Crafting is incredibly creative and fun. Creating clever ways to store your craft supplies can be just as rewarding. We've rounded up some ingenious DIY storage ideas from a bevy of clever crafters.

 Repurpose Old Furniture: A fresh coat of paint and shelves full of colorful craft supplies can brighten any room. See how this former china hutch now does duty as a craft station.  Remember those bulky TV armoires? Supersize flat screen TVs all but made them obsolete, but resourceful crafters give them new life as storage centers.  Why stop with furniture? This ingenious crafter uses a wine rack to store ribbons,  going from cheers to cheerful!

Recycle Household Goods: Old coffee cans get upgraded to storage containers with pretty paper and attractive labels. For stacked storage, use several dressed up soup cans in a pyramid shape, seen here.  Other trash-to-treasure ideas include repurposing tissue rolls to hold pencils and paint brushes and transforming empty spaghetti sauce jars into ribbon-trimmed glass canisters. Cheap and chic!  We also love using items designed for one purpose, such as a spice rack, for another purpose entirely, such as storing sewing embellishments. 

See Clearly: Clear canisters not only make it easy to organize and find craft supplies, they are a visual treat. No need to spend a fortune on store bought containers, repurpose pantry items like baby food containers seen here or other food jars, decorated with painted lids and whimsical accessories. 

Pegboard: We think pegboard is an organizing wunderkind. See how it a savvy sewer uses it here to store spools of thread, scissors and ribbons. Or attach hanging cups  to capture pens and pencils. We love how this pegboard marries storage and colorful décor.

Hang on!: Short on shelf space? Task hangers with storing goods in oversize ziplock bags, seen here.  Or repurpose pant hangars into ribbon holders. 

Clever Craft Spaces: Crafters, sewers, scrapbookers...your imaginations are limitless. There is no end to your clever storage ideas: we leave you with two we love/ One, a cunning little nook with a hinged drop down desk,  built into the eaves of a home. The other, a tiny vintage suitcase, outfitted to house craft supplies; it's equal parts storage and style. 

Pet lovers, you know there is nothing better in the world then a furry friend. But keeping track of all the kibble and bits, leashes, and assorted pet paperwork (vaccination schedules anyone?) isn't always a walk in the park. Keep a tight leash on pet needs with our round up of tips.

Pet Products: Nothing beats pegboard for organizing odds and ends. Create a dedicated board for your pet supplies inside a coat closet door or on a wall in your mudroom and never misplace a leash or pet brush again. Add a hanging organizer with clear front pockets to capture supplies such as vitamins, shampoos and chew toys.

Pet Station: Consider creating a designated pet station for your four-legged friends that houses both food and water bowls. Pinterest has a number of smart ideas for organizing the pets in your life. Turns out furry friends and high-style interior design can mix rather well. Click here to get inspired.

Pet Purging: Do you really need that ratty chew toy or shredded scratching post? Just as you purge your home of unwanted and unused people items, pet gear requires purging too. Did Fido get a new chew toy? Commit to tossing its beat up counterpart. Is your puppy crate no longer needed? Find it a new home with a neighbor or by checking with your local Humane Society.  Many chapters accept unneeded pet gear and extra food when finicky pets (we're talking about you Meowsers!) reject a new brand.

Pet Paperwork: Four-legged friends generate almost as much paperwork as their human counterparts. Stay on top of important vaccination schedules and health records with regular filing. Store pet health records with your family's health files so all critical health records are in the same spot. Also, keep a file handy for coupons for pet food, kitty litter and shampoos. Ditto information on groomers and pet boarding. Want a paperless pet? Enlist your smartphone or tablet to help track kitty's appointments and dietary needs with apps like MyPetsPro  and PetVetRecords. 

Pet Sitters: If a dog-walker or regular weekend pet sitter is part of your life, use a pet crib sheet that provides a seamless information exchange. You can use this free, downloadable sheet from Microsoft  or the stylish sheets from Etsy designers here, here and here.

