and belts can be difficult to organize.

      Delete
  9. Great ideas! I have a beautiful old black metal trunk, which in the last century was used for storing blankets... it now holds my enormous artificial Xmas tree 11 months of the year!

    E.J.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love old or antique-style trunks. They are super useful and have a lot more personality than a cardboard box.

      Delete
  10. I use old makeup cases, like the ones you see durring the holidays filled with assorted makeup, to organize all my beads and other jewelery making components. Great idea to use icecube trays, I've been looking for a new way to store my earings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some of those holiday makeup sets have fantastic packaging... in fact, sometimes the packaging is better than the makeup. :)

      Delete
  11. I hang my earrings on a purple jumper, that my Mum knitted, for my sister when she was a baby. :)

    I also have a "small table bin" wich was a cocoa powder can, before I've painted it black.

    I like the ice tray idea, too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am LOVING some of these ideas. I have used ropes hung from the hanger-bar in my coat closet to store my ribbon spools, but that doesn't keep them *entirely* dust-free, and it also takes up valuable closet space. I have also used organza ribbon to store earrings, but then what to do with it? You can hang it in the closet, but then you have the same closet space issue.

    I wound up rolling the ribbons carefully in my jewelry box and then I forgot all about my rolled up earrings over time. I could easily see a row of mesh tray dividers on the wall at the back of my closet. Thanks for the great suggestion.

    Also, is that picture from Convergence 12 in New Orleans circa 2006?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I like having everything put away tidily, but that can make it easy to forget what you have. The ribbon box has worked well; I'm thinking about a small suitcase for my 50- and 100-yard spools of lace and trim, which are awkward to stack.

      The picture is indeed from C12.

      Delete
  13. well atm my hanging earrings and some of my necklaces are on a metal-christmas tree XD it fit perfectly on the bathroom wall cupboard :-P
    thats all i guess...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good idea... and a bit like year-round Christmas. :)

      Delete
  14. I once made my own shelf for my hoodoo occult oils -- I just stuck a bunch of cardboard boxes together then papier mache'd them. It was designed like a staircase, with the idea being that I would be able to read all the labels on the bottles and not have to pull things out.
    I also use old tea boxes with the lids cut off to store other oils.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ice cube trays are genius. I'm definitely doing that.
    .

    ReplyDelete