Crafty Organization Ideas from DIY Queens

Community Manager — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:31:00 GMT

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.

More with Less: Clever Repurposing

Community Manager — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:08:00 GMT

Forget "America's Got Talent." "America's Got Stuff" could be the title of a reality-TV show starring the American people. We buy, store, sort and toss oodles of goods, mountains of things. Even avowed minimalists probably have at least one drawer of useless doodads hidden away somewhere.

Do you have any neglected items cluttering up your home? Rather than tossing, take stock to see if they can be given new life. Clever upcycling, http://bit.ly/NCLurr that is converting useless items into a new use or product, makes smart environmental sense. Plus it saves money. Why empty your wallet and clutter up a landfill by tossing items when they can be put to good use?

Curiously Awesome Repurposing

Would you ever think you could enjoy summer grilling on a barbeque made out of a discarded Altoids tin? Talk about curiously awesome! This clever repurposing idea comes from Inhabit.com, an unparalled resource of upcycling projects. Click here for more great ideas.

We also like the "aha!" ideas from RealSimple.com. In New Uses for Old Things Hall of Fame, you'll find creative ideas such as turning relics such as cassette tape cases into ear bud holders and terrific repurposing notions like using a colander as a party ice-bucket.

Reuse, reduce, recycle: your wallet and the planet will thank you.

Do you have any clever ideas for repurposing old items? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

Beyond Folders : clever ideas

Crafty Organization Ideas from DIY Queens

More with Less: Clever Repurposing