Organized Closets Archives - Blue i Style

How to Store Luggage and Organize Travel Gear At Home

blueistyle — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:54:00 +0000

I love to travel! Near… far… I’ll go anywhere! And prepping for a trip is half the fun. I enjoy the process of researching and learning about new places as I plan our adventures. The list maker in me even loves to make a great trip prep to do list.

When it came time to actually pack, though… that was the one part of the process I dreaded because my suitcases and travel accessories were a disorganized mess and finding what I needed was a headache. But no longer! I spent an afternoon organizing my luggage and travel gear, and now I can’t wait to pack for my next trip!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something I recommend, you’ll pay the same price, but I may receive a small commission.

Over the years, one trip at a time, I’ve collected a lot of travel gear…

For my first international trip in high school, our teacher chaperones warned of pickpockets in London, so I purchased a thin neck wallet that I could wear under my jacket to keep my passport and money safe.

When I studied abroad in Australia in college, I needed to pack for six months into one bag that I could easily carry on my own anywhere I went, so I bought a large backpacking bag and a lot of compression packing cubes.

For our honeymoon in the Greek Islands, the luggage weight limit on the boats between islands was very restricted, so I purchased a small luggage scale to keep us on track each time we unpacked and repacked for another island hop.

When we went on a safari in South Africa, we took two DSLR cameras and multiple zoom lenses, so we purchased a camera backpack with padded compartments for all of our camera equipment and an great little organizer for all of our cords and cables.

And once we started traveling with kids, we needed car seat travel bags for gate checking the boys’ car seats {my only regret is that we didn’t buy a car seat travel bag with adjustable backpack straps to make lugging it all through the airport a bit easier}.

Traveling organized with the right gear makes a trip much more fun and relaxing. But storing all that luggage and gear at home can be a challenge.

The closet where I keep all of our suitcases and travel accessories had become a mess and it was causing me extra stress each time I packed for a trip, so it was time to find a better way to organize our luggage and travel gear.

WHERE TO STORE YOUR LUGGAGE AT HOME

Luggage is a necessity, but it also takes up a lot of space. The first thing to do when storing luggage at home is to consolidate by packing smaller suitcases inside of larger ones. Think of your luggage as nesting dolls, each with a smaller suitcase or carry-on bag inside. Your duffel bag can go inside of your rolling carry-on, which can go inside of your larger suitcase, as so on.

Once you’ve nested all of your luggage inside of itself, it’s time to find a place to store it. Depending on the space you have available, you might consider storing luggage:

under your bed, if the bed frame is tall enough
on a high shelf in the garage of basement storage room
in a short storage closet under a staircase
in your closet, laying down under you hanging clothes or tucked in that hard to use corner
on the floor of a linen closet with adjustable shelving

When space allows, I find it much more convenient to store your luggage near your bedroom, since this is where you do most of your packing. And since I’m short, I prefer to store my luggage down low rather than up high {Let’s be honest, I’m a bit clumsy and can totally imagine injuring myself the day before my vacation while trying to get luggage down from a high shelf, LOL}.

I’m fortunate to have a small linen closet in the hall just outside of my bedroom, which is an ideal place to store our luggage and travel gear. When we first installed shelving in this closet, we opted a for a system with rails and brackets that allows us to adjust the shelf height.

After packing all of my suitcases inside each other, I stacked everything up on the floor of the closet, and positioned the bottom shelf high enough that I can easily roll the luggage in and out.

HOW TO ORGANIZE TRAVEL GEAR AT HOME

If you are really limited on space, you can take the nesting doll concept one further and store all of your other travel gear inside of your luggage.

For example, you could put your packing cubes and toiletry cases inside of a suitcase, and then you could use each case to hold additional travel accessories, like your international power adapters and converters.

Packing all of your travel gear inside you luggage is a great space saving trick, but it can create a bit of a headache when it comes time to pack. I need different travel accessories for different trips, and rarely use everything at the same time. So for me, storing all my gear in my luggage would mean empty out lots of things that would end up on the floor of the closet during each trip and would leave a mess to clean up when I get home.

If you can spare a bit of shelf space, a better option is to use drawers and baskets to organize all of your travel gear. This makes it quick and easy to grab out just the items you need for a specific trip, and also makes it more convenient for putting everything away when you return from your travels.

My friends over at The Container Store recently asked me to showcase some of the ways to organize with their Like-It Modular Drawers, and I realized these drawers would be perfect for my travel gear. I’ve previously stacked these drawers on the floor in a coat closet, and in the cabinet under my kitchen sink, but I’d never used them on a shelf before.

By combining Like-It Drawers and Like-It Baskets, I was able to create a configuration that perfectly fit the shelf above my luggage.

I sorted all of my travel gear, purged the items I no longer needed, and then I was ready to fill up all the drawers. I used the largest drawer {the Like-It “Tall Wide” size} for all of my packing cubes.

In another drawer {a Like-It “Short Wide” sized drawer}, I added Like-It Modular Drawer Organizers to divide the space and organize all of my smaller travel accessories. This drawer contains my travel-sized toiletries, FAA approved carry-on bottles, international adapters and converters, luggage tags, and miscellaneous items like my luggage scale and travel alarm clock.

A Like-It Short Narrow drawer holds all of my “packable bags.” These bags, that stuff inside of small pouches, are so perfect for traveling because you can pack them in your suitcase without taking up much room, but when you arrive at your destination they unfold into really backpacks and tote bags.

A short Like-It Basket holds the heat resistant pouches for my curling iron / flat iron {so helpful when you need to pack up to leave for an early flight} and my travel towels {I love how quickly they dry after a day at the beach}.

And a Like-It Brick holds my pad of packing lists, which I would be lost without! I also keep a pen and another notebook in this spot, so everything I need is together.

After labeling the drawers, I’m so thrilled with my organized system, and I can’t wait to pack for our next trip!

HOW TO STORE BACKPACKS & LARGE TOTE BAGS

I also needed a way to store my large totes, backpacks, weekender bags. I use these bags frequently carrying supplies to clients homes, for adventures around town with the kids, and packing for quick overnight trips. I need easy access to all these bags, but I just have room for these bulky bags in my clothes closet.

I finally found the perfect solution! I bought two over door bag racks and attached them linen closet door side by side. Each bag rack has 9 hooks along a sturdy nylon strap that hooks to the top and bottom of the door.

