Re-Purposing Unused Items to Get Organized
Reading time – 3 minutes
When you are sorting through your items, unused items may need to go to the garbage, recycling or can be re-purposed. Finding a new life for your things might save you money.
- A pegboard can make a great place to hang jewellery or medals. Paint it the same colour as the wall. If you prefer, decorate it and make it a piece of artwork to hold your items.
Use a pegboard to hang jewellery or medals
- A magazine holder can be used on a shelf, standing up or lying down to hold paper products in your kitchen, wax paper, baggies, parchment paper, plastic wrap etc.
- Muffin tins can be used to hold paint
Muffin tins can hold paint for those touch up jobs around the house.
- Egg cartons are good for jewellery or small craft items, beads, “googly eyes”, stickers, and glitter. It also makes a good desk drawer organizer for tacks, paper clips, binder clips, keys, etc
- Plastic containers from fruit, vegetables, take-out food, and baby wipes can be used to hold markers, pencil crayons and pens.
- Dressers make great entryway storage places. Paint or decorate it to match your entryway and then use the drawers to store keys, sunglasses, sunscreen, scarves, mitts, hats, baseball caps, etc.
Use a dresser in your entryway to provide more storage
- Icing containers. If you buy icing in the grocery store, the containers are great for storing pens and pencils on your desk. Once the label is removed, it is a beautiful white container with straight sides so pens and pencils stay standing up.
- A cleaning caddy can be used to hold art supplies. Use the icing containers to hold crayons, rulers, pencils, stamps, and glitter glue. Add scissors, glue, tape, and a stapler, and you can take your art supplies anywhere.
Use a cleaning caddy to hold art supplies
- Laundry hampers can be used to store extra pillows or blankets. It is a great way to keep them neat, clean and out of the way until they are needed for company, watching TV, or lying by the fireplace.
- Picture frames can be turned into chalkboards, whiteboards or magnetic boards by painting the cardboard or wood insert with specialized paint. It comes in lots of colours.
When I travel, I have seen lots of items repurposed. I hope you enjoy reading this blog too.
Leave a comment and let me know what is the best thing you have repurposed and its new use.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition, Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
The handle cracked on one of my favourite coffee mugs, so now I use it as a pen holder.
It is great to be able to keep your favourite items and keep using them in a new and practical way.
I finally let go of the mug when I received a couple of beautiful, small ceramic vases, which now hold my pens.
One of the benefits for re-purposing an items is you get to see it and enjoy it rather than it remaining packed away.