Storage Ideas

 I know everyone has seen using stacked old suitcases for storage, that is nothing new.

 What I like about this photo is that they have used these to store photos or special mementos from wedding, vacation, or a special event and added decorative labels to each suitcase. It would be so handy to do this because how many times do photo books get shoved in the back of a book shelf and you forget about them? Or vacation mementos get stored in the "Scrapbook to do" box but that box turns into their permanent home. Before you know it that box is full of scrapbook supplies, ideas and is just a big mess!

These would also be out in the open so you wouldn't forget about them. Reminiscing with your loved ones and kids would be so much easier because memories would be very easy to find and pull out to look at. I have recently found some old photos in my shed and am not sure how they made it out there. I wish they had been in the house protected from elements and bugs. It would be even greater if they had been in house, labeled and easy to find!

I find these jars so handy. My mom first made one for a friend as a toothbrush holder in a country-chic style bathroom. After that I started thinking of all sorts of uses for them around the house. The chicken wire helps hold items like paintbrushes, tooth brushes and colored pencils. A similar storage option, painted cans, are helpful for storing craft items like buttons, clothespins, pens, pencils, wooden kitchen spoons, etc.

I wanted a very small drawer on top of the bedside table to store small items like lip balm and  eye drops in.  I ended up using a wooden book box I found at a craft store and painted it black to match the base that the lamp sits on. it was an inexpensive fix and creates a little bit of hidden storage.

I love finding new uses for items I already have. I use vintage toast racks to hold greeting cards. It's always great to have greeting cards on hand and in an organized fashion. You can use a larger toast rack to store them and set it on your desktop or store in a cabinet if you'd like! The yellow toast rack is very small and only meant for two pieces of toast. Use the small holders as decorative touches on your desk. On the 1st of the month I go ahead and pull greeting cards for any occasions in the month ahead and  keep them in the smaller holder. That way I see them everyday on my desk, add my message and get them mailed out. The vintage toast racks come in may different styles and variety which is great because you can match them to your decor. The bottom picture is a vintage heavy brass toast rack, it can hold a lot if I need it to!

If you have any unique storage ideas, let me know! Every home can be organized in a lovely decorative way, sometimes with items you already own.