After forcing myself to purge some of my bags {why is it so hard to give up pretty things, even if you don’t use them?} I got it down to the bags that I use and love the most and hung them from the hooks. It’s so nice being able to open this door, grab the one I need, and go!

SHOP THIS ORGANIZED CLOSET

SHOP MY FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

The post How to Store Luggage and Organize Travel Gear At Home appeared first on Blue i Style.

Inexpensive Wreath Storage Idea

blueistyle — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Hanging a pretty wreath on the front door is one of the easiest ways to add some seasonal cheer to your front porch, but storing all those holiday wreaths can become a challenge. This is especially true when you have double doors, resulting in two of every wreath.

I speak from experience! I used to just have two Christmas wreaths, but over time, I’ve added to my collection and now also have sets of front door wreaths for spring, fall, Halloween, and more. I used to use wreath storage bags in the garage, but I recently came up with a clever organizing hack that is saving space while keeping my wreaths in great shape.

This post contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something I recommend, you’ll pay the same price, but I may receive a small commission.

Wreath storage bags are great for keeping the dust off of your wreaths, especially if they are stored in a garage or unfinished storage area. I used storage bags for years, but as my collection of wreaths grew, I found that the bags weren’t protecting some of my more delicate wreaths. I considered switching to solid wreath storage boxes, but purchasing as many as I needed was going to get pricey, and they would take up a lot more room in my garage. Plus, I was also having trouble finding an option big enough for some of my larger wreaths {like my DIY monogram wreath}.

I started considering other options and came up with a creative and inexpensive solution! I recently turned an extra closet in our house into a prop closet {more details on that coming soon}, and I was able to use the wall space on the side of the closet to add wreath storage hangers that hold more than a dozen wreaths.

I purchased some flip up tools holders and Scott installed them on the wall of the closet. The holders only cost about $6 each {they were much cheaper at the hardware store than on Amazon!} and they install quickly with just two screws each {just be sure to use anchors if you don’t hit studs in the wall}.

Each holder is long enough to storage four bulky wreaths, and the shape keeps the wreaths from falling off the end. I love that when they aren’t in use, the holders can flip up and fold flat against the wall.

I offset four of the tool holders in a zig zag pattern down the wall, allowing me to use all of the wall space from floor to ceiling.

Unlike wreath bags I was using previously, hanging the wreaths prevents the feathers and twigs on my more delicate wreaths from getting squished or broken. It can be really hard to find 24 inch and 36 inch wreath holders, but I am able to easily store my over-sized and odd-shaped wreaths from these flip up tool holders.

Of course, you may not have an extra deep closet with adequate wall space to install wreath holders for storage, but these flip up wreath hangers would also be perfect on the wall of a basement storage room or in the garage.

If you are storing wreaths in a space where they are more likely to get dusty or dirty, you could use these flip up wreath storage racks in combination with wreath bags. Use the handles on the wreath storage bags to hang them from a flip up tool holders mounted to the wall to clear up valuable shelf space!

MORE WREATH STORAGE IDEAS

There are lots of other great Christmas wreath storage containers available. I personally prefer the ones that you can see through so that you can quickly find the one you are looking for.

The post Inexpensive Wreath Storage Idea appeared first on Blue i Style.

Closet Clean Out: Donating & Recycling Clothes

blueistyle — Fri, 11 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000

As a mom, it can be tough to take time for yourself. There’s always something to be done for someone else, and in those rare moments that the house is quiet, it’s hard to think of much else other than your never ending to do list and how tired you are! With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to remind ourselves that to be the best moms for our kids, we also have to make our own well-being a priority. Thank you to Hefty® for sponsoring this post, and for helping me to support other moms as well!

Little boys have a lot of energy. I mean, A. LOT. OF. ENERGY. I wanted to be able to keep up with the kids, so last year I committed to getting healthy and a few months ago I met my goal of losing 60 pounds.

I now have a lot more stamina for all the go, go, go, but I also have a lot of clothes that no longer fit. It’s a good problem to have, but my closet was bursting at the seams with both old and new clothes! I decided it was finally time to do something about it!

For the past few months, every time I’ve tried on something that’s now too big, it’s found its way straight to the floor. Not exactly a good solution!

Not only was the mess causing me stress every morning as I tried to climb my way in to find something to wear, I also knew that there were other moms out there that could really use all those clothes!

I picked up a box of Hefty® Ultra Strong trash bags, placed one in my striped clothes hamper to hold it open, and went to work sorting clothes and bagging them up to be donated.

As a work-at-home mom, you’ll find me wearing jeans most days. But before Cooper came along, I used to get a lot more dressed up to head to my office each morning. My attorney wardrobe included many cute blazers and suit jackets that are too big on me now, and I wanted to make sure that all these business clothes would go to good use. I did some research and found a local charity that collects professional attire to help women-in-need prepare for job interviews.

Losing weight and getting healthy makes me feel like an Ultra Strong Mom, both physically and emotionally. I love knowing that the professional clothes I’m donating will help other moms to feel strong and confident as they seek the jobs they need to support their families!

Hefty® celebrates strong moms, who tackle strong messes on a daily basis. The Hefty® Ultra Strong trash bags were the perfect choice for my closet clean up because they feature Triple Action Technology that resists tears and punctures, as well as break resistant grip drawstrings – both very important since I was really packing the bags full of clothes! The bags offer ultra strength at a low price and come in a variety of ARM & HAMMER patented odor neutralizer scents. The subtly lavender and vanilla scented bags I chose made my bathroom smell like a relaxing spa as I worked to sort my clothing donations.

I wanted to make sure that all my donated clothes would go to the charities that could use them best. In addition to the organization that collects professional attire, I also identified another group that collects and distributes coats and jackets to those in need. My casual clothes can go to a thrift store that supports people with developmental disabilities.

Finally, any clothes that are stained or in poor condition can be recycled instead of donated. Some fashion retailers collect clothes to be recycled and even offer a discount in return, making it a win-win when you’re in need of new clothes to replace those being donated and recycled!

Before loading all the bags into my car, I grabbed a scrap of paper and cut it into four strips. Using a black marker, I created some quick labels so I could keep track of which bags needed to be dropped off to which charitable organizations. I punched holes in the tags and quickly strung them onto the drawstrings of the bags.

Taking the time to sort all my clothes and drop them off to different organizations was a little extra work, but it makes me feel so good to know that they’ll be put to the best use and that I’ll be helping other moms in the process.

