Of course it's the new year which has me wanting to organize my whole house. I don't know if it's all the new Christmas toys or what, but I just want to have a designated space for everything. It truly does save time and decrease stress when I am organized. So these are just a few small ideas for convenient storage options.
First, a wall pocket right by the changing table. You can make this out of any coordinating fabric scraps that you already have. Use it for binkys, desitin, combs, lotion, whatever. Attach it to the wall with thumb tacks. This will only take a few minutes to throw together and it is basically free.
Second, a diaper stacker. I didn't have one when Grant was little but decided to make one for Preston's diapers. It is so handy. Again, use coordinating fabric, sew the top part (in my case the yellow elephant part) around a child sized hanger for structure, and hang it on a simple hook of any kind. (My black hook is from Ikea for about $1 I think.) Saves surface space on the changing table and keeps the diaper organized. If you can't tell, I'm all about getting things off the floor, off the table, and onto the walls.
Third, a segmented wall pocked for Grant's room. Use this to store anything from matchbox cars, to markers, to socks, or anything in between. I sewed seams in this one to create three seperate spaces.
Fourth, a bathtub toy hanger. Am I the only one stupid enough to buy the little suction cup froggy at walmart that is supposed to hold the bath toys on the wall of the shower? Well those things don't work!! Everytime I stick it to the wall and put the bath toys in it, it crashes to the ground within minutes. I wanted something cheap and something that would actually hold. So I came up with this idea. Buy a small, plastic bin at the dollar store, drill a few small holes in the bottom of it (to let excess water drain out), hang it up on the shower curtain rod with shower hooks (again from the dollar store). Total cost $2, total time 5 minutes.
Fifth, craft stick puzzles for church. Do you ever wonder what to do with old Ensign or Friend magazines? I hate having them hang around the house collecting dust. So, thanks to my sister for this idea, I cut up some pictures from the magazines, mod podged them onto fat craft sticks, and created fun puzzles for the kids to play with at church. Hopefully Grant will like them and they might even keep him from screaming and running up to me on the stand while I'm playing the organ at church. =)
Sixth, Wall-hanging Earring Holder. All my earrings were in a big pile in my jewelry box. I didn't remember what I had and I probably couldn't find the match quickly if I was in a hurry. So I created something to display and organize my earrings (and it doesn't sit on my dresser). All you need is a large splatter screen, lace, hot glue, and ribbon of your choice. (All three items in the pic were from the $ store.) Cover the metal mesh with the lace. Cover the outside metal ring with ribbon. Disguise the handle in some decorative manor and utilize the small hole in the handle to hang it from a nail. Total Cost: $3 (it'll be less if you already have lace and ribbon hanging around). Total Time: 40 min.
Enjoy these ideas and feel free to copy any of them. Let me know how your organizing is going.