Finally, if your furry (and feathery) friends are as quick to shed as they are to snuggle, a vacuum cleaner is a necessity. Opt for one built to tackle animal fur like the models listed in 5 Best Vacuums for Pet Hair. 

If dialing for delivery is far preferable to facing your disorganized pantry come dinnertime, it's time to organize for a culinary reboot. With just a few simple steps, you will be back to dishing up home cooked meals.

Clean Slate: Pull all your boxes, cans and spices off the shelves. Dust and scrub until your space is clean and appealing. Toss all items with expired dates and that you just don't use.

See Clearly: Face all your labels out so you can easily see what's on the shelves. This helps prevent the all too common phenomenon of buying groceries you already have. It also makes it easier and less frustrating to find needed ingredients.

Group Think: Savvy chefs group like items together, either by categories, such as pastas, soups, dried beans, or by cuisines, such as Asian or Latin American ingredients. Think about what system makes the most sense given your own needs and explain it to your family so you can work together to keep order in the pantry.

Pare Down: Consider paring your pantry down to the bare essentials. Do you really need 40 spices? You may only use a dozen or so regularly.  Consider storing less frequently used items elsewhere so that your pantry just houses items you cook with daily. Keep a typed list of stored items inside your pantry door so you know what (and where!) less frequently used items are stored.

Buy Smarter: You know the drill, buy better quality items, but fewer of each. Use this same approach in your pantry. Do you really need five mustards, nine different shapes of pasta? Identify what you love and buy it in the best quality you can afford.  And while you're at it: invest in top quality clear containers so you can decant pastas, spices, flours, and dried beans. When you can find it, you can cook it!

We're mid-way through winter so odds are good your coat closet is a mess of bulky items and mismatched gloves. What's that you say? You can't find your hat? We feel your pain (and your possible frostbite.) Read on for tips for whipping your closet back into shape for the rest of the wintery season.

Out with the Unused: Closets turn into catchalls quicker than snowflakes melt on a tongue. Identify unused and unneeded items by emptying your closet-yup, we're starting with a blank slate-and put back only those items that truly belong.

Saying Goodbye: Gather unworn clothes and paraphernalia into groups: one to donate, one to pass along to friends and another to trash. Be sure to keep receipts for any items donated to charity.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow:  Having trouble saying good-bye? Ask yourself three questions: Does it fit? Do I wear/use it? Do I love it? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the item needs to go. Consider working with a trusted friend and their unbiased eye to evaluate your belongings.

Color Code: Once your closet is edited to include only clothes and gear that are seasonally appropriate, it's time to color code items by family member.  Assign each member a color that corresponds to hooks, bins and whatever other tools you use. Color coding helps assign items a designated home and makes it easy for even the youngest family member to neatly stow away their belongings.

Tame Odds & Ends: Don't let scarves and other cold weather accessories overrun your closest. Maximize the space on the inside of a closet door to hang small, frequently used items. Use clothes pins to clamp gloves and mitten together so one doesn't go missing.

Neat & Tidy: Once your closet is shipshape, maintain order by arranging all hangers in the same direction and by storing items requiring folding, draped over hangers rather than in sloppy piles. Keep a small trash can to corral dry-cleaning bags and wire hangers. You may also wish to invest in a plastic or metal shoe tray to capture wet boots near your entrance.

Dear Dieting Resolution: 

It was fun while it lasted. 

Sincerely, the End of January

Ah, dieting; you always start strong but somewhere near the end of the month, your resolve starts to fail you. This year, stay strong with a host of electronic tools that will keep your weight loss resolution on track.

Women's Health Magazine: Best Apps for Weight Loss:  This useful article features three weight loss apps and makes the case that their real time feedback helps you make smart food choices. Plus, when you track what you eat, it's difficult to lie to yourself or overlook indulgences.  The proof is in the pudding!

Shape Magazine: The Best Free Apps to Help You Lose Weight:  Weight loss is not just about diet, exercise is a must as well. Shape Magazine rounds up 10 must-have exercise and diet apps that will have you fit as a fiddle (and with a smaller middle!) in no time flat.