Throughout my life, I’ve had a wonderful role-model in my own mom, who continues to be the full-time caregiver to my younger sister with special needs. Despite never getting a break from her mom-role, she always makes it a priority to volunteer her time and talents to help others. My mom’s example has always inspired me to do the same, and to pass the tradition of helping others down to my own kids.

I’m always talking to my boys about the importance of volunteering and donating to those in need. Several times each year, I help the boys choose some of their books and toys to donate, so when it came to donating my clothes, I wanted them to see me practicing what I preach. I asked the boys to keep me company while I cleaned out my closet, and I took them with me to drop off all the donations.

Thanks again to Hefty® for sponsoring this post and helping me help other moms! In honor of Mother’s Day, Hefty® is celebrating strong moms everywhere by teaming up with John Cena and his mom Carol Cena. She knows a thing or two about ultra-strength and ultra-savings. You know what they say… Mom always knows best!

I’d love to hear your own #UltraStrongMom story! Leave me a comment here or share it with me on social media.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hefty®. As always, all opinions are my own!

The post Closet Clean Out: Donating & Recycling Clothes appeared first on Blue i Style.

15 Ways to Maximize Storage With Over the Door Organizers

blueistyle — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 17:25:00 +0000

I’ve heard a lot of people advise that you don’t need more storage, you just need less stuff… and while we could all benefit from a good purging session, let’s be honest, sometimes you really do need more storage! Not everyone has the luxury of a spacious pantry, coat closet, or laundry room, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need food, hats and scarves, and clean clothes.

My biggest piece of advice for organizing when you’re short on space is to take advantage of every available nook and cranny, and one of the most commonly overlooked storage spaces is on the back of your closet doors. Don’t let that 21 square feet of prime real estate go to waste!

Here are 15 ways I use back of door organizers to create extra storage space around my own home…

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase something I recommend, you’ll pay the same price, but I may receive a small commission.

COAT CLOSET

Coat closets are notorious for being over-crowded. And it’s no wonder… trying to fit coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots for an entire family into one closet is challenging! Try hanging a shoe bag on the inside of the door. The pockets are perfect for winter hats, rolled up scarves, and gloves. In addition to creating more storage space, an over the door shoe bag makes it easy to quickly see everything and find what you need when you’re in a hurry to get out the door.

I’ve also got a post with my favorite, damage-free way to hang a shoe bag on a door without using the over the door hooks, which is perfect if your doors are extra tall, like mine.

SHOP COAT CLOSET DOOR SOLUTIONS

CLOTHES CLOSET

Next up, let’s talk clothes closets. Both of my boys have fairly small closets, so using the space on the back of their closet doors is an ideal solution, especially for those items that aren’t made for hanging and don’t work well in drawers.

My older son loves sunglasses and dressing like a dapper little gentleman, so he has quite a few accessories, like bow ties and suspenders. He also wants to save all the birthday cards and postcards he receives, so I created some simple DIY back of door organizers for his closet that I attached with removable 3M Command Strips.

The top organizer has hooks for his belts, ties, and suspenders, as well as clips for hanging cards. The lower organizer has denim pockets for holding smaller accessories, like sunglasses, watches, and bow ties. I designed these accessories organizers with denim and leather to match the menswear theme of his bedroom.

My younger son’s closet is even smaller, and we needed a place for all of his hats and shoes. A standard shoe bag wouldn’t accommodate hats, so I found this over closet door organizer with spacious pockets. His closet has very narrow, double doors that pull open, and this organizer is narrower than most, making it a perfect fit. I added one to the back of each door, and used some of the extra pockets for the items we need for weekly events, like soccer practice and swim lessons. One of the pockets is large enough to accommodate his soccer jersey, shorts, socks, shin guards, and cleats.

SHOP CLOSET DOOR SOLUTIONS

You may have noticed one more bonus feature of the back of door organizer that I used for Cooper’s hats and shoes… the bottom is a hamper dirty clothes hamper that lifts off when I’m ready to carry it to the washer. Now we don’t have a hamper taking up floor space in the room – win/win!

SHOP DOOR HAMPER SOLUTIONS

BATHROOM

When it comes to toiletries, I prefer to always have extras on hand so that I never run out of something important at an inopportune time {although, let’s be honest, there’s no good time to run out of toothpaste or deodorant!}. But keeping all those around takes up a lot of space. I tried to keep it all under the bathroom sink wasn’t working for us, so I decided to add a some adjustable metal baskets to the back of a door in the bathroom. I attached the metal rail directly to our door {using hollow-core door screws and anchors}, but there are hooks I could have used at the top and bottom of the door to make this set-up removable.

This system gives us plenty of space for extra toiletries, medicine, and even our bathroom cleaning supplies. Having everything visible at a glance also makes it much easier to see when we are running low on something so I can add it to our shopping list before we run out.

SHOP BATHROOM DOOR SOLUTIONS

LAUNDRY ROOM

A laundry room was on my “must have” list when we were house shopping, and yet the house we fell in love with had a laundry closet. In my quest to make the laundry closet function like a room, I needed to add as much storage as I could. We added cabinets above the washer and dryer for all of our extra toilet paper and paper towels {lightweight makes the most sense for these cabinets because I’m short and can just reach.}

Then we turned to the back of the doors for everything else. On one of the double doors, I installed a rail with three metal baskets deep enough to hold various detergents and sprays, as well as canisters for stain sticks, lint brushes, buttons, needles and thread, and more. The bottom basket sits just high enough to clear the counter top when the door is closed. I attached the metal rail directly to our door {using hollow-core door screws and anchors}, but there are hooks I could have used at the top and bottom of the door to make this set-up removable.

On the other door, we installed a mutli-layer towel bar that we use to hang clothes to dry. I can drape sweaters over the rails, or hang my husbands dress shirts on hangers.

Below the hanging rack, I installed a glass noticeboard with a printed guide to laundry symbols behind the glass. Using a chalk marker, I can make notes on the glass that keep Scott and I on the same page when we share laundry responsibilities. I’ll often make a note to check specific shirts to confirm that stains are removed before drying them, or notes reminding us that certain shirts have to be hung to dry. If you like it, you can download and print this “Guide to Laundry Symbols” poster in your choice of colors.

SHOP LAUNDRY DOOR SOLUTIONS

STATIONERY & GIFT TAGS

A couple of years ago I transformed half of our guest room closet into an organized gift wrap station. I used bins, baskets, and drawers in the closet for the larger items, but I needed a solution for all of the small stuff. A set of adjustable metal baskets turned out to be the perfect place to organize all of my decorative tap, gift tags, greeting cards, stationary, and bows. I used clear bins within the baskets to keep everything neatly contained {and stop small items from falling through the metal baskets}. You can read all the details in this post.

