Some simple storage secrets

This past holiday season, some of my favorite gifts were actually the ones I got for myself: matching fabric storage bins. Our playroom has several built-in shelves that until now served as a messy dumping ground for kid items that we didn’t want them to have easy access to. These included board games, scrapbooks of their artwork, crafting supplies and Play-Doh. Immediately after getting my storage bins, I started reorganizing. I moved board games to a closed cabinet and purged items I knew we would never use again.

I cleared out the shelves and placed the bins in the empty spots. I filled some of the bins with the crafting supplies, scrapbooks and Play-Doh, but, to my surprise, I was able to fit everything into just three bins. This left me with several empty bins and seemingly nothing to put into them. I started scouring the Internet and chatting with friends for more ideas. If you have fabric storage bins at home, consider some of these tips:

STACK ‘EM

Not all fabric bins are stackable. Many are made to be used on their own or within perfectly sized cubbies. However, some come with hard lids that allow you to stack one atop another. If you have numerous small items, smaller bins will allow you to find your items easier than sifting through to the bottom of a larger one. Stacking them gives you the option to store the same amount as one large bin, in the same amount of space.

KEEP THEM BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Even though many fabric bins are decorative, that does not mean you can only use them on display. Bins in cabinets offer the same organizational benefits as those out in the open. Use them underneath the bathroom and kitchen sinks to organize cleaning products, towels, toilet paper and the like.

HOLD ON

I placed several bins up high that are a little more difficult to reach. Here is where I will store items we use infrequently but cannot seem to toss just yet like DVDs, cable cords, loose photos and digital storage drives.

ROTATE

Last week, I mentioned that I planned to store the majority of my kids’ toys and keep only about one third of them out and available for play. I will rotate them about once every couple of months. In the meantime, the storage bins will hide their contents and keep them out of reach. If you don’t have toys, you can apply this same methodology to other items you would like to keep on rotation, like photos to display on your walls, kitchen towels or other décor.

Have a comment or question for Joanne? Email thefixisinhawaii@gmail.com.