on December 29 | in Crafts, Decor, DIY, Interior Decorating, Tutorials | by amy | with 7 Comments

You are only a few steps away from having a functional area in your home without spending a dime. Because, lets face it, most organizational adventures lead to next years resolution of getting out of debt. Bins,buckets,folders no more! Get organized using things you already have around your home.

Right along side losing inches around the waist, putting an end to a nasty habit, or even getting out of debt, Getting organized is among the top ten New Years resolutions made each year.

Find what you and your family needs the most and start there. Don’t even begin to think about all of the other things you will need to do to get organized, you’ll mentally fizzle out and give up by January 2nd.

In other words: Where does your family come together, pass through daily, a place that each member of the family will come to at any part of the day.

For my family, this space is the kitchen.  After selecting the area I intended to use I went on to the next step.

Our family is always on the move. We all have different projects and obligations. It’s hard for us to keep a constant communication between one another. Sitting down with a pen and paper I made a list of what we each need:

a place for homework -incoming bills/mail-important reminders-memo board for notes to one another/upcoming events/schedules/phone messages

Be sure to ask your family what they would like to have in this space, what aspect of this space would be beneficial to them.

Most importantly, I wanted a pretty space. If your organizational space isn’t pleasing to the eye most likely you wont use it. I cannot stress this enough- Your space has to work specifically for your needs and taste.

This can be one of the hardest steps. I want  you to take everything you know about each and every thing in your home and throw it out the window. Pretend like you are looking at everything as if you have no idea what it is. This sounds crazy, I know. Just try it.

For example: One of the things I need from this space is a memo board. Common sense says to go out and buy a dry erase board. No! Don’t do it. Shop around your home…

I found a mirror. A mirror, you say? Yes! Dry erase markers work just as well on a mirror; writing is visible, erases easily, and can serve double duty as a space to do a quick check on your appearance. Not to mention it’s pretty.

Use jars, cans, any appropriate sized vessel to hold pens, markers, doodads.

I also like to consider what room I am in. In this case our organization center is in the kitchen. My accessories are those of kitchen items.

A baking cooling rack serves as a magnetic medium to post my favorite photos, clip on important numbers, and even the addition of a fork to serve as a hook for those pesky cell phone chargers. Be creative. Challenge yourself to take everyday items and find as many uses for them a you can.

A vintage milk crate provides separated cubbies to hold incoming mail, magazines, and even a little decorative accent of fresh flowers.

I did purchase a few things. Hooks are probably one of the most useful organizational tools. They are inexpensive and will hold just about anything for quick and easy access.

Sometimes I’ll spot a really good deal, but wont quite be my style.

I keep spotting these vintage locker style items geared toward children in bright fun colors. For me, I prefer a more vintage style look. With a quick coat of paint I achieved that look.

From a esthetic and functionality stand point I have all my bases covered. One very important thing to keep in mind is structure and stability. I started with a background being a large weathered piece of wood. This piece is supported by inserting screws into the studs within the wall. Then each of my organizational pieces are screwed into this piece of wood. They aren’t going to budge. If you aren’t able to access the studs within the wall make sure you purchase heavy duty wall anchors. That’s one purchase that you can’t pass up. If things are falling off the wall it will just be a pain and wont be beneficial to your organizational zen.

Take time to stand back and think to yourself, “Is this pretty? Do I enjoy the look? Is there plenty of room for future additional items? Is the space over crowded? Do I really NEED each and every item in this space? Can I move some of the aspects to another room int he house?”

During 2013 I will be sharing other organizational stories throughout my home (on mommahenscoop.com) using creative ways to get organized. Share your creative organization stories with me in the comments below or e-mail them to me directly at mommahenscoop@hotmail.com .

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