I attached the metal rail directly to our door {using hollow-core door screws and anchors}, but there are hooks I could have used at the top and bottom of the door to make this set-up removable.

The back of the door is also a great place to store wrapping paper, gift bags, and other gift wrap supplies.

SHOP BACK OF DOOR GIFT WRAP ORGANIZATION SOLUTIONS

CLEANING SUPPLIES

My mom had the great idea to use a shoe bag to keep all of her cleaning supplies in easy reach on the back of the linen closet door at my parent’s vacation house. The clear pockets make it easy to see all of the contents, allowing anyone staying at the house to find what they need to do their part!

See that ribbon she used instead of the standard metal hooks? I’ve got a tutorial for this damage-free way to hang a shoe bag on a door.

SHOP OTHER CLEANING CLOSET DOOR SOLUTIONS

LINEN CLOSET

I used to avoid using my table clothes and table runners, because I hated having to iron them before each use. I thought there was no way to avoid the creases from folding them, but there is… hang them, instead! I installed two narrow towel bar on the inside of my linen closet doors, and I now hang all my table linens as well as extra blankets right on the door.

SHOP LINEN CLOSET DOOR SOLUTIONS

SPRAY PAINT

As you know, I use spray paint to makeover anything and everything! I have just about every color on hand all the time at the ready for my DIY whims. But spray paint is challenging to store. You shouldn’t keep it in the garage where it might get too cold and freeze, but you also can’t keep it in the utility room near the furnace because it’s combustible. I finally came up with a good solution by hanging a shoe bag on the inside of a closet door. It gives me plenty of space for all of my cans of spray paint, and the pockets on top are great for the stain pens that I use to touch up our wood floor and trim.

See that ribbon I used instead of the standard metal hooks? I’ve got a tutorial for this damage-free way to hang a shoe bag on a door, which is especially helpful on extra tall doors, like I have.

I get that you might not have the extensive spray paint collection that I have, but I bet you do have some other craft and DIY supplies, or even office supplies that need to be organized!

SHOP BACK OF DOOR CRAFT & DIY SUPPLY SOLUTIONS

SEASONAL DECOR

I love to decorate for every different season, but constantly swapping out our holiday decor means that I need a place to store it the rest of the year. I have an extra hall closet that I affectionately call my “prop closet.” Shelves along the back of the closet hold holiday decor, one wall is used for wreath storage, and a shoe back hanging on the back of the closet door is perfect for storing faux flowers and pillar candles.

Now that I have a dedicated candle storage cabinet in the living room, I use this entire over the door shoe bag for flowers – but pillar candles do fit perfectly in the pockets!

PANTRY BULLETIN BOARD

I originally planned to use the back of the door in our pantry for a space saving spice rack. But then I discovered that the pantry shelves are set back just far enough that I could use the wall space on the right side of the pantry for floor to ceiling shelves for all of our spices and oils.

Of course, I still wanted to find a way to put our pantry door to good use, so I decided to hang a simple DIY bulletin board {cork board wrapped in fabric} on the back of the door. This gives us the perfect place to keep our family calendar, birthday party invitations, school flyers, and – of course – adorable baby announcements. I love keeping these items right at eye-level on the inside of the door where we see them numerous times a day without creating visual clutter in the kitchen.

If you don’t want to DIY your own pantry door bulletin board, check out these cute options:

SHOP STYLISH BULLETIN BOARDS

Or if you need extra food storage, put the pantry door to use with one of these great storage options:

SHOP BACK OF PANTRY DOOR STORAGE SOLUTIONS

CABINET DOORS

Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget about using the inside of your cabinet doors as well! Under the kitchen sink, I added a towel bar on one side and a paper towel holder on the other side.

In my boys’ bathroom, I used 3M Command Strips to attached a divided metal bin to the inside of the cabinet door to hold their toothbrushes, combs, and washcloths.

SHOP CABINET DOOR ORGANIZERS

Still want more back of door organizing ideas?! I’m working on a couple more right now that I’ll be sharing with you soon! Be sure to sign up to become an Email Insider so you don’t miss any of my organizing, decorating, or DIY tips!

The post 15 Ways to Maximize Storage With Over the Door Organizers appeared first on Blue i Style.

A Toy Storage Solution That Can Grow With the Kids

blueistyle — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 23:28:00 +0000

The holidays are over and there are SO MANY new toys! It’s a perfect time to purge and donate toys that kids have outgrown, and to come up with a new toy storage plan that will grow with the kids!

There are a ton of toy organizer options out there, but to stand the test of time, you need to find a toy organizer that is flexible enough to change with the size, shape and quantity of the toys through the years.

Around this time last year, I got a call from a friend who said her son’s toys were taking over their family room and she needed help! Putting the toys “away” meant stashing them all behind the couches and chairs on either side of the room, but they really weren’t hidden and they definitely weren’t organized. It was causing stress for the whole family!

I went over to see if I could help, and we walked around together looking for a better place to store and organize the toys. She showed me a big coat closet positioned between the entry way and the family room. There wasn’t much in it other than a few cleaning supplies and some misc boxes and cords… where were all the coats, I asked?

It turns out that they also had a smaller coat closet in the mudroom that was a bit chaotic, but had plenty of potential to serve the family’s needs. With a little work, I helped them reorganized the small coat closet. {Get the details about all the small coat closet storage solutions!}

Once the small mud room coat closet was functioning well for the whole family, and we were confident that the larger coat closet wasn’t needed for coats, she was able to clear out the big closet, getting rid of what was not needed and finding a new home for the vacuum.

I then put together a new plan for this closet that would provide plenty of storage for all their son’s current toys, as well as the flexibility to adapt with new toys in the future. Keeping in mind that this closet might not always be used for toys, we decided to keep the existing shelf and closet rod in place so it could easily be converted back to a coat closet in the future. We felt like this was especially important for maintaining the potential resale value of the house.

Since the closet is wider than the door opening, I chose shelves for the bottom of the closet that were only about half as deep as the closet to allow even the back corners to be easily accessible.

After researching lots of shelving and storage options, we decided to create a custom solution using pieces from the IKEA Trofast system.