Finally, what good are all these weight loss apps if your diet is easily derailed by the office pastry platter? For healthy office snacks, that keep your engine humming and your diet on track, read our past post Healthy Office Eats. Yup, It's Possible.

Multitasking gets a bad rap: sometimes doing two things at the same time makes perfect sense. Take organizing; when you streamline and edit your belongings down to the things you truly use and value, you create the opportunity to donate unwanted items to those who might better use them. Think of it as purging for a cause.

Take a look around your home. Have stacks of unread newspapers? Turns out the ASPCA can use shredded newspapers for animals' cages. Outgrown clothes? Dozens of organizations will happily take them off your hands. The same applies to unneeded cars, unneeded sports gear and even books and toys.

If charitable giving is on your mind in 2013, we've rounded up a list of organizations that would love the coat off your back (or those toys off your floor!).

Household Items

Goodwill 

Mission: Helps people with barriers to employment learn job skills.

Donations Accepted: Clothing, electronics, appliances, furniture, and more.

Salvation Army 

Mission: Community programs, homeless services, rehabilitation, disaster relief.
Donations Accepted: Clothing, furniture, household goods, sporting equipment, books, electronics, and more

Vietnam Veterans of America 

Mission: Provides aid to Vietnam-era veterans and their families.
Donations Accepted: Clothing, baby items, house wares, electronics, small appliances, tools, and other items.

Volunteers of America 

Mission: Supports individuals struggling with challenges such as at-risk youth; the frail elderly; men and women returning from prison; homeless individuals and families; people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions.
Donations Accepted: Clothing, furniture, toys, and household goods for their thrift stores.

Dress for Success 

Mission: Provides interview suits and career development advice to low-income women in over 75 cities worldwide.
Donations Accepted: Women's business suits and other professional apparel, footwear, and accessories.

Career Gear 

Mission: Provides low income job-seeking men with training, career counseling, interviews, and professional clothing.
Donations Accepted: Men's suits, dress shirts, ties, shoes, briefcases, and other interview-appropriate clothing.

Soles4Souls 

Mission: Distributes shoes to people in need in over 125 countries.
Donations Accepted: All types of new or gently-worn shoes: athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats, dance, and flip flops.

Stuffed Animals & Toys

SAFE (Stuffed Animals for Emergencies) 

Mission: Collects items for children in emotional, traumatic, or stressful situations such as natural and manmade disasters.
Donations Accepted: New or gently-used stuffed animals.

Ronald McDonald House

Mission: Provides a "home-away-from-home" for families with hospitalized children.
Donations Accepted: New toys, food, and household products.

Electronics

World Computer Exchange 

Mission: Provides used computers and technology to schools, libraries, community centers & universities in developing countries.
Donations Accepted: Computers, laptops, printers, hard drives, peripherals, software, and more.

Cell Phones for Soldiers 

Mission:  Recycles cell phones for money to purchase calling cards for troops.
Donations Accepted: Used cell phones.

Cars

Kars for Kids

Mission: National organization addressing the educational, emotional and spiritual needs of Jewish children and their families.

Donations Accepted: All types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, SUVs, motor homes, boats, airplanes, farm equipment, and construction equipment.

Habitat for Humanity Cars for Homes 

Mission: Builds and rehabilitates houses for families in need.
Donations Accepted: Cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and construction equipment.

American Diabetes Association 

Mission: The prevention and cure of diabetes.
Donations Accepted: Cars, trucks, trailers, boats, and RVs.

National Kidney Foundation Kidney Cars

Mission: Funds programs and medical research to prevent and treat kidney disease.
Donations Accepted: Cars, vans, trucks, and boats.

Nothing derails the fun of a snowy, winter day faster than a missing mitten. And arriving at the mountain with one ski pole instead of two? Big bummer. Take time to organize yourself for maximum winter fun. 

