You’ve finally pared down, gotten rid of the junk and unwanted items, and now you want to find the perfect solution for storing your stuff. This is the fun part! How you store and contain your stuff can be the difference between a good organization system and piles collecting in the blink of an eye. When you don’t have the proper size container or your stuff is not accessible when you need it, all the work you put into organizing can quickly return to a cluttered mess. Some tips for storing your stuff:
Break It Down
– When people organize on their own (without the help of a professional), they know how to sort and separate, but often they think too broadly. For example, kids toys get grouped into dress-up, cars, stuffed animals, dolls, etc. That’s a nice start, but if the quantity of those items is large bin or container, it can easily become a bottomless pit of disorganized chaos. You’re better off creating smaller containers divided into dress-up/dress-up accessories/hats/purses, or big cars/small cars, or dolls/doll clothes/doll accessories. Your kids will be able to find what they need as well as easily put things away.
Let The Container Define the Quantity
– Short on space? Rather than shoving things into a drawer or packing items into a bin, establish a reasonable amount of an item based on the size of the container you’re using. For example, you’ve got more t-shirts than one drawer can possibly handle. Pare them down so once folded (and the KonMari folding method will let you have even more) they all fit comfortably in the drawer. Once you bring in new item, something will have to go out in order for you to maintain equilibrium.
Cherish Open & Empty Space
– A half filled drawer or a table with nothing on it, is not a bad thing. I recently helped a 7 year old girl organize her clothes and toys. Once we were done, she opened her dresser drawer, saw an empty space and said, “What goes there?”, “It’s weird that’s nothing is there!” I reassured her that eventually she might fill the space, but for now less was more. Not every space or container in your home needs to be filled.
What’s The Best Home
– Think about where a particular item should really live. If you don’t use it that often can it be placed on a high shelf or in your garage? If it’s something you use often, where should it be stored so you’ll see it and use it? Is it easier accessed in a drawer or in a container on a shelf? Should the container have a lid or should you leave it off for easier access. Ask yourself some of these questions before randomly shoving a group of like items into a drawer or container.
Image Credit: The Container Store