The Trofast system comes in lots of options, including different heights and widths, but my favorite thing about Trofast is that it can be used with a combination of shelves and drawers, and that configuration can be easily changed as needed. I opted for shelves on the far sides of the closet, and left the center two sections open for sliding drawers. I also chose some light weight bins with handles for the top shelves.

Here’s the supply list of exactly what I used in this closet:

Don’t have an IKEA near you? Some of these items are also available on Amazon. You’ll usually end up paying more at Amazon then directly through IKEA, but I’ll also include affiliate links to the Trofast available on Amazon for your convenience.

37″ Tall TROFAST frames (I used four side by side)
- Here are two other configurations available on Amazon: shorter; multi-height
TROFAST Shelves (sold in sets of two)
TROFAST Storage Bins: I used 3 Small; 3 Medium; 1 Large
- Numerous Trofast bin options on Amazon
SKUBB Storage Boxes with Handles (I used 6 on the top shelf)
- Available on Amazon in blue
Clear lidded, stacking storage boxes
Self-Adhesive Label Pockets

After sorting all the toys, and adding simple labels to all the boxes and bins, the coat closet turned toy closet was a thing of beauty!

I filled the TROFAST bins with groups of like toys, including blocks, balls, animals, and cars.

What I love most about these bins is that they function like drawers, but can be fully removed from the tracks and carried to the family room rug for playtime.

Then when it’s time to clean up, the family can toss everything back in the bins and slide them back in place in closet.

The sliding bins work perfectly in the center of the closet, where the door opening is, but because of their depth they would have been hard to maneuver into place in the corners of the closet. Instead, I slid TROFAST shelves into the tracks on the units on the far right and left. I then filled my favorite inexpensive, clear stacking storage boxes with additional toys and games and placed them on these shelves.

Other toys I placed directly on the shelves for easy access.

Big toys often pose the biggest organizational challenge because they don’t fit on standard shelves. When planning this toy closet, I specifically chose to leave a large open space between the new storage units and the fixed closet shelf to accommodate big toys.

I used the SKUBB storage boxes on the top shelf to organize additional toys. The long handles make the toy baskets easy to reach and lift down {even for someone short like me}. I filled these boxes with lighter weight toys and those played with less often. These top shelf storage boxes also allow the parents to control access to other items, like art supplies that could be messy in little hands if left unsupervised.

I accomplished the total transformation of this closet from under-utilized coat closet to super functional toy closet for just $250, including the storage frames, shelves, bins, boxes, and labels.

This little boy’s toys will continue to change over time, but this toy storage closet will easily adapt and grow with him! The Trofast storage frames each have six tracks, allowing different sizes and configurations of bins to be slid into the frames over time, and the shelves can also be repositioned as needed. And because the labels are just written on scrapbook paper and slid into the adhesive label pockets, updating the labels will be quick and easy. {Read how to create these easy to update labels.}

The post A Toy Storage Solution That Can Grow With the Kids appeared first on Blue i Style.

Small Coat Closet Storage Solutions

blueistyle — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 21:59:00 +0000

Fall is officially here, which means winter is right around the corner. As the temperature cools down, now is a great time to tackle coat closet organization to save time and stress when you’re trying to find a matching pair of gloves on your way out the door.

Last year, I whipped my coat closet into shape and shared lots of coat closet organization ideas that can be applied to both large and small spaces. But since I’m lucky enough to have a larger than average closet, I realize that the photos of my closet might not have seemed practical to those dealing with a more cramped quarters. So today, I want to show you an example of a small space I recently redesigned using some simple small coat closet organization ideas!

When a friend asked if I could help organize a few spaces in her home, I was excited to show her how much function we could pack into her small coat closet, and how we could even add some extra storage to her small mudroom.

Here’s how the mudroom looked before we got started…

That door on the left leads to the backyard and the family’s detached garage… so this is where the family comes and goes from the house most of the time. Across from the door, notice the tray of shoes on the ground. The tray was doing a good job off keeping the wood floor dry, but it wasn’t doing much in the way of actually giving the family an organized shoe storage solution.

Taking a closer look inside the coat closet, you can see that the small baskets on the top shelf were overflowing with hats and gloves, and the floor space had become just a drop spot for random items. I took the below photo a few days after the photos above, and you can see that even more items made their way to the floor in the meantime.

This closet is actually a little bigger than it looks, because it extends behind the wall on the left… but that extra space, while nice isn’t all that usable because it’s so hard to reach. My goal was to make the absolutely most of the easily accessible space, and then find a way to take advantage of the hidden corner without things getting lost back there forever.

To get started on this organized coat closet challenge, I first took measurements of the space and drew up some plans.

In the plan, you’ll see that I labeled the door opening, and the diagonal lines represent everything that’s hidden behind the wall. To take full advantage of the entire top shelf, I decided to add baskets all the way back into the corner. In order to reach the extra baskets beyond the door opening, the homeowners will need to remove the first two, and then slide the others over. To make this practical, we’ll use the hidden baskets only for items that are used much less frequently.

Down on the floor, I proposed adding some stacking drawers. Drawers are perfect at the bottom of a closet because they allow you to use the full height below the coats while keeping things organized and contained.

To address the issue of shoe storage, I proposed adding a shallow shoe cabinet in the mudroom, right across from the back door. I also recommended adding a shoe bag to the inside of the coat closet door… but not for shoes {more on that in a minute}.

Once my friend approved on the plans, I was ready to get busy organizing. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again a million times over… before you start reorganizing, it’s best to empty the space completely! {This is one of the 10 steps I share in my organizing e-book “How to Get Organized and Stay Organized, Once and For All”; be sure to grab your free copy if you don’t already have it.}

By taking everything out of the closet, we were able to talk through what should go back in, what should be donated, and what might be more logically stored in a different location.

I swept out the the back corner and wiped down the top shelf for a fresh start, and then I started to put our new organizing system in place. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something I recommend, you’ll pay the same price, but I may receive a small commission.

I hung the shoe bag on the inside of the door {I don’t like those over door hooks because they make the bag hang too high on a tall door, and they scratch up the front of the door; instead, here’s a quick, damage-free solution for hanging shoe bags on doors.} I sat the empty baskets on the top shelf, stacked the drawers on the closet floor, and hung some new, wood hangers from the clothing rod.