Winter Staples: Cold winter weather means wintry ailments like the flu, chapped lips and runny noses. Stock up essentials like chapsticks and tissues online. And be sure to stockpile necessary meds such as fever reducers, sore throat lozenges and cough syrups before illness strikes; dragging your feverish self to the pharmacy is never fun. Consider purchasing travel sizes of chapsticks, hand cream and tissues to keep in your hand bags or the car so you're never caught unprotected.

Winter Bag: If your family skies (or ice skates, sleds, etc,) create a designated to-go bag for every member of the family. Store hats, scarves, gloves and ski or skate passes and other must-have items here. Don't forget the sunblock! Sun exposure during skiing and skating can take a toll on unprotected skin. Take time to restock the bag after each use, so when you get an unexpected snowfall, you're ready to hit the slopes, confident that all your needs are close at hand. 

Winter Swap: Makeover your hall closet or mudroom into your winter command central. Swap out the off-season gear and create a caddy that houses tissues, extra gloves, chapsticks, etc. so family members can help themselves. Task hanging sweater organizers or bins with storing rolled up ski pants, hats, gloves, etc.

Winter Wet: Winter means dripping boots and bulky gear. Designate a metal tray to capture wet boots and shoes near your door and use a coat rack protected with outdoor paint for hanging sodden snow suits and accessories to dry. Apartment dwellers may want to place an attractive rattan hamper near the front door to capture wet items.

Winter Savings: Ski trips and skating outings can all add up quickly. Ward off empty-wallet syndrome by clipping coupons and taking advantage of promotions. Designate a small wallet or pouch to keep savings offers close at hand. Your bank account will thank you.

Waning Winter: When the cold weather draws to a close, evaluate what gear and apparel need to be replaced, and stock up on sale items for the following season. If kids will have outgrown items by the following winter, don't store the bulky items during the warmer months. Arrange to pass along the unneeded items to friends or relatives or donate them to charity.

Look, we understand your to-do list is long. Same here. But some things just never seem to get done, right? Time for some gentle prodding: make 2013 the year you add these five simple steps to your usual to-dos. Most only take a few minutes of time to complete. Happy more productive 2013.

Daily: Wake up earlier. This may not go over well with the night owls in the crowd but rising and shining even 15-30 minutes earlier each day will jumpstart your day. More time equals less stress and better organization. You can even use the extra minutes for exercise or other wellness activities such as mediation or journaling.

Weekly: You've got mail!...somewhere. Check your spam folder weekly for emails that have gone astray. And if you have multiple email accounts, do a weekly review to make sure important messages aren't being missed. Finally, take 10 minutes at the end (or beginning) of each week to free up your inbox by clearing out old emails and responding to outstanding items.

Monthly: Max out your 401(k) contributions. Each month countless employees leave money on the table in terms of matching funds from their employers. If a reduced paycheck is daunting, cut costs elsewhere to make up the deficit. There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but free money? Yup, it exists.

Yearly: How's your credit history? If you're like many Americans, you have no idea. Given that identify theft is increasingly on the rise, staying on top of your credit history is critical. Once a year, use the three main credit bureaus--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion--to both monitor and protect your credit. Many experts caution that credit monitoring is just the first step, and advocate signing up for two years of a free credit freeze at each of the three main credit bureaus. With a freeze, no one can look at your credit profile without having you first allow the ban to be lifted. So crooks can't open accounts or buy items under your name.

Extra Credit: Overachievers, we know you love to add a little extra to your routines. How about a thirteenth mortgage payment versus twelve? Did you know that by adding just one extra payment annually, you can shave as much as five years off on your loan?  For homeowners in your fifties, this can mean one less expense during retirement. Now that's golden!

Alphabetized spice rack? Check. Clothing sorted and stored by color? Check. Drawers and medicine cabinets purged of odds and ends? Check and double-check! Face it: You are an über-organizer.

In search of uncharted terrain to organize? Check out this round-up of projects that only an org junkie could love.

