It’s possible . . .
. . . that someone is thinking, “Wow, she’s right. That shelf is a mess. What a bad storage solution.”
The mess on the shelf isn’t actually what I’m talking about.
This ain’t no organizational blog, Lady.
Here’s the deal. Today is Day Three of Snow Week. I wanted to create a look-what-we-did-while-drinking-faux-hot-chocolate-on-our-day-at-home-isn’t-our-mother-the-most-creative kind of moment. I ran across a book that claimed it had project ideas using items you already have.
And if it’s claiming that normal people have these objects, you know I have them.
I flipped through and found an idea to make banks out of coffee cans. And we’ve got plenty of those. Not actually cans, but even cooler, more modern, handled plastic coffee containers.
I’ve started throwing them away. We have so many that I just can’t find uses for them all.
Hubby won’t throw them away. Because they’re cool. So we end up with two or three in the pantry at any given time.
When I decided to make this craft, I remembered that some had been shoved on the top shelf, you know . . . just to get them out of the way. Who knows how long they’d been up there?
I grabbed one, and it was heavy. I opened it. It was full of crayons.
Good crayons.
Crayons like we can never find when we need them, but we know that we must surely own.
The other had paint in it.
The storage solution that doesn't work around here: any bin or bucket that can double as a stepstool for a 3yo who wants to reach something.
There's something to be said for collapsible containers!
Oh boy can I relate to that;).
I have done this soooo many times with crayons. I have four kids and I'm sure that if I opened every opaque container and looked under every piece of furniture in my house, I would find roughly 17,945 crayons.
I'm sure I'm not going to give you any advice that you don't already know.
The coffee containers are great – but only if they are effective. I would say print out a large, easy to see photo of the contents, add words too and use clear packing tape it tape it to the outside of the container.
I found myself having the same trouble until I designated one area (shelving in the laundry room) for art supplies. Once I was used to putting everything in that one spot – it was easier but felt like it still took too long to find just what I needed so I bought clear shoe boxes from the Dollar Tree, put like items together and then labeled labeled labeled. For a $12 investment, the area works great for me now. The biggest reward being able to have fun with my daughter doing projects because I can actually find what I need and not lose momentum before we even get a chance to sit down.
Good luck!
I know this is an older post but I just found your blog about a month ago and am reading through from the beginning using it as inspiration. Anyway, I just thought I could give you another use for those coffee containers. We use them as sick buckets. I have one to keep in the car and one we keep under the bathroom sink. When one of my kids feels nauseous I give them the bucket, it gives me piece of mind to know that even in the middle of the night I won’t have to clean up grossness and it has a lid, so once it’s used it goes in the trash.
That’s actually a great idea!????????????????
Agreed! I also don’t do well with anything round. Square just makes more sense for me.