I chose the linen-colored shoe bag to coordinate with the neutral color of the mudroom walls. I selected deep baskets with handles to make them easy to lift down from the top shelf. The drawers on the floor are my favorite ever {the same ones I used in my pantry and under my kitchen sink} because you can create so many different stacking configurations. I love that I was able to put two wide drawers on the bottom, and three narrower drawers {of varying widths} on top, but they all interlock together. In the right corner, I even added a narrow bin to corral extra paper sacks.

Here are the products I used in this organized coat closet {click on any image for all the details}:

After filling up the closet and adding labels, here’s how it looks now…

The shoe bag on the back of the door holds all of the family’s scarves, gloves, and winter hats. I used the lowest row of pockets for hats and mittens belonging to their preschool age son so that he can reach what he needs and help put them away.

I transferred all of the coats onto wood hangers. Not only do the matching hangers make the closet look more cohesive and organized, wood hangers are also more durable and won’t bend or break under the weight of a coat the way wire and plastic hangers do. I hung all of the young son’s coats on the far right, mom’s coats in the middle {grouped by color}, and then the dad’s coats on the left.

The drawers on the floor are so versatile, and will provide the family with easily adaptable storage as their needs change over the years. Right now, the use of the drawers reflect this family’s busy life style.

The top three drawers are being use for his and hers golf shoes, umbrellas, and water bottles. The two larger drawers on the bottom hold the young son’s backpack and other school items, and all of their reusable grocery bags {which were previously taking up valuable cabinet space in the kitchen}. And the narrow bin next to the drawers keeps paper grocery bags contained and in easy reach.

The adhesive labels holders I used on the drawers came from the clearance section at The Container Store. I love that the labels just slide into the holder, so they can be easily updated over time. Unfortunately, TCS doesn’t carry them any longer, and I can’t find these same label pockets anywhere else, but these simple clear pockets are a good alternative, or these bordered adhesive labels provide a similar stylish look.

I filled one of the baskets on the top shelf with baseball caps, and the other holds the family’s camera bags – making them quick to grab on the way out the door so they never forget to photograph those family adventures. Another basket tucked behind the wall to the left holds less frequently used items.

I can’t stress enough the importance of labels! Baskets are great for stylish organization, but only if you know what’s inside, and this is especially important on a high shelf. These clip on basket labels are a perfect solution, and so easy to update if the contents change over time.

I placed an additional basket tucked into the back corner of the closet on the floor next to the drawers. We are using this basket to keep items like rolled up yoga mats and foam exercise rollers upright so that they are easy to grab out of that blind corner.

Let’s admire the before and after, shall we?

Be sure to pin the image below so you can find your way back to these simple tips for how to organize a coat closet, but don’t go away yet… I still have to show you the shoe storage!

Once the coat closet was organized, I was ready to deal with the piles of shoes in the mudroom. I know you’ve heard me talk before about my love affair with IKEA shoe cabinets, but let me sing their praises once again! These things really pack so much organizing punch into a small space, and they look good doing it!

Now when you enter the mudroom through the back door, you are greeted by this stylish white cabinet, which provided the perfect spot for me to add a little decor to the space as well.

A couple of framed art pieces from Target and a few inexpensive candle holders from IKEA give the mudroom a whole new personality.

The shoe cabinet is so shallow that it doesn’t impede the flow of the mudroom or block access to the coat closet at all. When it’s closed, the shoe cabinet just looks like a nice piece of furniture, and it coordinates so well with the white doors and trim in the mudroom.

But those tilt out doors hide so much shoe storage! Plenty of room for mom, dad, and son. Plus that drawer at the top provides a perfect storage spot for keys, wallets, and sunglasses.

Have I sold you on the wonder that is the IKEA shoe cabinet yet?

Guess what? These slim cabinets are also good for so much more. In fact, I wrote an entire blog post about 20 other ways to organized with a shoe cabinet. Here’s just a peek at a few of those ideas…

SHOP ALL OF MY SMALL COAT CLOSET ORGANIZING SOLUTIONS:

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How to Create a Custom Door Label with Cricut

blueistyle — Wed, 03 May 2017 01:03:00 +0000

A year after completing the makeover of our master bathroom, the barn door on our closet remains one of my favorite details of the space! Based on your comments, it seems to be one of your favorite features as well. Over time, a lot of you have asked me how we added the “Dressing Room” label to the barn door, so today I wanted to share the easy DIY tutorial.

I created this custom door label using my Cricut electronic cutter, which is one of the most versatile and fun tools I own for decor, organizing, and crafting! Thank you to Cricut for sponsoring this post, and thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible. As always all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links.

SUPPLY LIST

Cricut Explore Air (electronic cutter)

Cricut Design Space (online)

HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOM DOOR LABEL

My Cricut cutting machine can do so may things, but from the very beginning {way, way back when I got the original Cricut as Christmas gift more than a decade ago}, I’ve used it to cut words and labels more than anything else. It’s the organizer in me. With my original machine, I was limited to cutting fonts available on Cricut cartridges, and I’m kind of cheap, so I only purchased a few and just made those work for every project. But not anymore!

When I got my new Cricut Explore Air, the thing I was most excited about was that I no longer have to use font cartridges! Instead, the Cricut Design Space software allows me to use any font installed on my computer. Of course, that’s the just the tip of the iceberg, as I’ve shown you recently, I can also create my own custom design projects now as well … but the organizing nerd in me still gets really excited about choosing my own fonts and adding borders to create any kind of label I want.

Below, I’ll walk you through the simple process of designing a custom door label using Cricut Design Space software and my Cricut Explore Air.

Start by opening the Cricut Design Space software, and creating a new project.

CREATE THE BORDER FIRST

Since I knew the total size that I wanted the label to be {based on the width and height of the glass panels on my closet door}, I decided to start with the border first, and then add text inside to fit.

Click “Insert Shape” and choose Square.

To change it from a square to a rectangle, click the “lock” icon in the bottom left corner, which unlocks the proportions.

Since I knew exactly the size I wanted, I used the Edit tab on the far right of the screen to set the exact dimensions.

I then followed the steps above to create a second rectangle which I made 1/4″ smaller in eahc direction.

I then changed the color of the second rectangle to white, to make the two easy to tell apart.

I dragged the smaller, white rectangle on top of the original, larger black rectangle.

I selected “Center” from the “Align” menu.

This perfectly centered the white rectangle on top of the black, creating an even border all the way around.

Next, I clicked on the “Slice” tool on the Layers tab.

This had the effect of separating the black board showing around the white rectangle from the remainder of the black rectangle, allowing me to drag them apart.