Photo Journal: Document 2013 from start to finish with a 365-day photo project. Perfect for new parents or anyone with a passion for detail: take one photo each day of your child, your garden, your yard, or whatever inspires you and share the results on a blog or in a photo book. For inspiration, read Are You Doing a 365 Photo Project? 

Car Star: Do you collect toy cars? Or other small memorabilia? Make a statement by massing your items together for an eye-popping storage meets art display.

Kitchen Aid: Get chart smart with this kitchen cabinet organizer  that doubles as a measuring conversion chart. Now you're cookin'!

Glass Houses: Seeing is not only believing, it's organizing. When you can easily eyeball where things belong, odds are good that items will end up in the right spot. So embrace the glass jar, perfect for decanting cooking supplies and for corralling craft materials. People who live in glass houses...are organized!

Shoe Store: Sure your closet is color-coded but are your shoes stored and organized by photo?  Yeah, now we're talking über-organized! Shoe addicts, meet your dream closet! 

Still at loss for resolutions as January slowly slips away?  Fear not, it's never too late to get going.

We've rounded up some "Jan Plan" inspiration to get you motivated. And if it slides until February? Hey, better late than never....

House Keeping: Give your house the old spit and polish with the January Cure from leading home site Apartment Therapy.  You'll be decluttered and neat and tidy in no time flat.

Weight Loss: Fans of TV show The Biggest Loser  know that fitness guru Jillian Michaels can help you drop pounds. Now, lose weight at home with Michael's 30-Day Shred workout, designed to help users shed 30 pounds in 20 days with a 20-minute daily workout. Lose weight, win a healthier body.

Fitter, Flatter Abs: Anyone can do anything for 30 days, even if it's ab-burning crunches. This 30-day regimen from Women's Health Magazine starts slowly and builds as your endurance grows. Ab-flattening eating strategies are part of the equation. Go for it - your jeans will thank you.

Financial Health: Holiday shopping sprees can do major damage to your budget. If you've racked up whopping credit card bills, or wish you had a better handle on your overall financial health, this 30-step path to financial wellness  is for you.

Volunteer More: Heartbreaking stories about natural and man-made disasters filled our airwaves and newspapers at the end of 2012. If 2013 is the year you want to make a difference in the lives of others, read 30 Ways in 30 Days for inspiration about how you can help Ronald McDonald House or other similar organizations.

Happier Relationships: Would you be willing to spend 21 days to vastly improve your relationships? Gretchen Rubin of the Happiness Project  thinks so and she's crafted a 21-Day Relationship Challenge designed to make your relationships more loving.

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Getting more organized tops many a resolution list. Move from resolution to success story with some organizing inspiration from Pinterest. 

Second Act: Many common household items can do double-duty as storage. Clever organizers use everything from a cheese grater  to vintage cups and saucers  for jewelry storage. How about a DIY drying rack for your laundry room? See how this repurposed ladder does the trick. Or declutter a bathroom or kitchen counter with this shoe rack.  Put your best (organizational) foot forward!

About Face: Tame makeup clutter with these ingenious storage solutions. A magnetic board teamed with beauty products bearing small magnets equals storage magic in this clever DIY.  Or think vertical and hang your tools on a wall in attractive canisters.  We also like this smart idea for sorting makeup brushes.  

Found Space: Think you lack the space for effective organizing? Look up: your ceiling is the fifth wall in any room, task yours with storage duty with these handy organizers.  Other resourceful ideas for finding space where you least expect it, include using peg board to turn empty walls into spaces chock full of storage options. Finally, use the space under window eaves for fun places like a book nook, dreamy shoe storage, or this adorable perch for a pooch. 

Fun Space: We think organizing is fun and after you see these fabulous and funky organizing ideas, we think you'll love it as much as we do. Banish boring shelves with some of these spectacular shelving ideas. How fabulous is this bookshelf man? We also love organizing with color: the links here, here and here show how every family member can be assigned a color for effective organizing meets pretty palette. Even boring papers can be transformed when rainbow hued. See ideas here and here.