I used the red X in the top left corner to delete the center of the black rectangle, leaving just the border that I wanted.

ADD THE TEXT

Now I was ready to add the text inside the border. I began by clicking “Add Text” on the left menu bar, and then typed in “Dressing Room.”

I wanted to use a different font than the default on, so I click on the “Edit” tab on the far right side of the screen, and then clicked on the Font drop down menu. I scrolled down and tried out a few fonts until I found one that I liked.

Once I’d picked a font, I adjusted the size several times until I liked the way the text fit inside the border.

I then used the “Align > Center” tool once again to center the text perfectly inside of the border.

Now I was ready to cut this custom door label. I clicked on the “GO” button in the Cricut Design Space software, connected by computer to my Circut Explore Air, and cut the label from black vinyl.

This was my first time cutting text with a border around it, and I was surprised how easy it was to quickly design it as one cut file with everything perfectly aligned! By cutting and applying the text and border as one piece, I didn’t have to worry about getting things lined up properly when I placed them on the door.

HOW TO APPLY A CUSTOM DOOR LABEL

All that was left was to put the label on our closet door. After weeding away all of the black vinyl around the letters and border, I applied a piece of clear transfer tape over the label. I used a piece of painter’s tape to loosely hold the label in place while I measured to center the label within one of the frosted glass door panels.

Once I had the positioning about right, I began peeling the transfer tape and label away from the backing.

I tore away about 1/3 of the backing, being careful that the transfer tape didn’t yet stick to the door.

Holding the transfer tape away from the glass, I used a level to ensure that the border was still perfectly straight.

I then placed the left end of the label against the glass, and used a scraper tool to burnish (rub) that portion of the label onto the glass.

I then removed the painter’s tape and carefully began removed the remainder of the backing.

I continued using the scraper tool to smooth the rest of the label down moving from the center to the left side, removing the backing little by little.

Once the entire backing was removed, I went back over the entire label again, pressing it down firmly to ensure that none of the letters would peel off when I removed the clear transfer tape.

I began slowly removing the transfer tape. If the border or letters begin peeling up when you start to remove the tape, stop and burnish again with your scraper tool before continuing.

Continue peeling away the transfer tape, pulling at a 45 degree angle.

Once the transfer tape was all removed, I had a few small bubbles in the vinyl on the letter R.

After smoothing out as many bubbles as I could using the vinyl applicator tool, I then used a thin needle to poke a tiny hole in the remaining bubbles to release the air underneath, and again smoothed down the vinyl.

I am thrilled with the way it turned out, and it still looks perfect a year later!

I think “Dressing Room” is such a fun label for our closet, but I think it would just as fun to create a “Laundry” or a “Pantry” label for other doors around the house!

This closet door label was really the final detail that made the new barn door a major feature in the overall master bathroom design!

If you’d like to see rest of the photos of this bathroom makeover and learn how we inset the TV to allow the barn door to open in front of it, be sure to check out the full GRAPHIC GLAM BATHROOM REVEAL.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. As always, all opinions are my own.

The post How to Create a Custom Door Label with Cricut appeared first on Blue i Style.

Easy Ways to Organize Jewelry

blueistyle — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 12:30:00 +0000

My love for inexpensive jewelry knows no bounds! If it’s colorful, or sparkly, or chunky, I can’t pass it up. And jewelry is always my favorite souvenir from my travels. I love that every time I wear the necklace Scott bought on our honeymoon in Greece, the ring I bought at a Christmas market in Madrid, or the elephant bracelet I got on our safari in South Africa, they are tangible reminders that keep the memories of those adventures alive.

But I’ve learned that jewelry, like many other things in life, can become out of sight, out of mind. Which is why I like to keep my jewelry organized and on display so that it’s easy for me to find just the right piece to wear each day. Plus, even if I am just in t-shirt and jeans, putting on a pretty necklace or pair of earring can improve how I feel when I start my day.

I have all of my jewelry organized in a small corner of my closet, but what I love about the solutions I’ve come up with is that they are pretty enough that they could easily be on display in a bedroom or bathroom if you’re short on closet space. This post contains some affiliate links.

NECKLACES. Hanging necklaces is best way to prevent them from getting tangled up. To make it easy to find what I’m looking for, or to find the perfect necklace when I don’t know what I’m looking for, I prefer to keep my necklaces organized by color.

I installed four white key racks, each with four small hooks. I hung them in two rows, spaced far enough apart that the necklaces on the top row don’t overlap with those below. Each key rack goes up with just two screws, so they are quick and easy to install.

On the top row I hang all of my bright necklaces, generally grouped together by color – reds and pins, greens, teals, blues, etc. {Is anyone surprised that I have more blue necklaces than anything else?} I use the bottom row for all of my silver and gold necklaces, and other neutral tones.

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I can fit quite a few necklaces on each small hook. If I want to wear one that is hanging toward the back, I simple put my finger right below the hook and lift off the whole bunch together. Then I can take the necklace I want from the back of the group and rehang the rest together without getting them tangled up.

BRACELETS. I didn’t used to wear a lot of bracelets, but over time I’ve created quite a collection. I started with just one acrylic bracelet stand, but have now expanded to three.

I love these bracelet holders because they are low profile and because the clear acrylic doesn’t compete with my jewelry, making it easy for me to see what I have.

RINGS. I came across this tall hand jewelry display a while back and couldn’t pass it up. I knew that those long thin fingers would be perfect for displaying all of my rings, but it turns out that the arm is also perfect for all of my open cuff bracelets.

EARRINGS. For organizing earrings, these clear acrylic stacking trays are my very favorite! They come in multiple configurations, and some have adjustable, removable dividers. I have five to ten pair of earrings in each small divided section, but by grouping them together by color, it’s easy to quickly find what I’m looking for. And I use the larger divided section in the back left corner of the tray for a few more bracelets.

For all of my closed hoop earrings, and those with lever clasps, I always connect pairs together before putting them away.

Because these acrylic trays are made to stack, you could add as many as necessary to store all of your earrings. I use two stacked together, with all of the earrings I wear regularly on the top tray, and I use the lower one for miscellaneous things that I don’t need as often, like replacement earring backs, extra necklace chains, and holiday specific pieces.

I also use one section of the lower tray to keep track of single earrings that I’ve lost the match to if I’m not ready to give up the search. This paid off big time a few years ago when I lost one of my favorite earrings! I looked everywhere online to buy a replacement, but with no look. But I just couldn’t bring myself to get rid of its match, so I stashed it in the lower tray just in case. About 6 months later I was walking through the backyard and saw something glinting in the melting snow … and there was the earring I had been searching for. I was so glad I had saved its mate!

CATCHALL TRAY. I try to be good at putting all of my jewelry away before bed each night, but inevitably some of always ended up piled up. I’d been looking for a good catch all tray, and this past month PopSugar did me one better! They sent me a Must Have boxes to check out {what’s not to love about a box full of surprises each month?!}, and it included not only a pretty porcelain catchall tray, but also a matching ring dish!

Not only does the black and white Odeme catchall and ring dish combo give me a perfect place to drop my jewelry at the end of a long day, it’s also the perfect place to sit out what I want to wear the next day.

P.S. If you’re not familiar with POPSUGAR Must Have, it is a monthly lifestyle subscription box filled with unique surprises, including fashion, beauty, and home products {and often a yummy treat, as well} – in other words, happiness in a box. If you want to give it a try, or give a subscription as a gift, you can save $5 on your first box with code: SHOP5.

DOUBLE DUTY STORAGE. When organizing any space, I’m always looking for items that can do double duty, and that combine both style and function. The shelves that hold my jewelry in my closet are a perfect example, because below them is a tilt out laundry hamper.

Scott and I each have one of these hampers on our side of the closet. Have two hampers in the closet allows to pre-sort our dark and light laundry. The shelves of his hamper store extra towels, and he uses the top for his cologne and valet box with tie tacks and similar accessories.

We’ve had these hampers for more than a decade, but I was able to find some very similar options online for you, like this one, this one, and this one.

Here’s one last quick look at all of my favorite jewelry organizing supplies:

White Key Racks for hanging necklaces

Acrylic Bracelet Stands

Tall Hand Jewelry Display

Clear Acrylic Stacking Trays

Catchall & Ring Dish

The post Easy Ways to Organize Jewelry appeared first on Blue i Style.

How to Organize Spray Paint Cans

blueistyle — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Our house has a detached garage, which, as a DIYer, can sometimes pose challenges. Because the garage is unheated and uninsulated, I basically have a spray paint season, and then a long period of months when it’s too cold to paint in the garage. And the months of cold weather also make spray paint storage a challenge.

A couple of years ago, I added shelves in our utility room to store some of our paint and painting supplies. I did a lot of research to determine if it was safe to store paint near our furnace and water heater, and in doing so determined that while latex and water based paints are ok, oil based and spray paint couldn’t be stored in this space. {You can read all of my findings about proper paint storage in this post.}

So no to the garage, and no to the utility room… where could store my spray paint?

For the last couple of years, I’ve had the two bins of spray paint on a shelf in our main floor storage closet… but the bins were heavy and I was always nervous lifting them on and off the shelf above my head.

Finally, I came up with a better solution! I saw the genius way that Cassie of Hi Sugarplum was storing spray paint on the wall of her garage using a shoe bag, and I realized that hanging a shoe bag {affiliate link} on the back of the closet door would be the perfect way to keep my spray paint organized inside the house without heavy bins taking up valuable shelf space.

The rest of the closet is still very much a work in progress, but at least my spray paint is now nicely organized!

I didn’t want to damage the nice wood door of the closet, so I hung the shoe bag from the top of the door using ribbon and thumbtacks {read the details here}.

For this organization project, I used an extra shoe bag that I already had on-hand, and only one can fits in each pocket. This was perfect for the spray paint I currently have, and since I tend to use up spray paint pretty quickly, it will always provide enough stroage space. But if, in the future, I wish I had more space, I could always replace this narrow shoe bag with a larger one with more pockets, or that could fit two cans per pocket.

This shoe bag also has two smaller horizontal pockets at the top. I’m using one pocket to store all of my stain touch-up markers {here’s how I use them}.

I have several different colors of stain markers that I use for furniture, floors, baseboards, etc. I label the bottom of the markers with a Sharpie so I can remember which color matches which wood in our house.

The other top pocket of the shoe bag is perfect for storing my spray paint comfort grip {affiliate link}. If you’ve done a lot of spray painting, then you know that pushing down on that little nozzle can result in quite the finger cramp. The comfort grip solves this problem by giving you a larger, more comfortable triger.

Looking for more quick and easy five minute organizing ideas? You’ll find lots of them here. And these are some of my favorite spray paint projects:

Pretty Painted Hangers

Gold Shelf Brackets for Faux Marble Shelves

Anthropolgie Inspired Basket

Halloween Tic Tac Toe

Fall Canvas Art

The post How to Organize Spray Paint Cans appeared first on Blue i Style.

Linen Closet Organizing Hack

blueistyle — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 05:59:00 +0000

We’ve been spending a lot of time in Breckenridge this summer, and it’s a beautiful place to be! We are very fortunate that my parent’s have a house there, and it provides a great place to escape to cooler weather and relaxed days.

But even when were are in Breckenridge on semi-vacation {both working remotely much of the time}, the day to day stuff still has to get done. Meals cooked, dishes cleaned, laundry washed.

The other day, when I opened the linen closet to grab out the broom to sweep after the kids finished dinner, I realized that I should share my mom’s super smart, five minute solution for making the very most of the limited space in that closet!

At the house in Breck, the laundry room opens off of the mud room. My mom uses the cabinets above the washer and dryer, and below the sink, to store extra paper products and bottles of cleaning supplies.

The two doors on the left side are both closets. The one with the vented door is the utility closet, and the other is the linen closet.

You know that I am a big proponent of using every available space for storage and organization, and that is exactly what my mom has done here. She hung a 24 pocket shoe bag {affiliate link} on the back of the door to hold all of the small, misc supplies that don’t require shelf space.

And she hung the shoe bag using the same damage-fee method that I showed you in my coat closet.

The pockets of the shoe bag are the perfect size for so many items… everything from cleaning supplies to household items that are always hard to find when you need them, like extension cords.

Everyone will have different items to store, but the things my mom is organizing in her back-of-door shoe bag include; cleaning rags, scrubbing brushes, Magic Erasers, Swiffer Dusters and replacements, rubber gloves, carpet cleaner, sponges and scouring pads, vacuum replacement bags and belts, Command strips, and extra shelf liner.

So if you could use a little extra storage space in your linen closet {and let’s be honest, who couldn’t?!}, pick up an inexpensive shoe bag and put the back of your door to work!

Here are 9 more great ways to organize on the back of your doors:

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